How it All Started

From an early age, I’ve been captivated by the tropics. Growing up in Oregon, I discovered this passion during family trips to sunny Laguna Hills, California. The skate and surf shops, swaying palm trees, beach adventures, offshore fishing trips, and iconic visits to Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, and the Tiki Room planted a seed of curiosity that has grown into a lifelong obsession.

"I spent countless hours sketching palm trees and islands, even dedicating a full wall in my room to a mural of a tropical sunset over the water. The tropics were—and still are—etched into my soul."

My *Personal Legend (Life Journey) took me to Central Oregon, where I raised a family and balanced my dreams with fleeting tropical escapes. Over the years, my curiosity turned into exploration. After cruises, Caribbean trips, living a couple short terms in Central America and hearing whispers of a little country called Belize nearly two decades ago, I finally visited in 2015 and 2016. Belize stole my heart.

I have what some might call a “Caribbean soul” I can barely control, coupled with the Pacific Northwest quietly buried deep in my heart. My dream has always been clear: to own and operate an, "Unreasonable Hospitality" forward business boutique hotel or resort etc. in Belize.

In 2019, I created 17 North 88 West building urban rustic furnishings that I imagined could furnish my hotel. Changing to a holding company during the pandemic, 17North 88West LLC was formed. By 2023 it was clear I needed a business model that created semi passive revenue, hence 17N88W Trading Company—a tangible reminder of that dream and a way to bring the tropics to life for others like me.

*The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho

"And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."

Paulo Coelho