Man explains how he sold his 'entire life' on eBay and ended up living on a remote island

The relentless pace of hustle culture has left many workers longing to escape the rat race. Some have managed to break free and embrace a slower, more intentional way of life. One such person is Ian Usher, a British man living in Australia, who made headlines 16 years ago by deciding to sell his "entire life" on eBay to pursue his dreams. This bold decision took Usher on an incredible journey around the world, including living off-grid on a remote island, according to his website, ianusher.com.

On June 22, 2008, Usher auctioned off his "life," which included his house, car, motorbike, jetski, furniture, and much more, as seen in his YouTube video. He had hoped to earn between AU $400,000 and AU $420,000, but the final bid fell just short at AU $399,300. Although slightly disappointed, this substantial sum launched Usher’s adventure. Over the next two years, he achieved nearly 100 items from his bucket list, turning his bold gamble into the journey of a lifetime.

In 2011, Usher, during one of his many adventures, was smitten by an archipelago off the Caribbean coast in Panama named Bocas del Toro. When he learned the island was sold for a convincing price of 27,500 USD, he was instantly up for it. He went from a man who sold his life to owning an entire island. Later, when he invited his girlfriend Vanessa, whom he briefly met in London, to the island, she arrived in 2013 and never went back. The pair lived an off-grid, self-sustained lifestyle in striking contrast to their former lives. In 2014, Usher and his partner were featured in the Channel 5 documentary Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild.

In the episode where the documentarian explored the remote Caribbean island owned by Usher, he was surprised by the Brit's life journey. "I've always been a bit of an adventurer and so have always spent a lot of time pursuing outdoor activities such as climbing, canoeing and diving," Usher told Fogle. The video was recently shared by @EscapeTheRatRace12 on YouTube. Though not fully self-sufficient, the couple managed to grow coconuts, pineapples, Yukka, sugar cane and almonds. "We have 10 chickens who roam free on the island, so our eggs are totally organic. Sometimes, the local Indians will bring freshly caught fish to the dock for us to buy. Everything else comes from the supermarket in town or Ernie's Jungle 7/11 – a small store on the edge of the jungle," the man added. 

The inconveniences of the off-grid lifestyle never demotivated him from building a home on the remote island. However, Usher sold his island, Bocas del Toro, in 2015 and once again, it was a "life for sale." He and Vanessa wished to explore more of the world rather than being trapped in one place. Currently, the couple are professional house-sitters while also fulfilling their passion for traveling from one country to another. The pair founded the media platform House Sitting Magazine and online House Sitting Pro courses in which they share insights to inspire more people on the house-sitting lifestyle. Also, they are sustained by their remote job as TEFL teachers, as per To Travel Too.