Field Notes: Sam's Story
How to take steps without a map. Yikes.
I’ve always loved the hospitality industry. The pulse, the stories, the way it brings people together. So when a friend in the industry heard I was heading to Cambodia, she said, “You NEED to meet Sam.”
And I’m glad I did.
Sam Dalcourt is a spirits professional and brand ambassador based in Phnom Penh, carving out his own path in a city less charted and far from the glitz of bigger cocktail hubs.
Sam’s journey isn’t just about crossing borders.
It’s about the internal shifts that happen when no one’s watching. Singapore was that high-octane stepping stone, a place where everything moved fast, and you had to keep up or get left behind.
Cambodia, by contrast, is slower and quieter. A deliberate pause where patience and trusting the timing become your most valuable tools, even when your instinct is to keep pushing forward.
The hospitality world he lives in demands relentless hustle, long hours, nonstop movement, and sometimes sacrificing personal moments that most people take for granted, like dating or downtime.
But what stands out is how Sam navigates all this with a clear-eyed focus on why he’s here, not just what he’s doing.
He’s constantly asking himself the bigger questions: “Why am I here? What’s the next step?”
Even when there isn’t a clear answer, that curiosity keeps him moving forward, keeps him growing.
There’s no roadmap for this kind of life. Sam doesn’t pretend to have it all figured out. Instead, he leans into the uncertainty, staying grounded even when the path twists in unexpected ways.
It’s in that quiet, steady grind, not the flashy leaps, where real meaning lives.
Could that be the point? How it’s not about racing to the finish line? How it maybe about showing up, every day, curious and committed to becoming a little more who you’re meant to be.
Because, at the end of the day, Sam’s story asks a question we all face: What’s your purpose?
Not just in your work, but in how you choose to live your life when no one’s watching. How do you show up when the path is unclear? And how do you keep moving forward when the next step isn’t obvious?
Maybe purpose isn’t a fixed destination. Maybe it’s the ongoing practice of leaning into the unknown with intention, trust, and a restless desire to grow.
📝What part of your journey feels like it’s unfolding behind the scenes, even if it’s not yet visible to others?
Until the next stop,
keep holding space for the journey,
Al
So here’s to the quiet builders, the patient strugglers, and the ones learning to trust timing over control.
🎧 Listen in for a raw, honest look at living a nomadic life, even when the path is anything but clear.
And if this resonates, share it with someone learning to build their path, one uncertain step at a time.