Why Did This Man Sell His Entire Life for an Island Adventure?

A Brit who sold his whole life on eBay nearly 20 years ago previously revealed what had happened since he made the decision. Ian Usher, 62, left Darlington after selling his "entire life," and that isn't an exaggeration. Following a painful divorce, he decided to sell his three-bedroom home and everything inside it, including his car, motorbike, and jet ski, in Perth, Australia . After the split, Ian realized he was sick and tired of his job and life after moving to the land down under. He would accept a bid of AUD $399,300 (£379,800 at the time) for everything he owned, and while he aimed to generate more funds, he said there were "no regrets." His plan after this? To travel. He said that he wanted to visit the top of the Eiffel Tower, which was part of a "huge list of things" he wanted to complete. Ian Usher sold his life for a new one in the wild. Credit: Channel 5 Ian Usher traveled the world Ian wanted a "fresh start," and travelled the world with 100 goals to complete in 100 weeks, with the bucket list culminating with a visit to the crown of the Statue of Liberty in New York , back on July 4, 2010. But soon after, the Brit adopted an entirely new lifestyle. In 2014, documentarian Ben Fogle caught up with Ian, as he moved to a deserted island in the Caribbean to start a new life. He would feature in an episode of Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild, where Ian starred alongside partner Vanessa Anderson on their tropical island, Bocas del Toro, just off the coast of Panama. "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," Ian explained. The Brit didn't have running water or electricity on his island, but it gave him an opportunity to pursue his outdoor activities. He told Fogle: "We're not completely self-sufficient here on the island. "We do grow coconuts, pineapples, yuka, sugar cane, and almonds but we haven’t yet perfected the art of growing other vegetables on our land. "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." Life on the island Ian bought the island back in 2011 for just $27,500, when it was neglected, and he spent four years improving it. While he lived there, he would spend time working on the land or relaxing on the beach. His new life allowed him to choose between activities including snorkeling on the reefs, reading, swimming, and more, from day to day. But every 10 days, Ian and Vanessa would have to make the trip into town for food and fuel. He said that his partner had a huge role in him pursuing his new life, as she moved over to live with him after they had met in London. Vanessa (middle) and Ian (right) have sold the island and moved to France. Credit: Channel 5 Selling the island Ian told the documentarian that he misses family, jet-skiing, Wi-Fi, and pubs from life in the UK, but he wasn't too fussed apart from that. "Vanessa still misses a London style cappuccino but I think she’ll get over that soon," he said at the time. "I wouldn’t change anything - I really enjoyed building an off-grid home and living on the island. I've always thought life is supposed to be an adventure." Back in 2015, the couple sold the renovated island, according to his official website , where he has kept a blog to update followers with his journey since selling his life. He celebrated the fact that he was debt-free after the sale, and shared that he had settled down in Burgundy, France, after traveling the world with Vanessa. But that was in 2021 - Ian posted updates last year, revealing that he had suffered a small plane crash, which left him with a broken leg. Learning to fly a plane was something that was on his list, and while he completed it in 2010, he wanted to become more experienced. Just 15 minutes from his new home, there was a hangar with Ultra Légers Motorisés (ULMs), and he started to spend more time on his hobby. Sadly, on August 17, he would crash the plane and vividly describe what happened following the crash, including his trip to the hospital and his experience at home. Still living the high life, then. Featured image credit: Channel 5