Go, See, and Do

Raised as the son of a chemical engineer who established a joint venture in Japan in the 1950s, Davis Hawkins recognized the meteoric growth potential of the Japanese economy and developed a life plan to capitalize on it. His plan was simply to go, see, and do, leading to a life of travel with frequent stays in East Asia before settling in Hawaii. Go, See, and Do shares Hawkins’ tales of adventure and travel as an expatriate along with life lessons and personal finance insight he gained along the way. His story provides a vicarious thrill imagining a life and lifestyle uncommon to most.

Davis Hawkins lives a life of adventure and travel, approaching each opportunity with the mantra to “Go, See, and Do.” He chronicles his life through this lens, starting with his southern California upbringing before moving to Japan at an impressionable age. He experienced a changing America and East Asia landscape in the mid-twentieth century living in Japan. These moments impacted his life through his military service and directed him to successful financial and consulting careers overseas. He continued traveling, embracing any opportunity to visit different cultures. He visited over 80 countries spanning all seven continents, finding human shrunken heads in Borneo, trekking in the Himalayas and the Amazon jungle, camping in the Gobi Desert, dining at the U.S. State Department, couriering for the President of the United States, receiving a U.S. congressional subpoena, surviving a military coup, and much more. In retirement, he reflects on his expatriate journey, hoping to pass down his stories to his descendants just as his ancestor’s stories were told to him. It is through his tales that he wishes to keep his family heritage alive, with a few shocks, insights, and laughs along the way.