Meet Christian de la Torre | Adventure Enthusiast, Actor, Model, Military Veteran, Student of Life

We had the good fortune of connecting with Christian de la Torre and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christian, what role has risk played in your life or career?
High Risk, High Reward! I believe and live my life based on the philosophy that a rewarding, rich life depends on taking risks. With that being said, I am thoughtful about the risks I take to ensure that they lead to the goals I have established for myself. Since I was young, I sought out “adventure.” I took age-appropriate risks – that taught me the importance of courage as part of risk taking. I was an active athlete and as a young hockey goalie, I was involved in a serious accident in which my left leg muscles and tendons were cut completely through by an opponent’s skate. Although the doctors were phenomenal, they told me I would probably never play hockey again. I refused to accept this and began therapy to recover as soon as possible. In the end, I returned eight months later to play in an international hockey tournament in which my team won the championship and I won a scholarship.

As I grew up, I continued to pursue my goals of contributing to my community and country by entering the US Army. As an Officer, I became more familiar with both the importance of taking risks and also of mitigating any potential negative results. I learned that risk taking has a “ripple effect” and I needed to consider how actions would impact the others I was leading. The risks became normalized when I deployed to Afghanistan. This experience prepared me well and taught me how essential it is to plan thoroughly and to be prepared. It also helped me to establish my path. Understanding how risk taking impacts my life and the lives of others was a valuable life lesson that is relevant to every situation.

I have also learned that the rewards will always come with setbacks. It is how you face and address the setbacks that will determine your future. I choose to use setbacks as challenges and face them with optimism.

When people ask me about why I feel this way, I share that If you want to live a life you never lived, you have to take risks you have never taken. I have learned that you need to push the envelope, with wisdom and experience, to make risk taking part of your journey to success.

I believe that creativity is experimenting, growing, taking risks, bending rules, and having fun. This is what makes the adventure of life worthwhile!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I spend a great deal of my time outdoors traveling and having adventures in my van with my dog Maverick. Others have told me that my excitement for my travels, particularly to National, State, and County Parks inspires them to travel to new places and get out of their comfort zone. Since I select locations that I have not been to, I learn a great deal, and then share that learning with others. This allows others to have vicarious experiences through my adventures.

I have been fortunate to mix my modeling and acting with my travels. Companies have seen my adventure posts on social media and have sought me out to sharie their brand, or test their products while I’m on the road. Some of these situations have ended up as sponsorships. My life allows me the freedom to go where I want and use my creativity to support the lifestyle I enjoy. At the end of the day I am earning my living by living the life I choose.

I am proud that I pursued my dream and I’m making it a reality. I came from working for the military and the State of Colorado to creating my own path. I took a risk on making Los Angeles my base. I traveled to various states and when I discovered the Arts District, I knew this was a good fit. I realize that opportunities to make connections, particularly in modeling and acting, were more available here than in other areas. I also enjoy the people I have met and the businesses I frequent in the neighborhood. Making the move was a risky decision, particularly during the pandemic. By focusing on the positive – that many folks were working remotely during this time, I felt it was the time for me to choose traveling in my van and sharing the adventures with others through social media. I can work remotely from my van when I am in LA or traveling to remote locations.

I came from the military where I basically traveled with necessities on my back. Moving into the minimalist lifestyle of van life was a logical step. The mitigation strategies employed during the pandemic fit in well with my choices as I am very comfortable traveling with my dog, being in nature, and making my own decisions on where I land and who I am with. I originally started traveling with a larger, older RV, “The Millennial Express.” At that time I began posting my adventures and realized that the number of followers was slowly growing. People were asking for more. I was new to social media as in the military, we did not share much. I was surprised at how eager people were to see and know more about my life and travels. It was a pleasant surprise to see the interest steadily grow.

I made the move to LA, but it was not without some unique challenges. As I was figuring out my next steps, particularly supporting the lifestyle I wanted, I had an unexpected challenge – my RV was stolen and vandalized. Talk about a setback – but as I’ve shared earlier, I faced it head on and recognized that it may be an opportunity. I decided to downsize. I also have become more sensitive to the carbon footprint I am leaving and thus decided to move to a 1984 Westfalia hightop van. This is a more efficient way for my dog and me to travel and now everything in my van is within arms reach! This may have seemed like the biggest challenge to overcome – but in reality, having an income to support this life is the ongoing challenge. One that I welcome!

I work to be in the right places and positions at the right time. I can arrange my van travels around schedules when I’m acting or modeling. I also offer my van to be used in film productions, music videos, and photographic shoots. The need for solid, creative, content was in higher demand due to some of the pandemic restrictions. I have learned that my creativity and adaptability are some of the most important contributions I can offer.

I have taken folks in my van to beautiful locations. Some friends and acquaintances have flown into LA and then traveled with me to a beautiful, natural place. One of the greatest joys of my “work” is being with folks when they are having a new and exciting adventure in nature. I have traveled to various locations across the US and Canada, sharing my van and experience. I am eager for future travels to other countries.

I love what I do! I make my living by living my life – in the best way possible. Traveling, networking, acting, modeling, and sharing the adventures. I know I’m happy and hope that I am helping to bring joy to others!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There are so many wonderful sites to see in LA. Number one is my own neighborhood – The Arts District! It has so much to offer. Here would be my plan:
We would definitely start the day at Boxx Coffee Roasters. From there we would go to Hennessey + Ingals Bookstore. As I love the outdoors, we would hike to Angel’s Point in Elysian Park. We would also go to the Griffith Park Observatory and complete another hike up the Mt. Hollywood trail where we could view the entire city. Of course, we would drive up the Pacific Coast Highway to a hidden beach at Point Dume in Malibu. We would want to visit the Museum of Contemporary Art and attend a show at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. We’d grab drinks at Death & Co, Wurstkucke, and the Arts District Brewery. My choice for eats would be La Cha Cha Cha, Bavel, and of course, sushi in Little Tokyo. We would have a full, fun schedule!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This is a tough question for me. There are so many individuals in my life over so many years who have influenced me – and I continually meet new people who are adding to my life and my story. As a lifelong learner, I remain open to the people, organizations, books, and experiences that will add value to my life.

With that said, I have two friends, an aunt and uncle, who are lifelong supporters. They have been a constant throughout my entire life. They have taught me that asking numerous, thoughtful questions to get the most credible answers is the key to learning. I appreciate how they accept people from all walks of life into their lives and their home. They live their lives with optimism and positivity, which is a key to MY success. They have taught me that “giving” is the gift with the most reward. They have encouraged and supported my adventurous spirit and they trust and celebrate the decisions I make. They believe in me – unconditionally!

Again, a tough question as I am grateful to so many who have helped me on my journey, and I know that others will be a part of my ongoing story.

Instagram: @delavanlife

Image Credits
Jaden Schmeiser Aly Whitman Josiah Jones Shawn Tavoli