The Nightmare Before It Was Beautiful
Later this year in December, my book “My Beautiful Nightmare: From the Bottom of Prison, to the Top of the World” will be published. It will be my first book and it’s a memoir of my life so far. People have said that I look too young to have a memoir being published, but let me tell you, my life has been crazy. I am so very blessed to be on the other side of it now, but before it was beautiful, it was most definitely nightmare.
From a boy growing up in Herndon, Virginia and then moving to Corvallis, Oregon, to going and playing college football. I’ve had 5 knee surgeries and 1 broken leg. I went to both high school in Virginia AND acting school in Hollywood, California, with a famous Hollywood actress/director. Also in that high school was a kid who is currently an NFL Football coach! Both still friends of mine to this day. I had my first ever on-screen kiss with a now celebrity TV Personality in a Stevie Wonder music video. All of this will be covered in the book do not worry.
You will find out how a series of unfortunate events, followed by a tragic lapse in judgement when I was 21, led to me go to a maximum security prison! While in that prison I shared a cell with a drug kingpin. It was spending 23 hours a day with him that I learned everything you could want to know about cocaine. He also gave me the connection that led to me becoming a coke dealer myself when I got out of prison after I couldn’t a job. After getting caught selling drugs, because of course I got caught selling drugs, I went back to the maximum security prison and did one more year in prison equaling 5 years total. Living the lifestyle of drugs and fast money turned me into a drug user/abuser/addict. What was my drug of choice? What are my choices?? The drama doesn’t stop there though as I meet, date, and lose the absolute love of my life due to using drugs. It would be an up and down battle for a few years before I finally shook my habits, got clean, and got back on track.
That was the nightmare. It lasted 10 years. Half of that time I was in prison and the other half I was on my way to prison. My 20’s were a crazy time to say the least. However, with unwavering support from my family and friends, most notably my Mother Ma Dukes, I was able to make my life beautiful. With hard work, discipline, dedication, and determination, I turned my life into a dream. The one you see me living today.
This current phase of my life is absolutely amazing. I go from a man that had never been anywhere, to one that has traveled to 30 countries while living and working in 6 of them! I became a Bering Sea Fisherman in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. I took my money from that and moved to Europe despite never having been there before! During this time in Europe, I honed my skills as a bartender with the help of the prestigious European Bartender School. EBS took me from a good bartender, to a great bartender, to a world class bartender. Eventually leading up to me being the subject of a documentary titled “A Barkeeper in Spitsbergen” while I was living in the World’s Northernmost Town, Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen Norway.
In the midst of this epic “life comeback”, against all odds, I was granted a work visa to my dream country Norway. This after being denied that visa twice AND getting escorted out of the county by the police once. It’s a long story, but I promise you it will be in the book! I also had to go around the world a couple times collecting bartending “infinity stones” to do it, but I did it! I haven’t even mentioned the two movies I made in Oslo and the huge Norwegian commercial I starred in for Maxim Norge. You didn’t forget I went to school for acting in California did you?
That brings us up to today and now. The resurrection of Robert “Robdoesitall” Yarber is here! 2022 Dreams Come True! My book is being edited right now. After it comes back to me, I will put the the finishing touches on it. You will start seeing the marketing and promotional pushes coming heavy and then publishing. My documentary will be entered into film festivals around the world over the course of the next 14 months. The future is bright and I’m dialed in! The book will go into more detail about everything, and it’s all true. I earned my name. I did it all and I did it for real.
Below is an episode of the “Coming Home Podcast With John Alan” I did while I was in Greece on Kos Island. John Alan is an entertainment everything guy in Norway with a podcast and radio show. I was honored that he asked me to be on his show. It goes over my story and if you are interested, it’s a nice watch and/or listen. Shout out to EBS Kos for letting me do the interview at their school. Thanks for all the support everybody. It really means a lot!