Second place in my first Jiu Jitsu Competition

I ride a bicycle a lot. Usually less than 10 miles a day because I bike commute and my kids love going to all the parks they can access on the trails here in Scottsdale, Arizona. I’ve only done one short bicycle tour and that was from Santa Barbara to Dana Point. I missed the winter bikepacking and bicycle touring season this last year but I tried to get out for one weekend excursion anyway. It only lasted 25 miles before I broke a chain and called in a rescue. I’m going to make a concerted effort to not miss this next season. I may even investigate the acquisition of a bike specifically for bikepacking as this old trek is must more comfortably ridden on manicured ground.

Is it just me or is life more awesome when you’re constantly overcoming self induced adversity? We’ve been living in the same place for a year now so it seems like it’s time to cook up some potential future adventures. In this episode I fancy a road trip to all 47 state parks in the contiguous united states and lucky for me, a badass by the name of Dr. Randal S. Olson already mapped it out.

Here I am again, sitting in front of another body of water wondering how I got dealt this hand. This time the tide won’t rise so I don’t have to worry about destroying things. This body of water is so small it doesn’t have a name. As a matter of fact, you could live here in Scottsdale Arizona and not even know it exists.

After over 20 years of wanting to surf, I finally did it! I learned to surf on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii.

I lived in California for a year and never managed to find the right opportunity to surf. I vacationed in California a few times and still wasn’t quite able to connect the dots. I vacationed at a handful of islands including Aruba. I even vacationed on the coast of Panama, Florida & North Carolina and despite my attempts I was not able to conjure up the right opportunity to surf. It wasn’t until I landed here on Waikiki Beach Hawaii that I was able to make it happen. Although, to not surf here, you would have to intentionally say no. It’s that easy. ^_^ Life is good. Aloha & Mahalo.

Z and I had the most wonderful experience visiting Mulan, Varenna (Lake Como) and Venice Italy.

I have moved more times than I can count. I really enjoy it but realize most people find it quite painful so I figured I’d share some of my moving tips.

If your mind is is anything like mine then you absorbed the title of this in two ways. You’re either sending your daughter somewhere on a plane or purchasing some alcohol for her. Fortunately, in my case, neither of those things have happened.

As I sit here on a rock on the beach at nearly midnight with the waves lapping over my feet I can hardly believe I’m here.  I could not have imagined I would be looking out over the Panama bay horizon glowing from the lights of container ships tonight.  I can’t help but to think that despite the chaos of life and my own personal ability to cause havoc that my life would be so ideal at this moment.  

Like many of my life’s wild adventures I did not make an intentional effort to be here today.  My presence is absolutely the result of the people I have surrounded myself with.  Specifically, my amazing wife who made this happen as a gift to me.  But as I pull this iPad closer to avoid the incoming tide and the splashes that come with it, I am ripped with questions.   Why have I been blessed with such a great life?  How does Z know how to bless me with amazing experience yet I can hardly gift her with a good scent?  

I want everyone around me to have an amazing life but I feel like my answer is always to work harder but I miss the intricate detail everyone is working harder for.  I am very proud of the ability to work harder and longer but I am disconnected by the inability to acknowledge why my closest of family are absolutely grinding. 

BAH!  The iPad has water running down it from the rising tide splashing against the rock I’m sitting on and I am completely soaked having spent the last hour thinking about these few words.  It’s time to post this and head back before I lose it and have to swim.   

I pray everyone can work hard and ponder their existence on a beach in their own head….  

I navigated my way back to the resort and resolved that you actually need a Z.  I have one, so you are are on your own.