“As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.” Henry David Thoreau
As I woke up this morning in my motel room in Bellingham Washington, I heard the rumble of traffic outside the window. The machine was awake. I looked at the clock, it was 7:11 am.
It’s been over two years before I gave up everything and left the United States. My business, my car, my house on the lake, a draining relationship, all the things which seemed to define me, I either sold or got rid of and were no longer a part of my life. I was down to a small suitcase of clothes and a few books. It was the start of what I called “my new life.” [Keep Reading!->…]
The warm air blew across my skin as I prepared my dive tank in the small boat, a few hundred yards off the Colombian coast.
“Listo Nathaniel? A middle aged colombian woman said with a beaming smile. One of those smiles where the persons face crinkles into a thousand lines formed over years of the same expression. In this case, an expression of pure joy. [Keep Reading!->…]
This was one of coolest experiences I have ever had.
As part of the advanced scuba program with PADI, a person is required to do a night dive.
I have to say, leading up the night dive I was a little apprehensive. Thoughts of deadly fish that only come out at night, getting lost, or worse, running out of air in the pitch black, 20 meters under the water were haunting me.
As we boarded the boat I was joined by two guys from Denmark, who were also training for their advanced dive certificate.
As we began the journey to our dive location, occasional comments between us broke the silence, most along the lines of, “what the hell are we doing?” and “tell me again why we are diving at night?”
The tension peaked as we arrived and the boat engine turned off. [Keep Reading!->…]
As the plane landed in Lima Peru, I felt butterflies in my stomach.
The moment I’d been dreaming of had just arrived.
The dream wasn’t about Peru persay, but more about the fact that I was now embarking on an around the world trip that just happened to be starting here…
It was starting here because I decided to get off the plane here instead of catching my connecting flight to Buenos Aires Argentina.
I wanted spontaneity and this decision ensured I would get it.
That was a year ago as of this writing. And after a whirlwind trip around South America, full of experiences and adventures that I’m unable to explain without sounding like a lier, [Keep Reading!->…]
“Just as that thought was going through my mind, I felt a hand grab the back of my neck. Not a good feeling on a dark street alone.”
As I walked out of my hostel and onto one of the worst streets in Panama City, the smell of piss and feces wafted in the humid air.
Men wearing clothes too dirty to see their original color, half naked indigenous kids and tired looking women, half of them prostitutes, scattered the streets. A common scene in this part of the world, but one I have become quite accustomed to.
One street can be lined with BMW’s and chic restaurants and the next can look like a scene out of “City of God”.
It was nighttime and I’ve been down this street many times before. In all of my travels, I can honestly say that I have never felt in danger.
But this time immediately something felt different. And I always knew it would happen this way.
As as I entered this particular part of the street, thoughts of getting robbed started going through my mind.
I was carrying a small backpack that contained pretty much my entire life. My laptop, passport and wallet not to mention my Ipod and Kindle book reader. Pretty much everything that, if lost, would cause my entire life to be in a serious state of recovery. [Keep Reading!->…]
Michael Phelps lagged behind Milorad Cavic, who was swimming the race of his life.
In the final 20 feet, Michael looked like he was about to lose. The replay showed in fact that, on the final stroke, Cavic had Michael beaten. But Cavic glided to the wall while Michael made one last desperate lunge and touched the wall 1/100 of a second sooner than Cavic.
It was indeed an unforgettable moment that countless millions of people will have burned in their minds forever.
With seven gold medals in the bag, Michael only needed to swim the butterfly in the third leg of the medley relay the next day to surpass Spitz. When he dove into the pool, the U.S. team was in third place. When he finished they were in first place. Lezak finished off the race nearly a second ahead of Australia. Michael walked away with his eighth gold and his seventh world-record time.
So how did Michel surpass so many others that have swam before him? How did he become the best in the world?
Some might say that he was born with natural talent and that’s the reason he is so good. That his body is unique above all others.
And part of this is true. Michael is known for having large hands and feet and body proportions that aid in his ability to swim fast.
But despite having these physical attributes, the real reason Michael has clenched 16 Olympic medals to date, is due to his extreme training regime and the period of time that he has been training.
Michael started swimming when he was only 5 years old. When he was 11, [Keep Reading!->…]
I came across this poem by Rudyard Kipling while staying at an eco lodge in Venao, a excluded beach sanctuary on the coast of Panama in Central America.
It was written on the wall at the entrance of the retreat. I loved it and knew it had to have a place on my blog. To me, it expresses exactly what a man should strive for in terms of character.
I came across this poem by Rudyard Kipling while staying at an eco lodge in Venao, a excluded beach sanctuary on the coast of Panama in Central America.
