“It had the taste of an apple peeled with a steel knife.”

Aldous Huxley (1894–1963), in the movie “Time Must Have a Stop” (1944)

Wine tasting in Mendoza was quite the experience. I arrived in Mendoza after a few life changing months in Santiago Chile. It was my first time setting foot in Argentina and to me the perfect place to begin ones journey through this amazing country. Especially in March during the last month of summer. It really doesn’t get better.

After a few nights of dancing Tango, I heard amongst other things, that one of the things I had to experience was a self guided bike tour through the Mendoza wine country. And being an avid drinker of wine, this quickly became top of my list. So I scheduled with my hostel to be picked up the next day.

I arrived to the bike shop alone but was immediately joined by a group of guys from England who were traveling together. It was the birthday of one of the guys, so the energy for a great day was already in the air. Nothing like the anticipation for getting wasted by 10 in the morning.

We geared up our bikes, ($12 for the entire day) and were given a quick ten minute briefing and a basic map of where to go, and then set out into the fresh clean air of the vineyards. Sun shining on the vibrant plants and nothing but blue skies. It felt like a dream.

There was also an unspoken pact between us that this wasn’t going to be simply day of sipping small samples of wine, but rather a rampage of the vineyards with the soul purpose of getting smackered as quickly as possible.

Within the first ten minutes we arrived at a small family owned vineyard. We were greeted by a wagging dog and his owner who came eagerly off of his porch to guide us to his small, but elegantly decorated tasting room. More like an old garage but it couldn’t have been more perfect. A place where we could have probably stayed for dinner if we wanted. Typical Argentine style.

Although in general the wine is fairly inexpensive, we realized it was going to even more effective to achieve our goal to split the cost of bottles instead of paying for small portions all day. So we started with two bottles and our day had officially begun.

Over the course of the day we visited nearly every vineyard within about a 15 kilometer area. In addition to the wine, most vineyards host a variety of other freshly, hand made products such as olives, chocolates, cheeses, different types of fruit liqueurs and even the controversial Absinthe, an extremely potent concoction, historically referred to as “Devils Urine” or “The Green Fairy”

It is an anise-flavoured spirit derived from herbs, including the flowers and leaves of the herb Artemisia. Which is commonly referred to as “grande wormwood”.

Absinthe usually has a natural green color but can also be colorless. It also is known to have hallucinogenic properties as it contains trace amounts of the chemical Thujone. Hard to tell however after three hours of downing bottles wine.

Although it is sometimes called a liqueur, absinthe isn’t bottled with sugar and is therefore classified as a spirit. Absinthe is normally diluted with water when consumed, but not in this case. They mixed it with slightly caramelized sugar and slid it across the bar. It had an almost minty taste that stung for several minutes after taking it down. Probably not something I would consume on a regular basis.

We also stopped at a local home based beer brewery located more or less in the middle of a grass field. Sitting on the makeshift couches, in the middle of a cleared out spot in the dirt, surrounded by good people, I couldn’t help to think how simple life really needs to be.

By five in the afternoon, we were nothing short of belligerent and ended the day at more classy winery with a plate of cheese, olives and baguette bread overlooking the still vibrant grapevines, which now seemed to have tracers coming off them. (Hmm, maybe the Absinthe was having an effect. )

Be sure to check out he video on this experience located at www.natebunger.com

It was an amazing day and one that I won’t soon be forgotten. I highly recommend the wine tasting tour for anyone traveling to Mendoza Argentina.

“Every disaster screams for humor” -

-Silvia Millecam Dutch actor and comedian

My Experience In The Santiago Earthquake

It was approximately 3:30 in the morning on Saturday and I was with some friends at a popular night club in Santiago.

I was enjoying my time like most nights, but looking back there was definitely a strange energy that felt very different than most other nights.

For one, I was having a strange disagreement with a female friend I had been recently been spending time with and the energy between us seemed stressed.

I was more or less ready to leave when the earth quake struck. I was standing directly outside of the nightclub with a friend contemplating a taxi when I felt the ground start to vibrate.

There seemed to be a sense of confusion in the collective consciousness of the people and my first thought was that a very large truck was coming down the road.

(By the way, the footage was actually from about 20 minutes before but what you see in the video, is more or less what the club looked and sounded like at around the time of the earth quake.)

However, after the first few seconds the ground began to slide from side to side and it became apparent that we were indeed experiencing an earth quake. A massive earth quake.

The trees were shaking, the sign posts and stop lights were shaking and cars came to a stop in the middle of road. Car alarms and sounds of people panicking began filling the early morning air.

This was my first time in an earth quake, so for me it was a very surreal experience. There was a lingering dizziness and sense of confusion that seemed to last for about 30 minutes. From what I understand, apparently it’s because an earthquake is actually vibrational frequency caused  by the movement of tectonic plates many miles underground as opposed to the ground simply vibrating. This wave of energy pulsating more or less scrambles ones senses for a short period.

In the case of the the Santiago earthquake the sliding of the plates occurred approximately 36 miles beneath the earths surface which is why, although a strong earthquake in regards to the Richter scale, it did not cause a lot of of damage considering the circumstances. (However, according to the Chileans, the reason there is very little damage is because the city is built so well

Additionally, since the earthquake, there has been many after shocks over the past the past few days, in fact, I awoke yesterday to a very strong one while laying in bed. Believe it or not, during the earthquake I was actually dreaming that I was at the top of a building that was swaying back and forth.

In fact, I kid you not, as I’m writing this very sentence I am feeling another tremor.

The Inevitable Continuation of Natural Disasters and The End Of The World As We Know It.

Unfortunately, I believe that we have not seen the last of natural disasters that are seemingly plaguing the world right now. In fact, I believe they are going to increase in frequency and size in the coming months and years.

In the last month alone there have been four natural disasters just to my knowledge. From the massive quake that hit Haiti several weeks ago, to a land slide and a few earth quakes in Peru, to another massive land slide in Italy just last week.

Many people are pointing to the inevitable coming of year 2012 and role that this mysterious date is playing in the unfolding of these disasters. In fact, many people believe that the end of the world is upon us.

However, there is a very good explanation as to all of these things are happening in a book called “Fractal Time” written by Best Selling author Greg Braden, that basically clarifies much of the confusion surrounding this date.

I had the opportunity to meet Greg in Phoenix a few months ago where he was doing a talk on this exact subject.

Below is an article that Greg wrote that gives a basic overview as to the basis of what is really going on and thus the topic of his new book…Furthermore, Greg can sometimes write in a rather “New Agey” style, so I have added some additional thoughts or clarifications (in red Italics) where I think it’s necessary, especially if your unfamiliar with these ideas.

Here is Gregs article:

We’re living the end of time. Not the end of the world…but the end of a world age – a 5,125-year cycle of time – and the way we’ve known the world throughout that time. The present world age began in 3114 b.c. and will end in a.d. 2012.

For the sake of clarity, I want to establish this base before proceeding because it’s important to understand Gregs fundamental theory based on many many years of research…Understand, that we are living at the end of a time and NOT the end of the world despite popular believes surrounding this concept.

Because the end of anything also marks the beginning of what comes next, we’re also living the start of what follows the end of time: the next world age, which ancient traditions called the great cycle.

From the epic poems of India’s Mahabharata to the oral traditions of indigenous Americans and the biblical story of Revelation, those who have come before us knew that the end of time was coming. They knew, because it always does. Every 5,125 years, the earth and our solar system reach a place in their journey through the galaxy that marks the end of precisely such a cycle. With that end, a new world age begins. Apparently it’s always been this way.

Briefly, what Greg is saying, is that almost all religions talk about an end of time that is coming…And they knew this based on what had happened before them and the information that was passed down through the Milena.

Furthermore, what Greg is referring to in regards to our earth and our solar system reaching the end of a cycle, is that we (our planet and our solar system) are currently orbiting at the edge of the furthest point in our home Galaxy “The Milky Way” I will clarify the effects of this in a few minutes.

But first, it’s important to grasp the following idea:

Similar to how the earth revolves around the sun every 365 days and the moon revolves around the earth approximately every 28 days… Our planet and our solar system revolve around the Galaxy (The Milky Way) every 5,125 years. This orbit marks the end of what the ancient traditions called “a cycle”.  And this current orbit cycle ends December 21st, 2012.

Throughout the ages, it’s the end of this cycle that marks the the beginning of a new world and a period of major shifts that occur in the evolution of the planet and it’s inhabitants, especially in terms of consciousness.

It’s not hard to see that there is happening right now. If your even a semi-conscious human being you don’t have to look far to see the collective transformation in the belief systems of our race in terms of religion and spirituality.

More and more as I travel, even in seemingly heavy catholic populations, I am finding a surprising amount of people who are excepting the idea that everything is energy and that the idea of God being a human figure who bases his decisions for your life on “primitive emotions” such as jealousy and greed. People are finding that these ideals are no longer serving them. Times are indeed changing.

For at least four such cycles (or five, according to the Mesoamerican traditions of the Aztec and the Maya peoples), our ancestors endured the changes in global magnetic fields, climate, diminishing resources, and rising sea levels that come with the end of time. They did so without satellites and the Internet or computer models to help them prepare for such a radical shift.

The fact that they lived to tell the story stands as a powerful testament to an undeniable truth: it tells us beyond any reasonable doubt that the inhabitants of our planet have survived the end of world ages in the past. Beyond simply surviving, our ancestors learned from the difficulties that can accompany the change. In the words of their day, they did their best to tell us what it means to live such a rare moment in history. It’s a good thing they did, because such events are few and far between. Only five generations in the last 26,000 years have experienced the shift of world ages. We will be the sixth.

The present world age isn’t something that will simply fade away into the sunset of a time that seems to perpetually linger somewhere “out there” in our future. Just the opposite: our world age has an expiration date. It ends at a specific time, with a specific event, on a day that was marked on a calendar more than 2,000 years ago. There is no secret about that date. The Maya who calculated it also inscribed it as a permanent record for future generations. The date is etched into stone monuments that were built to last until the end of time.

When the date is translated to our familiar system of time, the message becomes clear. It tells us that our present world cycle will conclude with the winter solstice that takes place on December 21 in the year 2012. It’s on this date that the mysterious Maya identified the astonishing astronomical events that will mark the end of our age . . . and they did so more than two millennia ago.

The reason: (As I explained briefly earlier)
Physically, our solar system is moving through shortest part of an orbit that looks like a flattened circle, an ellipsis whose far end carries us to the most distant point from the core of our home galaxy, the Milky Way.

The physical effect:
Both ancient traditions and modern science tell us that our location in this cyclic orbit determines how we experience the powerful sources of energy, such as the “massive magnetic fields,” which radiate from our galaxy’s core. Recent studies suggest that it is precisely such cycles that may explain the mysterious patterns of biodiversity – the rise and fall of life on Earth, such as the mass extinctions that happened 250 and 450 million years ago.

Additionally, modern discoveries confirm that Earth’s position throughout the journey (orbit, tilt, and wobble) create the ever-changing cycles that influence everything from temperature and climate to polar ice and the magnetic fields of the earth.

To recap briefly, modern science has confirmed that the reasons for major climate changes, and thus the natural disasters we experience on earth, is directly influenced by the earths position as we orbit through the galaxy, In extreme cases throughout the earths history, they have been thought to cause the mass extinctions such as the dinosaurs.

The emotional/spiritual effect:
As we travel farther from our galaxy’s core, our distance from the energy located there was described by ancient traditions as the loss of a connection that we sense both spiritually and emotionally. Scientific links between the quality of Earth’s magnetic fields, how they’re affected by cosmic conditions, and our feeling of well-being seem to precisely support such ancient beliefs.

In the same way that Earth’s rotation makes the darkest part of the night appear just before the dawn, our position in the heavens is such that the darkest part of our world age appears right before our heavenly orbit begins the return that brings us closer to our galaxy’s core. With that return, we experience relief from the cataclysmic forces of the cycle’s darkness. And just as the night must pass in order to get to the new day, the only way to arrive at the light of the next cycle is to finish the darkness of this one.

I think in addition to a new world consciousness, it’s also safe to say that there is a large amount of people who are very confused in this world right now. With the recent collapse of the economy and the advent of new technologies, people are in a state of adjusting to a new way of life. A way of life that is completely foreign to them.

With that said, I believe the coming years will offer much in the way of opportunity for those who can truly embrace change, let go of old ideas that no longer work and recreate themselves to survive in this new exciting world that is fast coming upon us.

I would love to hear your comments, disagreements, rants, raves. I know this may be a lot for some people to swallow, but I believe it to be the truth.

Another very, very good resource that I have found tremendously eye opening is the Interview series between Eckart Tolle and Oprah regarding the coming of the new consciousness. Oprah loved it so much she did a nine part series which can be found on her Podcast…Just search Itunes for Oprah’s Spirit Channel.

I hope you enjoy!

You have to leave the city of your comfort
and go into the wilderness of your intuition.
What you’ll discover will be wonderful.
What you’ll discover is yourself.

~ Alan Alda ~ American actor, director and screenwriter

Recently, I spent a few weeks in a town called Arequipa located near the border of Chile and Peru. It’s a very mystical city and without question, captured my heart forever.

Regardless of the sporadic and slow Internet connections and impossible phone systems, it became hard to leave the remote city of nearly one million people, all of which seem to live in a time that more or less no longer exists.

Upon my arrival, I knew I was truly in another world when after asking several people if there was a Starbucks, not one of them had even heard of the concept. My world is indeed shifting.

I made this video using various clips from my time in Arequipa mixed in with some footage from other places I’ve traveled along the way.

When I create these videos, I truly have no clue what they are going to turn out like.

Similar to when I was building houses, I would spend hours looking at a vacant property or a house at the framing stage, imagining what I could create. As the ideas would flow I would relish in the feeling of ecstasy as they swirled through my mind. I saw opportunities where others couldn’t and I knew without a shadow of doubt I could make a lot of money.

I am now experiencing the same level of ecstasy as I grow this blog and create my posts.

This manifestation has come from a long anticipated wait for life to answer my demand: “Show me my purpose in perfect clarity”

I now am beginning to see where all of this is headed and why all of my past experiences were necessary for this to even be a reality. Life is indeed a journey and I have learned that it will never give you more than you can handle…Never.

Prior to this trip I was not ready mentally nor in my ability to leave without restrictions. But I felt the pull in 2009 and things naturally began to shift in my life in preparation for the journey.

Although many things had to happen, looking back, it seemed almost effortless. My business sold at the perfect time, a depleting relationship came to an abrupt end and ideas for the blog and my new business came out of the blue.

It was a surreal experience in which the happenings of  2009 became critical preparers for this new life.

Inspiration For This Video

So in regards to the video the inspiration came when I was at the doctors office and the song “Comfortably Numb” kept playing in my head. (Yes, I know it’s copyrighted, but I imagine David Gilmore has bigger fish to fry…plus I’m one of their biggest fans, hopefully if he ever sees this video he’ll forgive me)

Comfortably Numb has long been one of my favorite songs and I thought it would be cool to play off the words to try and show how I am feeling. There is a lot of symbolism in this video and it quite literally reflects how and what I am thinking right now.

From missing my son, to yearning for the affection of a women after being with one for the last several years to simply experiencing things I have never even imagined.

I believe I have indeed found the keys to happiness…And it is not money, but the freedom and ability to “just be” that money can afford.

Waking up knowing this is my new life makes me want to pinch myself. For as long as I can remember, traveling the world freely has been my desire and ambition. All I have ever wanted was to live life on my terms, and it has finally happened.  And I really do feel like I am living my dream.

If you could do whatever you wanted, what would it be? Please leave your comments.

Random Footage

Most of the posts I make on this site will tend to have a story line to them…for example a journey to some place or maybe documenting some sort of process or experience I’ve had.

But there is also many times that I capture footage that doesn’t seem to fit into any story line other than the fact that it’s just part of my every day experience. More or less random events that I think are cool enough to pull out my camera and start recording. (At least I think they’ll cool, but then again I’m very easily amused)

And to be honest, I feel like if I didn’t publish them for you to see I would be depriving you of some really good stuff.

Some Random Thoughts As I Made This Video

The more I travel the more I find that there is as many commonalities as there is differences in the way people and things operate around the world.  Without question, I think you’ll see, especially if you have never traveled outside of the States, that the way most people live in the world is indeed very different than the way we have come to experience life in the US.  A good lesson for the many people that tend to think they have it all figured out.

I often think of what it be like to pluck a typical red neck American, (you know, cowboy hats and Dodge pickups) out of the States and place him in the middle of a typical nieghborhood in a third world country.

Having this thought has made me finally understand why Americans have the reputation for being disliked in many places around the world.

In a conversation I had over dinner with a Brazilian doctor a few nights ago, she explained to me that some people, for example in Brazil, are displeased with the fact that Americans more or less control a world they know nothing about. The level of truth that statement carries is beyond me and frankly outside of my understanding. But I definitely got her point (as I sipped my beer in an awkward moment of silence) and it was a humbling realization to say the least.

Furthermore, as I travel I am finding that many people from other countries, most commonly Canada, Europe, Australia, Asia and many parts of South America tend to travel the world quite extensively. In addition, many of these people tend to speak multiple languages, especially from Europe.

On the flip side, I could probably count on two hands (literally) of all the Americans I have met on this trip so far.

I guess the best advice I can give in this regard is: number one, start traveling to places outside of the US if you want to gain a better understanding of yourself and the world around you. And number two, don’t frown upon new things because they seem different or weird. Because in actuality we (Americans) are the weird ones, and you’ll most likely realize that a majority of the people on this planet live in ways that are stranger and more different than anything you have ever imagined.

So anyhow, the above is a video of some various clips that I put together from some recent traveling through various parts of Peru. I hope you enjoy!

And as always, please share your comments.

This is the official Blog of Nate Bunger “Architect of Freedom” The ultimate resource for living the life of a true Digital Nomad. Subscribe for FREE now and receive Nates Travel Diaries via email.

After an 8 hour bus ride on my way into Arequipa, I decided to stop in the town of Puno. Puno is basically on the border of Bolivia and Peru. In fact, the town of Puno is most often used as the entrance point for many people trekking into Bolivia. It also sits on Lake Titicaca (pronounced “tee tee ka ka”) which is the world’s highest navigable lake at 12,500 feet (3,810 m) above sea level and is the second largest lake of South America (after Maracaibo).

The town of Puno itself is not the prettiest place to be, but its worth stopping to take the one day trek to visit the Uros Tribe on their man made floating reed islands.

The islands are made of woven tortora reeds that grow everywhere on the Peruvian side of the lake. The Islanders also eat thee reeds and sell them in the markets of Puno. They cut 2 meter squared chunks of mud from the root systems of the reeds, which basically makes the islands float. The large square shaped chunks of soil are then anchored with rope and driven into the bottom of the lake using large sticks.

The reeds at the bottoms of the islands rot away fairly quickly, so new reeds are added to the top to compensate. The islands last about 30 years. The larger islands inhabit about 10 families, and the smaller ones, which are about 30 meters wide, inhabit only two or three. There are currently about 50 floating islands located on Lake Titicaca and around 3,000 descendants of the Uro’s are alive today, but only a few hundred still live on and maintain the islands.

The history of the Uro’s people is that they initially made the islands to escape the Inca’s who were dominating the mainland during the time. The Uro traded with the Aymara tribe on the mainland, and interbreed with them and eventually abandoned the Uro language for the the language of the Aymara.

It was pretty fascinating to see. Check out the You Tube video above of my experience and please leave comments.

This is the official Travel Blog of Nate Bunger “Architect of Freedom” The ultimate resource for Lifestyle Design and living the life of a true Digital Nomad. Subscribe for FREE now and receive Nates Travel Diaries via email.

When I first arrived in Peru I heard that Guinea Pig was a popular delicacy.. I was fascinated by this, because I had always seen Guinea pigs as pets and not something you eat for dinner. I knew right then that I had to try it and make a video out of the experience.

So I found a local restaurant near my hostel one night and asked the owners if I could record the entire process after I returned from my four day hike to Machu Picchu.

They were happy to let me and seemed oddly just as excited as me. The restaurant is called Nanas Grill and is a petite and beautiful little place to dine. Hand made pastas with a truly homemade touch. The entire restaurant is probably no bigger than a common Master bedroom int the states, but just by coming in the front doors makes you feel like family.

So anyways, when I returned four days later, I was surprised to find that I had an International audience waiting.. Evidentally the owner had informed some local tourists that I was coming that night to record the crucifixion of little “Eddy” the Guinea Pig. During the recording everyone kept joking that what we were doing was Satanic…So I sort of went with this idea as I made the video.

Check it out above…I have to say, its pretty damn funny. Please leave comments..

I left Lima today on my way into Cusco with the intention to hike Machu Picchu. The bus ride was a grueling 21 hours through the Andes on a one lane road most of the way.  There were some sketchy moments when I felt the bus was literally going to tip over the side of the mountain and we would all roll to our deaths. From what I hear, this actually happens on occasion.

Fortunately, I didn’t experience the cartwheel journey down the cliffs and I indeed arrived safely into Cusco. After a few stops along the way we had finally arrived in Cusco. I was starving and tired, my hands and clothes covered in sticky juice from the Mango I tried to eat at 2am without a knife or a plate and probably smelling like anything but mangos. I just wanted to get some food and go to sleep. Check out the video above to see more.

This is the official Travel Blog of Nate Bunger “Architect of Freedom” The ultimate resource for Lifestyle Design and living the life of a true Digital Nomad. Subscribe for FREE now and receive Nates travel journals via email.

I have been thinking of switching to a Mac for a long time. I have owned at least 10 PCs in my life, and sadly nearly all of them have succumbed to viruses and spy-ware.

This year I  had bought a new Compaq because my Gateway crashed. And not even four months after buying it, my Compaq was running so slow from some virus it had that I finally made the decision to make the switch once and for all.

Initially the biggest thing that was holding me back was learning the new OS (operating system) because at the time I had so many other things going on and the last thing I needed was to take on another learning curve.

What I found however, is that the Mac is much better organized and easier to use than the PCs I owned. If you commit to spend a half a day going through the basic tutorials,  you will probably have a better idea of how to operate you new Mac than you ever did on your PC. That was my experience anyways.

The best thing about having a Mac is that it has made everything I am doing with my travel blog tens times easier. All the media programs like Imovie, Itunes, Iphoto etc… make publishing and keeping track of media files so ridiculously easy. Needless to say, I will never be going back. Check out the video to see how I finalized the transition. I know it’s cheesy. but hey, it gets me traffic!

This is the official Travel Blog of Nate Bunger “Architect of Freedom” The ultimate resource for Lifestyle Design and living the life of a true Digital Nomad. Subscribe for FREE now and receive Nates Travel Journals via email.

“As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.”

Henry David Thoreau quotes (American Essayist, Poet and Philosopher, 1817-1862)

Whats going on?

This blog has been in the making for the better part of 2009 and its purpose has finally become a reality. I announced officially on Facebook that I am leaving the States at the end of 2009 to embark on a long awaited around the world trip.

I will be living in other cultures, experiencing many well known and not so well know destinations and occasionally volunteering for causes I believe in. I will be doing all of this while simultaneously making a living from the Internet.  

To date, I have given up nearly all of my personal belongings, including my condo, my furniture, most of clothes and my car. I have even disconnected my iphone, which surprisingly has given me a strange sense of peace that just seems to keep going.

The act of giving up these things has been an addictive process that has indeed snowballed. The more things I let go of, the lighter and more alive I began to feel. I highly recommend trying it.

I have found that absolutely none of these things can compare to the sense of joy and happiness that come from extended world travel and becoming involved in causes that have the potential to change peoples lives.

Though I currently have limited experience volunteering in third world countries, from the small amount that I have experienced, has struck a cord of euphoria and peace in my body that I did not know existed.

In the beginning, I will be starting small. Maybe just a few days here and there seeking out different causes to help with as I travel through the world. From there I will just let life be my guide.
Why am I so passionate about world travel?

To me, travel is the essence of real life experience and in many ways real education. When I travel to places I have never been, I feel lost and alive all at the same time. More often than not, upon arriving in new places, my entire consciousness begins to shift and I immediately develop new perspectives on the world and my place in it.

World travel is the ultimate expression of living life freely and celebrating our full potential as human beings.

So where am I going?

My journey begins December 31st 2009 New Years Eve.  I will be leaving Phoenix, Arizona en-route to Lima, Peru. I have absolutely no agenda other than the fact that I will be arriving. The goal is total immersion and to create amazing experiences out of thin air. Whether the experiences be good or bad its all in the name of living outside of the box and breaking away from the boredom and complacency that so many Americans have come to except as reality.

While in South America I will be making my way from Peru through Bolivia, Chile and Argentina and then ending my trip at the Carnival festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After I return from South America, I plan on spending a few weeks back in the States before continuing onto Asia  where I will be based in Manila, Philippines. I plan on setting up my company operations in Manila before continuing on with sporadic trips through parts of Asia, India, Europe and eventually into Africa.

This journey has been on my mind for over ten years now, and the season has finally arrived. I have never been more motivated and more able to this than I am right now. All other options don’t make sense anymore…this just feels right. It is time to follow my heart.

I have a keen sense that I will never be the same again. Here’s to embracing the mystery of life and letting destiny unfold.

P.S. If you know of any must see places that I should visit along the way please leave a comment.

Today was my last day in Manila on this trip. We planned on heading to beach, but ended up lounging by the pool for a better part of the morning trying to figure out if we had time. After about two hours of indecision it was obviously too late to go.. so instead we decided to head back to Taguig City to walk around the Serendra mall and Market Market to do some shopping for our evening dinner guests. See pics below…

We invited several people over and had an amazing meal prepared by a friend and up and coming celebrity chef Mikko Santos. Mikko currently has a morning cooking show on one of the largest TV networks in the Philippines. He agreed to come cook for us if we bought all the groceries. (Gee shitty deal eh) The food was amazing! He made pizza, (completely from scratch) and pasta with white sauce and shrimp. The next morning, emotionally torn, I was on a plane heading back to Phoenix.

It was a perfect last day to my trip, one that left me wanting much more of the Philippines. So much so that it has started the process of some major shifts to come. Stay tuned and check pics below..