It’s been two years since I’ve posted about commuting, so here’s an update! First things first, a few things have changed. I sold my Look 675 and got a Giant Defy Advanced 1. Went more of an endurance bike for commuting and upgraded to disc brakes! Disc brakes are increasingly common on road bikes and…
First Backpacking Trip – Young Lakes
Last year, Betty and I decided we wanted to give real backpacking a try. We have a couple of friends who are pretty “hardcore” doing multiple day backpacking trips that cover many miles each day, so we thought it would be a good idea to go with them. First, it was a good idea… but…
Lifecycle
Decided to finish a post I started writing 4 months ago on a plane to Hong Kong and Macau. cycle (v.) – a repeating series of events or actions Sitting here on a plane to Hong Kong, I’ve never felt so alone. A full flight, 777-300 jet with adults, children, and babies. Maybe it’s the…
Closing out 2016
2016 has been an amazing, yet tough year. We witnessed a crazy election, many changes around the world, many many losses and much more. It’s easy to focus on all of the tough times, but there is still plenty to be grateful for… and with that, here are some highlights from 2016 with just a…
Hawai’i – Hilo, Volcano, and Kona
Last Hawaii vacation, we were lucky enough to be escorted around by my brother in-laws future in-laws. They owned a place in Volcano and showed us parts of Hilo and Kona. We opted for the nature/historic sites as it seems the Big Island has a ton of great outdoors and is home to the largest…
Nara and Kyoto
Ohh the fabled deer park with aggressive, yet friendly deer. It was fun, I must say. Though, I would almost venture to say these deer were too friendly with humans… The bowing was super cute, they wouldn’t bite your hands and overall it was a symbiotic relationship between the deer and the city. The deer…
Osaka, Japan
Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to join a work trip out in Taiwan. Afterwards, Betty and I decided to travel to Japan for our first time! We decided to visit the more “traditional” Japan and went to Oaska, Nara and Kyoto. We landed late at night and went straight to our hotel. The…
Resilience & Recovery – 2 Weeks After a Bicycle Crash
The human body is an amazing creation. The power of the mind is even more amazing. Recently, I witnessed this for myself in the form of a cycling crash in which I went over the handlebars at approximately 30MPH. Note: I was going closer to 40 before I hit the brakes. It literally looked and…
Chasing Waterfalls
With El Niño this year, local waterfalls became abundant. Earlier this year, Betty and I decided we wanted to do more hikes, so naturally, we went looking for waterfalls. Personally, I’ve enjoyed waterfalls… especially in years past when Yosemite had all of its different falls flowing. This year, we ventured down to the South Bay…
Work Life Balance
I heard a very interesting approach to work life balance a few days ago from a Google executive. It resonates deeply with me and my approach to work and life… But then at the end he completely flipped 360 and said he was changing his approach to work life balance. It got me thinking and I…
Palm Springs and Joshua Tree
This post will be mostly photos as Palm Springs and Joshua Tree were visually amazing. Palm Springs was an interesting mix of old and new… and the casinos :P. Joshua Tree was out of this world and definitely worth visiting at least once in a lifetime. It is known as a “climbers paradise”, but also…
Happy New Year
Hey all, giving the blog post thing a mobile try. Starting this year off with a 100% mobile device post. It’s been a while since I last wrote but I do have some good things to share from the end of the year. Last year brought a lot of new changes, but the one that…
