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Chase Your Dreams

Ok so the blog header here says that this is a blog about life, travel, and the world as we know it. Now – up until this point every post has been pretty thematically related to travel and the Philippines and my recent trip there. Not today. Today you get LIFE AS WE KNOW IT (a hearty combination of two topic points in my header).

So let’s just get straight to it. Chuck Aaron is a hero of mine, and not for the reason you might think. It has nothing to do with helicopters (ok so there is that too). This man took a dream, made it into a passion, and chased it so hard that it became bigger and better than he could have ever imagined.

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Music, Asiana Airlines, Customs, and Customer Service (Why it sucks in the USA)

I guess it is hard to say that I traveled back to the USA, since it was more a matter of returning to the USA because I had to get back to work. That’s such a bummer! But I love what I do so I’ll get over it. I wanted to close out my time in the Philippines with some thoughts, some photos and some music.

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9 Tips for Navigating the Bootleg Market in Manila

Every time someone new joins me in Manila inevitably the topic of where to get “those really cheap knockoffs” comes up and there is really only one place you ever need to go in Manila to get all your favorite name brands – for a fraction of the price.

I was just there today and I got to thinking that maybe I should write a post about the experience, maybe help some travelers find a great deal on some awesome (though really – novelty) gifts for our less wandering family and friends in our home countries. [PICTURES]

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10 Goals for 2014

So I am not really big on the whole resolution thing. It doesn’t make sense to me to sit down once a year and make a resolution and then what? Most people don’t even remember them a week after they made them and even fewer people actually keep them. Now, that being said I am huge on goal writing, I think you should always be writing down goals. Short term, long term, really long term, you need those things written in pen on paper and folded a dozen times in your pocket as you roam the world.

And you need to keep updating them, modifying them, deleting the ones that aren’t any good or don’t strike your fancy anymore. I do it all the time, but unlike most “resolutionists” I actually keep and achieve a good sized percentage of mine. In looking at goals over the last few years I would say I have about a 70% completion rate. Doesn’t sound like much unless you know how many goals I set. Not hitting that other 30% doesn’t cause me a moments worry.

I dream big, I goal big, and here are my top 10 goals for 2014

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8 Reasons CrossFitters Are The Best Kind Of Professionals

So I recently came across Vanessa Elizabeth on the internet and WOW do I feel like we are kindered spirits. Wanderers, crossfit athletes, we even share the same opinions on marriage and the like.

Then I came across this while browsing her blog and totally found myself nodding and agreeing with it. So I thought I’d share.

Also – I think I’ll start making lists. They seem to be popular ways to post. Next blog, a list of things to list in your list…working title…

8 Reasons CrossFitters Are The Best Kind Of Professionals.

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Sunset over Bulacan, Philippines

sunset over bulacan by contactmoment1
sunset over bulacan, a photo by contactmoment1 on Flickr.

Spent early Christmas with the Agustin family in Pleridel, Bulacan, Philippines before headed off to Davao to spend our family Christmas there.

We spent the entire day in the province and treated 50 kids to gift baggies from the United States, and the best part – shared a dinner with their family.

On our way back to Manila the sun was setting over this field and I had to snap a shot from the window of our moving van before the scene vanished into the distance.

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Samal Island, Southern Mindanao, The Philippines

The Beach by contactmoment1
The Beach, a photo by contactmoment1 on Flickr.

Some of my favorite blogs on the internet are travel blogs. Blogs about wanderlust, getting away from “the cycle” and really living life. I’ve been a traveller since my earliest memories and for some strange reason I never thought to jump on this band wagon.

Especially because even now I appreciate more and more traveling in my own back yard of the United States too. So it is December 31st here in the Philippines, and we are getting ready to ring in 2014 against the Manila skyline and I think that this year I’m going to make a resolution to keep a blog – a travel blog. Why not start right now.

I just got to Manila the other day from having been down in Davao City. While I was there with my family we went Island Hopping and wound up on a totally empty strip of white sand beach.

Take it all in – this is what life is all about. This moment, right here, right now.