Have you ever spent time just with your thoughts and figured out what makes you tick?

It can be a scary journey but when you hone in on your inner workings and dig deep (really really deep), you can bring to life some little known characteristics that make you uniquely you.

While I’m a self confessed adrenaline junkie and always seem to be moving at 100 mph, I have recently started to embrace the quiet times. It’s the little things…..

• Sitting on my back porch in the evening listening to the wildlife & finishing a James Patterson novel
• Drives to the cruise port with the windows down & music blaring
• Sitting at the local waterside park watching another perfect sunset
• Baking my specialty pumpkin cookies and saving some batter to indulge in
• Riding my scooter up to the water to take in another magnificent NASA or SpaceX launch
• Hitching up my jetski to drive the 1.8 miles to the local dock and launch into the beckoning sea for a joy ride
• Eating my favorite local coconut shrimp bowl sitting on the refurbished pier overlooking the Indian River
• Watching a Duke game with all the candles lit, Christmas tree glowing, Pizza Hut stuffed crust & a cozy blanket to curl up in
• Riding my bike over to the trail and going as far as I want on that particular day & stopping by the local froyo shop en route back home
• Ending a long day with a hot bubble bath, candles and picnic

The more you are able to tap into your inner self, the more joy you will find in the simple pleasures all around you.

Did you know little ol’ Titusville, FL is unique to only 5 locations in the world for a very specific phenomenon? The crazy bioluminescence fires up in early fall and it is a must do on the Space Coast.

The launch site is back in the sticks once you cross over the Max Brewer Bridge down a single dirt road. I’ve been three times so far and we typically choose the tour just after sunset.

The waters are calm deep in the channel, while dolphins frequently surprise guests by sliding in between kayaks along their journey. I highly recommend choosing a guide that uses clear kayaks, as the experience is heightened when you can see through at every angle.

The glow of the plankton come to life as darkness creeps in. Every paddle strike causes a ripple of color to ease across the river. It is a truly magnificent sight. The light of the moon guides the group downstream for a very relaxing experience right in our own backyard.

But eventually, it is time to turn around and make the tougher trek upstream to our original extraction point. A one of a kind trip that you won’t be disappointed with. And we typically cap it off with some local froyo! (because why not)

Some are born to play it safe & others are meant to be wild!

I had made the tough call to bypass the state of North Dakota on my original west road trip with my dad in Fall 2020 due to too much ground to cover just to hit the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. So when I planned a last minute northern trek to hit 7 of my last 10 states in early 2021, I had an aggressive route to attack.

After a 3.5 mile hike & then a full day of driving from Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota, I bee lined across the eastern state line taking advantage of the 75 mph speed limit and stretched my legs at a few spots I had researched prior. I toured the old missile silos of Oscar 0 & November 33, met Dakota Thunder (the biggest Buffalo in the world), walked in the footsteps of the Northern Plain Indians at the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Park, caught a glimpse of the blood red sunset over the vast farmlands and barely made it to the cliff top site of Salem Sue by twilight.

Sue is the largest Holstein cow in the world at 38’ tall x 50’ long x 12k lbs. She was erected in 1974 at $40k to pay tribute to the local hard working dairy farmers. I was the sole visitor that got to witness the late horizon glow and revel in the quiet expanse below. Quirky….. yes. A once in a lifetime tourist stop…… absolutely!

And it got me thinking….. everyone follows their own path in life. Some steps are pre-determined, others just fall into place and most (I believe) you need to make happen. Where will your destiny take you today? Tomorrow? Next year?

Note to self, don’t just exist….live!

Stay wild & be amazing!! #staywild #beamazing #unpackourhearts #tellyourstory #salemsue #myjourney

One of my personal goals is to hike in every US National Park. Easier said than done, as quite a few are not accessible by car and very pricey. Nonetheless, I charge forward in my quest with relentless passion.

And if you open that challenge up to every recognized National Park Service location, that list is somewhat daunting to embark on (technically there are 423 official sites).

As of March 2022, I have ventured into 48 of our 63 National Parks and can’t get enough of the history over the last 150 years. Fun fact: the grand daddy of them all, Yellowstone, has the distinction of being proclaimed the first in the entire world back on March 1, 1872, while New River Gorge in southern West Virginia is the newest just ratified in December 2020.

As for National Monuments, Historic Parks and Preserves, I have eclipsed 90 visits along the journey as well. Each sliver of history is unique and worthy of more people experiencing these protected wonders.

I wish I had started sooner, but I have joined the bandwagon of tourists snapping a pic of every park sign adorning the entrances. It is almost like a right of passage and trying to come up with new, innovative poses to keep the photos interesting is always the ultimate challenge. Nonetheless, I am on the prowl for those unique signs that show the true character of a region.

From the obscure to the iconic, these national treasures are beckoning you to get off the couch, lace up your hiking boots, plan at the very least a long weekend getaway and purposefully get lost in the wonders of nature.

Ready for an adventure?!

Settle in for an 8 mile drive on a dirt and gravel road taking 30 mins to spot the trailhead parking lot. I was fortunate it was a dry week, so my little rented Versa survived. And since I didn’t know if I would succumb to the sand, I paid for the daily pass at the on-site kiosk and took off for a 3 hour trek into the unknown.

Following the natural winding wash, the trail meandered along for over a mile until the towering walls started to close in and the real adventure could begin.

The first steps entering the colorful labyrinth are adrenaline infused. Every curve is awe inspiring and you can’t wait to dive in further. There are a few obstacles to squeeze past and jump over prior to reaching the infamous stairs. I am fortunate on this mild winter day to have the canyon to myself and can’t lie that I scaled the ladder a few times just because I could!

After many more surprises, the canyon finally opens up into a massive “T” where you have the choice to continue forging along into Buckskin Gulch, which is the longest and deepest slot canyon in the world at 13 miles.

I veered off right as many fellow travelers had recommended. I jumped around on small boulders to try to bypass the puddles of water for another .5 mile, but the passage eventually become impassable without diving in waist deep. So I opted to turn around and continue for another mile in the opposite direction.

Before heading back up the canyon, I happily plopped down on a washed up log to enjoy my backpack lunch of cheezits, a banana and an uncrustable PB&J amongst the gorgeous canyon walls.

What a tremendous experience totally immersed in nature’s beauty and never wanting the day to end!

What could ever top flying over the Napali coast of Kauai? Seriously, it was that mind blowing!

Well…. drive the winding backroads on the remote western coast of Kauai passing through the impressive Waimea State Park until it dead ends into Kokee State Park. Enjoy the overlooks for a few minutes with all the other curious tourists, lace up your hiking boots, find the small cut out fence off to the left and brace yourself for an unforgettable couple of hours ahead.

The Kalepa Ridge trek is 1.9 miles of adrenaline infused fun following the craziest cliff sides I’ve ever experienced. The single track is never too dangerous but anyone remotely scared of heights would be paralyzed by the sheer drop offs accompanying every footstep. Any recent rains make the trek slippery and slows your progress significantly. It is equally exhilarating and terrifying…. begging you to keep going!

After a few false summits, you can finally visualize the last peak as it towers over the pristine Napali coastline far below. I’m not sure how long I enjoyed that pinnacle but it was truly sensational.

My smile is bigger than I ever remember. It is one of those moments in life that you feel on top of the world and invincible.

The trek to rejoin civilization is inevitable and a choice – retrace the same harrowing ridge line or follow the fence line for a straight shot without all the tension. As I typically prefer enjoying multiple, mid length hikes per day, I opted for the later and had an extra pep in my step the rest of the day!

I am not easily “wowed”, even though I do appreciate many of mother nature’s miracles.

Helicopters are not really my thing (Nepal/Everest flashbacks), so when I found the only biplane certified to fly over the Napali Coast I knew this was my big adventure ticket while visiting the gorgeous island of Kauai. (And the price tag surprisingly didn’t break my already dwindling savings account)

With only 6 seats, everyone was guaranteed a window view and our navigator was a very enthusiastic retired commercial airline pilot. The next 90 minutes we soared over landscapes out of a fairytale, as picture perfect as you could ever imagine with ridges carved out by thousands of years of erosion. My eyes were peeled for waterfalls cascading over cliff sides from recent rains, as the center of the island is one of the wettest regions in the entire world.

As we finally reached the edge of the island and followed the stunning coastline, we spotted migrating whales and numerous surfers waiting for the perfect wave. And the cobalt blue waters were jaw dropping.

Besides a little bit of motion sickness sinking in, I really didn’t want the ride to end. Up amongst the clouds, all my everyday worries faded away and I could really appreciate my surroundings from a whole new perspective.

This was definitely a once in a lifetime ride and will be hard to top.

To date, I’ve ventured into the big blue 36 times and each one is very unique. You never know what sea life and forces of nature are waiting for you to explore.

During my gap year of adventure, I was already getting sad at the thought of my 10 month whirlwind rapidly coming to an end. So when we had a free afternoon along the coast of Turkey, three of my fellow travelers and I jumped at the opportunity to join a local dive boat in the cute town of Kas. And for only $70 for a two tank dive, which is a steal, we were ready to escape the scorching mid June European heat wave too.

After a safety briefing and signing our lives away, we were split into buddies and began the arduous processes of getting our equipment ready. Without question, donning a 5mm wetsuit is the worst part of any water experience. But it’s a means to an end, and we quickly anchor at our first site.

My buddy and I were already certified divers and jump off first into the aqua blue waters. He unfortunately had issues equalizing his ears, so we ventured onward on my own private 42 min tour. While the sea life was sparse and the reefs were almost colorless, I always enjoy the quiet expanse of the underworld and the rhythm of just breathing.

I always have a story and my day ahead was filled with a double whammy…….

As I was pulling myself back up onto the boat with the extremely heavy gear, my right foot slipped on the top rung and I plunged back down into the sea below. And of course I slammed into every rung along the way with my left toes and shin. OUCH!

After shaking it off and thankfully not drawing any blood, we fire up the engine for the short sail to our next spot. My buddy again can’t clear his ears, so he hands me his GoPro to capture footage of the wreck below. As we descend, my instructor takes the camera off of my wrist strap to shoot some video of me. I don’t remember getting the camera back, but in the first 10 mins of the dive a light bulb ignited in my head and sheer panic ensues. I hand sign while 30’ below deck that I lost the camera and want to abandon the dive, but he points ahead and we continue on for another painful 34 mins. Needless to say, that dive is a blur as I find tears pooling up in my mask. I can always replace a camera but I have no idea how many priceless pictures have been lost or how my new friend will handle his camera being lost at sea.

Back aboard, I share the bad news and two of the instructors swim off to see if they can find it bobbing in the swift current (the casing does float) or stuck amongst the rocky alcoves. I see nothing but wide open ocean and know it is a long shot to find. However…… my dive instructor then pops his head around the corner with a big smile on his face and all peace is restored once again!!

Mental note for future adventures: attach all items to my life jacket/BCD!