Can you believe I actually don’t enjoy your typical city walk?
But get me out into nature on a trail and I’m a totally different person. Some would even say a maniac, as I’m instantaneously giddy and jumping off every rock I can find.
An overwhelming sense of calm consumes my entire body and I instantly feel at peace. There is just something about a pure, undulated natural environment that recalibrates my core. It is very therapeutic.
I always am up for a difficult challenge. They are are worth doing even through the inevitable huffing and puffing just to push over that next ledge or fork in the path.
And best taken one at a time. Don’t jump ahead. Just stay in the moment.
No matter how much research you do prior, there are more times than not, surprises along the journey. They can be wonderful or terrible, but should not be avoided. They are the spice of adventure and might just be creative fuel to light up the next opportunity.
Is it life or just another trail to conquer?
Your call….. but I bet both will be equally rewarding to just keep going and forge your own path.
Halfway around the world, one of the great treks to conquer is 19.4km in the Tongariro National Park. I had booked a three week kiwi tour with this being the #1 must-do activity on the itinerary.
What’s the odds that we were halfway around the world when the biggest rainfall ever and flooding hit the north island? So it was with a heavy heart when our guide shared our day hike was cancelled due to high winds and rain in the region.
But as luck would have it, he DID reschedule for the following day and we couldn’t believe we hit the sweet spot within a 5 day window without a ray of sunlight visible. We certainly didn’t take it for granted!
Our group of 12 enthusiastically set out across the expansive crater floor and enjoyed stretching our legs. Through rugged peaks, we trudged forwarded through gradual and frequent inclines including a few boardwalks as well. And I’ll never forget the baron wasteland and dirt path extending straight as far as the eye could see.
I wanted to attack the hard uphills in solitude and at my own pace, so I plugged in my headphones and zoned out during the tough stretches. These uphill tests are always a great gut check and proof that I should have trained a wee bit harder. Nonetheless, I power through and come out on the other side a stronger person (both literally and figuratively).
After a ridiculously tough 80% angle stretch of incline, we were rewarded with an absolutely stunning view of the red crater. The deep blood-red cut in the landscape took my breath away!
Then immediately following the highest peak, the 3 emerald blue lakes came into view and I knew instantly this overlook was where I wanted to pop a squat to enjoy my lunch in silence.
I purposefully stalled at these breathtaking and boldly colorful pools of water for ages just trying to savor the moment. And I even stuck one of my Fearless Adventures blog stickers on the mile marker sign amongst tons of others as a reminder of this awesome spot.
A small group trudged on from here to finish the second half of the trek down the mountain. At about 16km, I had had enough while the symphony of aches & pains started to creep in. Every step along the never ending switchbacks was a struggle to keep going, but we finally emerged from the densely populated forest with cheers from our travel mates.
With a celebratory beer and team photo at the trailhead, we all reveled in the accomplishment and couldn’t swipe the ginormous smiles off our faces.
When was the last time you did something for the first time?
It is my new mission to find an over the top experience for each of my close friend’s birthdays. So in mid December, which is typically forgotten amongst all the holiday chaos, we found a hidden gem tucked between the two busy Orlando expressways.
We met up at Alaska Farms for our own dose of weekend good vibes and laughs. With a princess tiara and obnoxious sash, we set up Robin’s mat dead center of the outdoor yoga pavilion to get loved on by mini goats. And they delivered!
Even though there was very little yoga being practiced, the instructor earnestly tried to keep us focused while the other two helpers pranced around the room waving branches of leaves and animal cookies that the goats eagerly followed. They climbed on our backs and snuggled up for a little extra attention, but ultimately chased their next snack.
The goats all had their own unique sweaters and names, so we all naturally picked a favorite (mine was Snoball) and narrowly escaped prior to a few accidents on our recently vacated mats.
The farm was then open for a short tour of the stables, prior to laying out a picnic spread we had brought along to enjoy a mild FL winter afternoon with our BFFs. We laughed, ate, drank and ultimately landed at a close by bar for one last toast to the birthday girl! 🥂 🐐
It’s a 4hr drive from the launching point of Queenstown to reach the elusive & remote Milford Sound. This day on the itinerary is one of the highlights when basing out of the adventure capital of the world, even after the uncomfortably early wake up call of 6:15am. Does our guide know that we are actually on vacation?!
It is rumored that there are 366 days of rain in this pristine piece of the world, but nonetheless, eager tourists flock to behold this otherworldly location featured in Lord of the Rings.
The majestic drive into the valley is thrust between rugged, volcano spires with waterfalls cascading down the open face rocks at every turn. First stop is at Mirror Lakes, where even though it is drizzling, we can still see a small glimpse of the reflections radiating off the perfectly still bodies of water.
Next we traverse through Homers tunnel that was built entirely by hand over 1200m purely for tourism as a gateway to this national park.
Our necks are all tilted upwards trying to grasp the magnitude of these rocky giants, while our jaws were on the floor at the breathtaking beauty of this mostly hidden landscape. We pull into the compact dock area and quickly board our vessel to be transported into the wild for a two hour joyride.
Immediately upon departure, a cascading waterfall appears around the first bend and serenity ensues. Our timing was impeccable, as the clouds parted for all but 10 mins of our journey. We were told this was very unusual and certainly took advantage of basking in the sunshine on the upper deck, despite the slight chill in the air from the fierce winds coming from the Tasman Sea.
My favorite sight was the massive waterfall that heaved water off the side of the cliff and dissipated before ever reaching the shoreline. There were numerous flocks of birds gracing us with flybys and even a few baby sea lions sunbathing on nearby rocks.
The grand finale was a closeup practically underneath the amazing Stirling Falls, which is one of only 2 permanent waterfalls in the region. The spray was a welcome surprise, as our captain pulled us alongside the towering cliffs to show the sheer magnitude of the landscape.
The cruise expired before we could even blink, and we gravitated back to our transport to snooze away the return voyage and onto our next adventure.
I get asked quite often what my favorite destinations have been and I always struggle with an answer. Reason being, I dive into each adventure with a completely different mindset. Each meticulously designed trip has served a different purpose in my journey.
Sometimes I may be in desperate need of an escape, while others it may just be a quick holiday or perhaps a physical challenge. More often than not, I follow in the footsteps of fellow travel companions as our web of past experiences all weave together and spit out a laundry list of “must do” sites.
But there are a bunch of trips that were so profound that they rocked me to my core. These destinations were so majestical and inspiring that they changed my perspective on life forever.
While I can’t realistically put these top 10 in any particular ranking order, these were all truly trips of a lifetime:
Machu Picchu, Peru – my 1st extreme adventure
Everest Base Camp – triumph thru being sick to the top of the world
Mt. Kilimanjaro summit – very emotional as only 2 of our group of 8 made it
Jordan – Petra, Wadi Rum desert, Dead Sea
Swiss Alps – Mont Blanc trek hut hopping
Hawaii island hopping – 2 trips & equally as amazing
Utah & Arizona hiking – Sedona, Kanab areas, Big 5 National Parks, the Wave
Egypt, Greece & Turkey multi sport 6 weeks adventure
35+ cruises – my early years’ ticket to seeing the world
Bali – a week of recovery & exploration
Wherever your spend your time off, I hope it brings you as much peace and joy that I have experienced and that you keep yearning for more.
Be fearless in your pursuit of your own happiness!
Upon arriving into Auckland, New Zealand mid-day on a gorgeous Sunday in late January, I hopped on the Skydrive double decker bus to head to city center and dive into a new adventure.
Our travel group met up at the hotel and hit the ground running on our 22 day journey by visiting the All Blacks Experience dead center of downtown. We were immersed into a cultural experience and deep dive into the proud history of the country’s national sport of rugby.
Being the sports jock, I surprisingly had never been exposed to this sport. The interactive tour was very well done and informative, as we even got to step into the players’ shoes to kick, pass and run. But even more powerful to me was the rich team culture that they live and die by.
These are the 15 team mantras that created such a powerful, dominant brand & vision:
1. Pride in performance – do the little things
2. Self improvement – no complacency
3. Play w/ a higher purpose
4. Take responsibility & own team improvement
5. Be humble, hungry & smart – mentor
6. No dickheads – team first
7. Dream big – embrace fear of failure
8. Prepare to win – emphasize training
9. Be aware – decision making under pressure
10. High performing teams – honesty & authenticity
11. Strong sense of community & belonging
12. Sacrifice for team – high standards
13. Shared team culture – legacy
14. Your character is more important than your reputation
15. It’s your time to make a difference!
It’s rare to be a part of a high-performing team and winning culture, so these lessons are applicable in all walks of life. Definitely something to aspire to!
I am a huge fan of a four day adventure anchored around Saturday & Sunday. These “quickies” always give me something to look forward to and help me power through the typical extra long event days.
These bite sized adventures give me life and always revitalize my energy level. For out of state ideas, I research late Thursday pm flights and red eyes returning in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. While for local ideas, I have the car packed and ready to bolt immediately after work.
My travel philosophy is to cram in as much as humanly possible, as I can sleep when I die. I live out of my trusted bookbag and wouldn’t have it any other way. It is very empowering to live simply and just go with the flow. I have definitely learned to embrace spontaneity and be more patient as travel plans rarely unfold exactly as you had imagined.
From short cruises to beach getaways to hiking in National Parks to road-tripping with family to big city escapes to university roommate reunions to diving excursions to college basketball celebrations, the possibilities are as endless as your imagination.
My personal goal is to have a minimum of one weekend a month to get out and explore. Ambitious?!? Yes. Doable?!? Absolutely.
I don’t take for granted my extreme adventurous spirit….. ever!
After a 3:50am delayed arrival onto the island of Tahiti, I got whisked away to my hostel directly adjacent to the ferry in downtown Papeete. I had 45 mins for a Power Nap and quick shower to refresh prior to dashing over to the terminal to grab a spot on the first sailing to Moorea at 620am.
The short 17km channel between the two French Polynesian islands was my literal passage into vacation mode and my smile grew wider with every wave we crushed through.
I had no plan but immediately knew when I bolted off the ferry I was going to rent a scooter for the day to enjoy this paradise on my own terms.
With a killer playlist, I tooled around the island loop hugging the coastline and couldn’t have been happier with the freedom to roam. I stopped at every overlook and even caught a glimpse of the infamous overwater bungalows. Stunning!
About halfway around the island, I took a beach break and had the entire shoreline to myself. AYKM? Tucked into a bay between the towering, rugged cliffs and the open sea, the white sand beach had crystal blue waters that I just had to dip my toes into.
Then I rode high up into the mountains to get a different perspective and it didn’t disappoint. After a short 1km hike to a couple of overlooks, I sped down the switchbacks to continue my journey.
I found a popular Oceanside cafe to indulge in some fresh shrimp curry while basking in the gorgeous 70 degree summer sunshine. The eyeballs were even glaring back at me… talk about fresh seafood!
I couldn’t resist another beach visit to enjoy some snorkeling and swimming, prior to completing the loop. Not a bad way to spend 7 hrs and ease into an exciting 3 weeks of vacation. I had earned it!
How could I have forgotten how tantalizing the last weekend of October can be?
Through the eyes of children, this holiday takes on a whole new meaning. I’ve never really been a fan of the horror genre or found joy in dressing up. I would rather skip right over the festivities and have an extended Christmas season.
But I had a long weekend off that just happened to fall on Oct 31 and got sucked into a kids dreamland of never ending trunk or treats and sponsored parties. And nowadays, every kid has like 2-3 different costumes to rotate throughout the week. WTF? Growing up, we had one silly outfit like a crayon or a clown to be embarrassed about. Now the choices of Buzz Lightyear, the Hulk or a skeleton all sound pretty damn cool. The young princesses also can sport a Harry Potter robe or unicorn blowup.
Regardless of the scary vs the cool, chaos ensues while constantly changing outfits, maximizing the time left after crappy daylight savings time has gone into effect and chasing the “good candy”.
The night is over in a flash, as all the kids go into a sugar coma and the adults raid the massive stash of goodies after they fall asleep.
Swim in a glacial lake with visual icebergs?! If I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes, I would never believe it.
Our last trek on a three week jaunt around New Zealand culminated at the base of the majestic Mt. Cook on the southern island. Much to our delight, we had the perfect summer day with abundant sunshine and minimal cloud cover. To see the peak of the highest point in the country is very rare and our cameras clicked away.
The Hooker Valley 7 mile round trip trail was an absolute delight with numerous suspension bridges, viewings of the glacier and lookout points to keep us yearning for more. The packed shingle (aka gravel) path was very well maintained and transported us to a glacial lake in the shadows of the stunning Mt. Cook (where Sir Edmund Hillary did much of his high altitude training prior to summiting Mt. Everest).
After savoring this masterpiece for awhile, our local guide Taz did the unthinkable by taking the cringe worthy jump into the icy waters. AYKM?!? He literally swam out to the floating iceberg and climbed atop in his bare feet.
After numerous cheers from our team and other random strangers, he had a few moments to himself to revel in the feat and truly enjoy the crazy experience prior to delaying the inevitable of jumping back into the icy waters to complete the journey.
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