Freshly Dug

What an inspiring day in San Jose, Costa Rica spent with Father...

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 20:04:44 -0500

What an inspiring day in San Jose, Costa Rica spent with Father Sergio, an inspiring community leader who helps 30,000 people in the greater community area thru mobile soup kitchens, free legal and medical services, an on-site orphanage, family day care, free meals, a community zoo with a talapia farm and much more…and he’s just getting started…We were so touched by the warmth of the kids and the pulse of the San Jose community rising #inspiration #leadership #hope #community #love #costarica #puravida (at Holy Spirit ‘City of Joy’ Costa Rica)

Woodie Guthrie’s 1942 New Years Resolution list…Some...

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:07:00 -0500

Woodie Guthrie’s 1942 New Years Resolution list…Some very practical reminders…Sometimes its the little things like making your bed that build repetition in our minds around healthy practices, and disciplines. Often we think too big and dissapoint ourselves that we didn’t reach our goal. Its good to dream exponentially, but it needs to be complimented with practical steps to achieve such beautifully big dreams.

so true…

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 14:50:33 -0500

so true…

“Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass,...

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 13:39:41 -0500

“Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass, it’s about learning how to dance in the rain” —- Vivian Green (at Mark Lakin Photography)

Hey lovely people. I am down @givegoodmarket pop up awesomeness...

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 11:21:20 -0500

Hey lovely people. I am down @givegoodmarket pop up awesomeness w a sneak peak at @thebaseproject collection my twin bro and I developed w artisans from my travels thru Africa. Come down and buy some dope holiday gifts or arm swag from us and about 38 other dope female entrepreneurs and socially good co’s #socialgood #wearyourimpact #artisans #fashion #nyc #holiday #awesomeness (at Starrett-Lehigh Building)

Dope hydroponic window garden system from @windowfarms local NYC...

Sat, 24 Nov 2012 15:10:28 -0500

Dope hydroponic window garden system from @windowfarms local NYC co. For urban apt gardening #organic #food #urban #gardening (at American Museum of Natural History)

Stumbling upon life’s awesome #abundance. As we parked at...

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 17:39:00 -0500

Stumbling upon life’s awesome #abundance. As we parked at an auto repair shop we were introduced to an #almond #tree that had raw, beautifully wild almonds waiting for us to receive. A tree that thrived high above a rundown autoshop. Nature prevailed in all it’s beauty. It’s a simple moment when you open your eyes and realize the abundance in your own backyard, a moment when you see beauty perching just above despair. Thank you universe for delivering such a valuable lesson of #abundance to us today. We are so blessed! #utourpia #experiences w. @scesarini

Touching beauty each day as the road journey leads us through...

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 15:59:05 -0400

Touching beauty each day as the road journey leads us through the Texas Sky en route to #Phoenix tonite…Singing, Carpet Cleaning, Abundant Creativity and Love for my road mates @timryans and @scesarini on the #Road to #BurningMan with “Two Destiny” our loving 1988 Airstream #Roadtrippin through #Life with #Love #Sharing and #Happy #Experiences for all who lovingly cross our path (Taken with Instagram)

And so the journey to #burningman and beyond begins in the...

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 13:30:00 -0400

And so the journey to #burningman and beyond begins in the Hillbilly Heaven #airstream. So #classicly #mobile #gangster #nomad (Taken with Instagram)

Go out and Make It Happen…

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 15:21:07 -0400

Go out and Make It Happen…

Adventure Planning for the next wave of travels…I came...

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 22:10:22 -0400

Adventure Planning for the next wave of travels…I came across this pic of a tribe that lives along the Sepik River in Papa New Guinea who and travel via dugout boats. Pic courtesy of my adventure bible: Lonely Planets “A Year of Adventure.” Going to live with them on the river and learn how to spearfish…. (Taken with Instagram)

"Every word you utter to another human being has an effect, but you don’t know it. If people..."

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 22:20:00 -0400

““Every word you utter to another human being has an effect, but you don’t know it. If people began to understand that change comes about by millions of tiny acts that seem totally insignificant, then they wouldn’t hesitate to take those tiny acts.” - Howard Zinn’s response from the film “I Am” on how to create change in the world”

The Road to Congo....(Part Uno)

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 20:57:00 -0400

Visiting the Democratic Republic of Congo had been on my dream list for a few years.

I heard stories over the last few years of rebel groups, child soldiers and mineral conflicts and was electrified by the thought of journeying the vast jungle-verse with decades of intense history attached to it.. I fantacized bushwacking with a machete in hand thru the Jungles alongside of a crew of semi-nude Pygmy tribesmen.

When I made the connection that this was the country formerly known as Zaire I knew I had to be there. The film “When We Were Kings,” the epic “Rumble in the Jungle” fight between Mohammad Ali vs. George Forman fight in 1974 (known then as Zaire) was my jam. I also used to do a ridiculously bad-ass Ali impersonation in 20’s and sound from the film of the Congolese yelling Ali, boom-ba-yay,” just sung in my head for years like it was calling me to the ring…

So when I had been thinking about my “Year of Adventure,” I knew the Congo was spot I needed to figure out a way to visit.

In October 2011, I was sitting in a cafe in Nairobi with a new friend who writes some awesome pieces on Africa for the Huff Po named Jonathan Kalan. I had just finished up a two week road trip, gorilla filmmaking throughout Kenya with the What Took You So Long crew hanging off the side of cars to shoot video footage for a new Kenyan made car.

I was scheduled the following week to meetup with an entrepenuerial group of friends to spend a few days w. Ed Norton’s charity the Massai Wilderness Conversation Trust, kick it with the Massai, live in safari tents and go Lion trekking. I had a week to kill in between. I asked Kalan a good 7-day adventure and he suggested to fly into Rwanda and walk over the border into the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“Whaaaat….This is possible?” I jumped all over this faster than Refridgerator Perry could crush a cheeseburger.

The next day, I booked a plane ticket and flew into Rwanda. I had been the Rwanda the previous year with Invisible Children. Ironically on the exact same date a year earlier I was in Rwanda. Crazy right? Totally unplanned. I’d already visited the Genocide Memorial already which is intense, heavy, realness. What to do? I was thinking about hitting up the Gorillas, but then I heard you can see the same mountain gorillas in Congo, which sounded much more #gangster to me. I’ll wait to kick it with them in Congo.

I couchsurfed one night with some cool dudes who worked at an NGO that made affordable bikes for villagers (yes you can really Couchsurf in Rwanda, mainly w. expats but sometimes locals). I chilled for a day in Kigali, mainly in search of some good coffee. I walked down into the slums which are right behind the main streets. So I’m in search of coffee from a real local joint, as ya know Rwandan coffee is all over the place in the states. But man, the locals had only Nescafe. One spot mixed Nescafe, Tea and Milk together in a pure state of confusion, which was hardly drinkable. Ok, new learning. Just because people grow something in a region doesnt mean its for one an indigenous crop to their culture, and thus the locals probably aren’t used to drinking it.

I take a bus ride around 3-hour bus ride from the Kigali, the capital of Rwanda to Gyseni and I have a very very loose plan. I don’t usually do much research in advance, I typically let the wind be my guide, ask the locals whats up and seek the most off the beaten path adventure I can find….

I wind up staying with Eric Reynolds in Gyseni, a former co-founder of the clothing co. Marmot, who is starting up some crazy amazing clean cook stove business out in Rwanda. We visit his facility, meet up with other social entrepenuers making affordable tampons out of Banana fibers, ya know a typical day for me in Africa….

I’m corresponding with this guide Emmanuel via Lonely Planet. He’s a local guide from the Kivu region that works as ‘fixer’ for some newspapers, which basically means reporters hire him to get access to shit thats hard for white people to access without someone on the inside.

Eric tells me about a volcano. Not any volcano. The most active one in Africa!!! Sounds dope. But it gets DOPER. You can actually sleep on the top of it….Seriously you ask right? Yeah man, this shit is realer than Holyfield.

I’m sold. I go for a run in the morning. Running in Africa puts a lot of things in perspective for me. Once I get past the many people yelling whatever version of “white man” at me, I get in a really meditative, smiling my ass-off state.

Its Gametime…I pack a light bag, and head out to meet up with my dude Emmanuel at the border. Our communication is a bit sketchy. He tells me another guide is meeting me at the border. I tell him if he doesnt meet me the deal is off. I show up, he’s there, but the border officials are playing some games. I wait about an hour and they give me a 1-week Visa for the Kivu-region to hit sights around Goma.

The town has a weird, dark energy. Its a stark contrast from the beauty of Rwanda and all its lush greens. Goma is hard and has an unsettling vibe to it. White United Nations vans ride down the streets with dark tinted windows. 8 out of every 10 cars on the street is some type of NGO. I stay at this hotel in town for $40 a night. It feels like im in an Oliver Stone movie. Like I’m a reporter going in to cover a war kinda vibe. There are maybe 5 other tourists in the spot.

THE CONGO GAMEPLAN: Visit Virunga National park to hopefully hug some mountain gorillas, hike Mount Nyamulagira (link to an insanely beautiful video) to sleep atop of the most active Volcano in Africa, and spend a day visiting Pygmy tribes.

If I had a longer visa that didn’t have the regional restriction I would go into the Ituri Rainforest and check out the Okapi animals which are half Zebra half Giraffe, and take a 10-day trip down the infamous Congo River, along with visiting the Mbuti and Efe tribes deep in the jungle. So thats now on a future ‘dream list,’ which I can assure you will be fulfilled.

More to come….

#StayFresh

My Awesome 10-day Silent Meditation Rollercoaster Ride recap...

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 18:33:00 -0400

My Awesome 10-day Silent Meditation Rollercoaster Ride recap from a recent retreat held at the Southern California Vipassana Center. More dets for upcoming meditations at www.dhamma.org. #Peepit

My Adventure: From Blazers to Backpacks

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:17:00 -0500

You may recall seeing this picture. I posted it on facebook six months ago just before boarding an Air India flight. I was armed with a one-way ticket, a backpack and a crazy idea to adventure the world. Initially, the plan was to travel for up to six months. I quickly realized the world is big…like really big, and in six months I’d lucky to scratch it’s surface. I narrowed my globe trotting down to India, Southeast Asia and South America. To intensify matters, it was my first time backpacking, and traveling for an extended time solo. I had no plans or itinerary. I just wanted to get out there.

I intended the trip to be a self-curated journey that would unleash me across the world. Some people choose to go for MBAs at this stage in their life, I was shooting for a ‘degree in dreamaking.’ The trip I envisioned would provide the perfect chance to rediscover myself, unlock new passions, visit epic destinations, and thrust myself into wild adventures. So, why did I want to do this? And how did it feel to shift from pitching chief marketing officers and wearing designer blazers to meeting with chiefs tribal officers carrying a handful of possessions in a backpack?

I was first inspired on my path for global exploration thru a trip arranged by Summit Series and led by Invisible Children to Uganda and Rwanda, set to take place in October 2010. I recall jumping out of my chair at the opportunity when the trip was announced at Summit DC. It would be my first trip to Africa, a long-time childhood dream that had been put on hold, until this very moment. For many years, I had dreamed about running thru the bushes with African tribes rocking war paint, a loin cloth and a hunting spear. This didn’t turn out to be the style of my first African trip, but it did turn out to be a life changing moment.

During a long and bumpy bus ride thru Kampala (Uganda) my trip mates began to check out the pages of eachother’s passports. I saw mine being flipped thru, it’s semi-inkless and totally visa-less pages feeling a bit naked. At that moment, I dreamed about one day filling up its pages with names of exotic sounding countries. However, the reality remained that I was due back to NYC and my blackberry in a week’s time.

When I returned back to New York, I knew something had changed. It was a taste of adventure that I had briefly experienced. The possibilities of exploring the world at that moment began to intensify. A month after my return back from Africa, I met with my business partner and we agreed that at the end of the year I would leave my full time role at the agency to explore new possibilities. It was a hard choice to make, but change was calling in my life.

Over the past six months, I’ve been backpacking, couch-surfing, camping, village hopping, and hitchhiking thru sixteen beautiful countries: India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, Bostwana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. I have grown to love the journey from one country to next.

Usually I find myself singing, and dancing down the streets as I venture into a new town or village. At times I get funny looks, but mostly the local people are drawn to the energy I am pushing out, which has opened up many unique situations and homes.

The spontaneous and off the beaten path adventures I’ve experienced have been nothing short of surreal. From learning how to ride a motorcycle and taking it up the highest road in the world in India, to hosting a dance party with sixty members of the Sri Lankan military, to drinking goat blood with the tribes in Ethiopia, to teaching a Grade 4 class Math & English in the slums of Kibera, Kenya, to getting up close and personal with Mountain Gorillas by day and sleeping atop Africa’s most active volcano in the Democratic Republic of Congo this may sound like an unthinkable dream to many. However, it is easier than you may think to make your dreams a reality, and well before the standard age of ‘dream fulfillment’ aka retirement.

My brother, Chris also decided to meet up for a few months in India, Southeast Asia and Southwest Africa, turning what started as a solo trip into a twin bonding experience, evolving our relationship to heights I never could have imagined. We’ve thrown ourselves into interesting situations like serving 2,000 meals to visitors of the Golden Temple in India, to emceeing the 5 Year Anniversary for a National Bank in Vietnam, to picking up hitchhikers from Himba villages in Namibia.

But it hasn’t all been about extreme adventure. I’ve been privileged to meet a ton of inspiring social entrepreneurs, community leaders, monks, NGOs, subsistence farmers, school teachers, members of the military, local business owners, Peace Corps volunteers, school kids and every day local people along the journey. During these conversations I’ve been exploring how development work can be successfully delivered to these local communities.

What I’ve come to value over my travels is that material matters don’t matter. Experience is what matters! I’ve challenged myself to avoid the tourist sites, take local transportation and push to sleep in villages and huts vs. villas and hotels. It hasn’t always been easy, but opting to not follow a guidebook, has allowed me to narrate my own story and live many days in what appears to be a dream like state.

One of the best experiences I recall feeling was sleeping in the slums of Kibera. I woke up to a freezing cold bucket shower, and with the energy of a vibrant and growing community on my back. It was part of a 36-hour experience I will never forget. Don’t get me wrong it’s nice to be spoiled at times, but I can now appreciate a hot shower as form of indulgence more now than ever.

Oh, and as fate would have it, on a mesmerizing trip back from the Congo en-route to Rwanda, I noticed two things on my passport.

First, I realized it was completely filled with visas and stamps from 14-countries and I needed new pages to get back into Kenya. Second, my entry stamp carried the date October 11, 2011, which was the exact same date I was there with Invisible Children a year prior. It’s amazing how much can change in a year! Making the shift from sleeping in a beautiful West Village apartment to African Village dirt floors seems like an unimaginable lifestyle change to most. However living out of a backpack with a handful of possessions, I’ve never felt so comfortable, so happy, and truly free to be me.

Today I’m in South Africa getting ready to run with Cheetah’s at a conservation sanctuary. I don’t know where I’ll be the following day or the next week. While my wild adventures have been nothing short of surreal, the journey of self is something I am truly fortunate to have embarked on. Over the months, I’ve pushed myself to let experience take control which has cexpanded my traditional western thinking and broadened my comfort levels (e.g. drinking goat blood).

I’m launching this blog to communicate what I am seeing and feeling along the journey. So stay tuned for future posts from my experiences over the past six months, and whatever lies ahead. I also hope you all take the opportunity to get out there and see some of beauty which I have experienced. And always take the path least traveled!