This week we are taking a break from publishing any content so that we can spend time with our family. Please check back next Friday, as we publish our look back over 2021 and a sneak peak into what is coming in 2022.
Andrea and I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas!
The Canyon has the ability to make one feel small and sometimes it’s imposing nature can be intimidating. But, when you allow yourself to calm your spirit and breathe in the air and hear what the Canyon says to you through the sounds of the wind in the trees and animals that call it home, you will find yourself refreshed and a feeling of peace and contentment will wash over you.
The Canyon, for me, has a similar spiritual impact as standing in a grand cathedral in Europe although I might argue that the Canyon is more spiritually impactful. Standing at the North Rim and looking out upon this magnificent natural wonder I now understand why this place was so sacred to the original peoples who called this place home.
We have been to the Canyon many times and its grandeur never fails to shake me to my core. It is imposing, beautiful, sometimes scary, but always it is Grand. This park will always be one of my favorites and the North side, while more difficult to reach is now my absolute favorite part of the park. I hope you will have a chance to visit soon.
My recommendation is to travel to the north side in the fall and see the aspens as they put on an amazing display of color. Also, take a moment and find a quiet place to simply listen to what the Canyon says to you. You may just be surprised with what you leave with.
Peace and good vibes to you all 🤙🏼
“We haven’t been everywhere yet, but it’s on our list.” ~ adapted from Susan Sontag
I always tell people that realistic expectations and clear communications will solve 90% of an individual or groups problems. Well this story needs to begin with an apology, first to my readers, and secondly to myself. I failed to follow my own advice as it pertains to my writing.
When I first set out to write about travel, I had the greatest of intentions of publishing a story at least twice a month. Well, here we are seven months into this journey and I have completed six stories. While the stories are abundant in my mind, getting them in print has been much more difficult than I anticipated. So, my apologies.
The upside is that I have been traveling and exploring which only deepens the well of experience from which future stories will be born. I look forward to sharing these past and future experiences with you as I continue to drink from the cup of world travel.
Ugh…double ugh.
All it takes is a quick glance at the latest headlines to know that all of the talking heads and media outlets are doing a fantastic job reporting the spread of Covid-19 also known as Coronavirus. And while this illness is devastating, please don’t allow it to create fear in you and prohibit you from experiencing an adventure through travel. Hear is my unsolicited advice. Keep traveling. But, be smart and intentional in your selection of places to go by researching your destination, don’t just take the advice of today’s headlines. Follow good hygiene practices. Wash your hands. Chances are, you will be fine. Rant over.
I will be returning to Costa Rica and this time I have the privilege of introducing the country I love to my daughters. I am so excited for this trip that will take place in March 2020. We have a huge surprise for them, and I will be writing about that in an upcoming story. So stay tuned. Also, don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @puravidajurnys for photo content and short stories about places I have been and places I am going.
Those closest to me know that I love the written word and I like expressing it for others to read and enjoy. So to those individuals who keep encouraging me to get my stories out there, thank you. You all keep me motivated and inspired to tell of my adventures.
So until next time… Pura Vida!
Thanks for stopping by and checking out my blog. This is something that I have wanted to do for a while now, and thanks to the encouragement of my beautiful wife and favorite travel companion as well as several friends, I decided to take the plunge. Here you will find short musing and pictures on my journeys across this glorious planet and occasionally my thoughts and ramblings on life and the impact that travel can have on an individual.
But first, a bit about myself. I am a husband to an amazing woman and my number 1 travel partner, Andrea. Second, I am a dad to 4 great kids. It is my hope that my travels inspire my children to pick up the mantle of travel and to discover what this amazing planet has to offer.
My love for travel unwittingly began as a child when my parents moved to Central and South America to perform missionary work. It is at this moment that I know that the seeds for exploration and discovery were surreptitiously planted in my subconscious. Then at the age of 18, I found myself back in Central America as a part of the US Armed Forces. So you see, my formative years were spent seeing and experiencing so many wonderful places, people, cultures, and food.
But enough about the past. Let’s talk about the present. Today I am an avid traveler and lover of new experiences. My goal when I travel is to try and immerse myself into the local culture by trying new foods, drinks, and local customs. My best travel experiences have been afforded to me when I allow myself to simply get lost within a city. Taking side streets that look interesting and sometimes daunting have led to some of my best meals and pictures.
My hope is that this blog will allow you an opportunity to experience the beautiful art of travel through my writings and camera lens. I truly believe that our planet and the many different people and cultures are connected much more closely than we understand. Yet, the key to that understanding is simple, we must go and experience it for ourselves. And while I know that the cost of travel can be a barrier, I hope that this site provides you with a small glimpse and inspiration into wanting to discover something new for yourself.
My goal for this blog is simple, to give you the reader an opportunity to see the world through my stories and photos. I hope that it will inspire you to book a flight or simply get in your car and go see something new and different.
Peace and good vibes to everyone.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”
— Mark Twain
Pura Vida Journeys 