A year ago, I tossed my Blackberry off a cliff and set off in hopes to change my life. I saw my life passing me by and I needed to make a change. I needed to get busy living. I took off with my BUCKET LIST and a backpack. I wouldn't have done it any other way. Thanks to everyone along the way that have helped make this all possible. Far too many of you to mention. Most dream of the life they want to live. I'm fortunate enough to be living it.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY OLDER BROTHER BRIAN!
Mark/Chops
The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG GUY!
365 DAYS AROUND THE WORLD. 10s OF THOUSANDS OF MILES. MILLIONS OF MEMORIES
SURFED AROUND THE WORLD WITH OLD FRIENDS AND NEW ONES
MY TWO BIGGEST SUPPORTERS ON MY MISSION TO TAKE ON THE WORLD AND CHANGE MINE. MOM AND DAD.
BC HIGH'S SUPERSTORM SANDY DISASTER RESPONSE TEAM. BILL AND MY TWIN, KEITH
CLEMSON TIGER!
CHANNELING MY COLLEGIATE ROWING DAYS...
ABOUT TO ENTER PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA'S PRISON CELL ON ROBBEN ISLAND, SOUTH AFRICA. NO DOUBT MY LIFE CHANGED THAT DAY.
BACKFLIPPIN IN THE JUNGLE
HIKING THE GREAT DIVIDE AND VOLCANOS
TAKING ON HAWAII WITH MIKEY!
HEAVEN ON EARTH
ALSO HEAVEN ON EARTH
I BECAME A DISASTER RESPONSE FIELD TEAM LEADER & DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST @ NECHAMA. THEY ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THIS WORLD AND I'M PROUD TO BE RIDING THEIR COATTAILS.
ABOUT TO GO FACE TO FACE WITH A GREAT WHITE
SAILED AROUND THE WORLD
HIKED 4 CONTINENTS
THE CHILDREN OF KUSASA CHANGED MY LIFE FOREVER
WORKING ON THE GOLF SWING IN A LAND DOWN UNDER
TREKKING COASTLINES EVERYWHERE
NOT A BAD SPOT TO REFLECT ON THE DAY
TESTING HOW TOUGH I WAS BY KICKBOXING WITH PROS IN THAILAND
TRIED TO CATCH EVERY SUNRISE AND SUNSET AROUND THE GLOBE
I'D GO WITH THIS MAN ANYWHERE ON THE PLANET. DAVID BERNARD AND ME ON THE TOP OF THE ROCKIES
IT'S ABOUT THE JOURNEY
NICK AND BETSY'S WEDDING! LAWRENCE, KANSAS
MARYBETH AND ME!
OLYMPIC PENINSULA, WASHINGTON STATE WITH MY MAN KULA!
DANO AND MEG'S WEDDING - NEW JERSEY
LITHUANIA'S FIRE AND ME TAKING ON CALIFORNIA!
PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY
BIG SUR
SOLO TREK IN BACKCOUNTRY ALASKA
ONE MAN WOLF PACK IN THE MIDDLE OF A 60 MILE EXPEDITION
DISASTER RESPONSE TEAM WITH A HERO, LOU
WHAT CAN I SAY?
CALM BEFORE THE STORM - SOUTH AFRICA SHARK DIVING
LEAVING CIVILIZATION
JANUARY 1ST, 2013. NEW YORK CITY CONEY ISLAND POLAR BEAR CLUB!
ANOTHER ONE OF MY HEROES. DAN HOEFT. A LEADER IN DISASTER RESPONSE. THIS GUY CHANGES LIVES!
15,000 FT OVER THE GREAT BARRIER REEF AND FALLING FAST!
SHADY'S WEDDING - BOSTON
WALKING AROUND THE WORLD
ME AND MOM THE DAY I LEFT THE UNITED STATES, APRIL 8TH, 2012
JUST ANOTHER SATURDAY NIGHT
OKEEFE'S WEDDING!
BRENDAN'S WEDDING - BOSTON
MAN-V-WILD SURVIVAL TRAINING - DAY 7 ON THE WAY OUT OF THE MOUNTAINS
INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE. LIFE CHANGING MONTH IN AFRICA
ALI AND ROBBIN'S WEDDING - PENNSYLVANIA
DAVE AND KATHRYN'S WEDDING! LOVE THIS GUY! - MASSACHUSETTS
BRAD AND AMY'S WEDDING! - CHARLESTON , SC
BEING REALLY DUMB WITH AN OLD FRIEND. HOW MANY CLEMSON GRADS DOES IT TAKE TO CHANGE A CEILING FAN?
SNEAKING ON THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE'S PRIVATE BALCONY IN THE CAPITOL BUILDING WITH BLAKE. CAN YOU SAY TRESPASSING?
SPYING ON THE NEW YANKEE STADIUM WITH MY BOYS DANIEL AND KENNY
3 MAN WOLFPACK GETTING INTO SOME TROUBLE! SMITHAZ AND GWA! LOVE THESE GUYS
DISASTER RESPONSE - HOBOKEN, NJ
GETTING KICKED OUT OF CANADA!
NECHAMA JEWISH RESPONSE TO DISASTER - THE ROCKAWAYS - NEW YORK
DINNER BEFORE FRANK'S BIG DAY!
FRANK AND LAURA'S WEDDING - MEXICO
CROSS COUNTRY TRIP WITH MY BOY STARBUCK
I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU GUYS - FRANSCHHOEK, SOUTH AFRICA
Adios Hawaii. Talk about a tough place to leave! I could not have asked for a better stay in paradise. For two weeks I surfed, hiked, dove both from cliffs and underwater etc. Much of this would never have been possible without the local expertise and help provided to me by my friends Dawn and Mike. They set me up with an incredible list of activities to do. I can't thank you both enough.
Also, for LAFIF AND Boston, I have confirmed that 1st Lieutenant Marine Pete Brennan is alive and well in Honolulu. I got to catch up with Pete a few nights ago. Thank you so much for all you do bud. Be well my friend.
Finally, while here, I was able to read Gerald Chertavian's A YEAR UP. Cliff notes: This is a wonderful story of how one man turned his vision of helping underprivileged young adults to make a better tomorrow for themselves into reality. I'd gladly toss it in the mail if anyone is looking for a good read.
I also put a good dent into Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain. Full disclosure, I was on page 75 before I realized I was reading a novel, not a non fiction. Ughh..
Anyways, I am back in New York City with NECHAMA. Excited to get back at it!
Mark/Chops
CARBO LOADING ON FRENCH BREAD BEFORE A HIKE WITH MIKE
RIDING IN THE BED OF DAWN'S PICKUP TRUCK ON THE HIGHWAY. YIKES!
HEADING TO MAUNAWILI FALLS! MIKE IS HIKING IN FLIPFLOPS?!?!
AN ABSOLUTE GEM ON O'AHU
JURASSIC PARK SETTING!
THE FAMOUS DUKE STATUE
I BET MIKE $40 HE WOULDN'T BELLY FLOP. CHECK OUT THE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS FROM THE GIRL ON THE CLIFF. I'M A TERRIBLE PERSON.
I WAS BEING PEER PRESSURED TO JUMP OFF THIS. LOOKED LIKE TWO BROKEN LEGS WAITING TO HAPPEN. I PASSED. 50+ FEET INTO A BATHTUB!
SAYING FAREWELL TO THE BEST SURFER ON OAHU! MAHALO DAWN!
USING THE HORIZON AND TWO FINGERS TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH DAYLIGHT I HAVE LEFT.
I JUST CAME UP WITH NOT ONE, BUT TWO RETAIL PRODUCT IDEAS. I'M A GLASS HALF FULL GUY!
SAYING GOOD BYE TO MY PARTNER IN CRIME, MIKE. HOW ABOUT THOSE AWESOME TSHIRTS!
CATCHING MY FLIGHT TO LA UNDER A SMOLDERING SKY
The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Hello all.
I'll let the pictures do the talking. Still crushing it in Hawaii!
One other thing. A few of my friends are doing some pretty cool stuff of their own at the moment and I'd like to share them with you. Long overdue. My BC High pal Jon Contrado is an artist and never stops impressing me with his talents. Great guy. Great artist. You can see his work here:
Also, there is my childhood next door neighbor and friend Jenna Bortolotti. She is a very talented singer/songwriter out of Boston. If you are in the area, catch her next show! If not, you can find her online too.
PRIOR TO A STRENUOUS HIKE ON THE MANANA TRAIL, MIKE IS LOADING UP ON SNACK PACKS!
AFTER TREKKING THROUGH THE WOODS, WE FOUND SOME WATERFALLS AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOME BAD DECISIONS!
MIKE GETTING IN THE ZONE BEFORE DECIDING TO....
DO THIS!
AND THIS!
CHANNELING MY INNER TARZAN FROM ATOP A WATERFALL!
OH HELLO!
OH HELLO!
RELAXING BEFORE CLIMBING UP THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN TO GET OUT OF THE JUNGLE!
WEST COAST BEACH
MOUNTAINS COMING OUT OF THE OCEAN!
REMINDS ME OF THE PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY. NO HIGHWAY HERE THOUGH. JUST THE VIEWS.
THAT'S A WAVE LANDING ON ME! I WAS WORKING TO GET A SHOT OF THE COASTLINE AND NEVER SAW IT COMING! YIKES! KNOCKED ME ON MY BEHIND!
CHECKING OUT A FEW WAVES BEFORE SUNSET
HELLO HAWAII!
SPYING ON SOME SURFERS AND THE SUNSET
SPEECHLESS
LAST FEW MOMENTS OF DAY
EVERY STROKE IS AN OPPORTUNITY. GOOD NIGHT.
The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Grettings All,
I have done a couple of gorgeous hikes, some surfing, kayaking, and a round of golf in the past few days. Oh, and Mike and Dawn had me eat cheesecake! That was a first for me. I think I am done trying that. No me gusta.
Watching Dawn surf is pretty cool. It is like every piece of a puzzle is in place with one piece to go. That final piece, her. As the waves rolled in, she would effortlessly find herself at the break and just get right on to them like a pro. Watching me surf... Well, there are a few additional pieces missing in my puzzle. Heading to the beach to work on my craft.
Hang 10
Mark/Chops
I NEEDED TO EAGLE THE 18TH HOLE TO BEAT MIKE. MY ATTEMPT FROM 220 YARDS OUT. ALMOST ONLY COUNTS IN HORSESHOES AND HAND GERNADES. FROWN.
I CAN'T BEAT MIKE AT GOLF, SO I AM TRYING TO LITERALLY BEAT HIM. FRANK, I THINK YOUR BRO MIGHT HAVE YOU BEAT ON THE GOLF COURSE!
PALI LOOKOUT. MIKE IS CURRENTLY SLEEPING IN THE CAR
HEADING TO THE TOP OF THAT MOUNTAIN IN THE DISTANCE!
DOWNTOWN HONOLULU BELOW AND PEARL HARBOR DOWN THE COAST
