And that’s a wrap folks! I’m happy to say that my new destination promo video for Eleuthera, Bahamas is complete. What a mentally soothing filming and editing project it was (well, the editing not as soothing. Had to put my feet in a sandbox at my computer station and add a splash of banana rum to my coffee every morning to keep the island vibe alive). Video will be posted soon. Get ready to relax your mind and unwind with a virtual tour through “The Real Bahamas”. 🙂
Here we go!! The 2016 Travel & Adventure Show is kicking off this weekend in the lovely city of San Diego, Ca. I’m stretching my hammies as we speak!
Check out my video from last year’s show…it was a wild ride! If they have those Hoverboards there this year it could get dangerous. 😉
Hope to see you there and share in the adventures!
I’d just like to take a minute to wish everyone a really great year ahead. I always tend to get a little introspective with the beginning of each new year. It’s a great time for that. This is a good year for me to reflect on many things. 2016 marks 20 years since I first stepped foot outside of my country, thus being 20 years since I first got bit by the travel bug and began my life’s journey. Travel has been the most continuously rewarding thing in my life. It’s been my education, my growth, my inspiration and the architect of all the perspective that I have obtained. It’s shaped my life in more ways than I could have ever imagined. I’m so grateful for the experiences and opportunities that I’ve been very fortunate to have had over the past 20 years. I’ve learned so much, and it always fills me with joy to reflect on it all. I just wanted to say “thank you” to anyone who has ever paid attention to, read, liked, shared or commented on any story, photo, video or blog that I have ever posted (even if you were searching for the “dislike” button, lol). One of the very best parts of seeing the world is the excitement I get upon sharing its story with you all. I really do. Our world is a fascinating novel that we can all benefit greatly from by taking the opportunity to read a few pages from time to time. I can never wait to see what the next chapter will bring.
I’m not sure if this year will be “better” or “bigger” than any other, and to be honest, it doesn’t have to be. I just want it to be new. New experiences, new friendships, new inspiration…a new story to be told. Perhaps just something different that I haven’t done before. I think it will seem bigger and better just by trying new things, pursuing new goals, going new places and interacting with new people…all which result in new experiences and fresh ink in the diary of life. We all have a story to tell, and it is unique to each and every one of us. It’s our experiences that make up the content of each page of our life. Those last forever. At the end of the day, that’s all you can take with you when you’re gone…not your social status, your possessions, your money, your “followers” or “popularity” on some social media website. None of that matters because anybody can have that. Not everybody can have the unique life experiences that you create for yourself…and no one can tell the same story as you can.
So, this year my goal is to reflect on the past 20 years and to share some of the most inspiring things, people, places and life lessons, etc. that I’ve been able to experience on my personal journey. I hope to continue to have opportunities to tell the World’s story, one which will continue to shape my own. I hope to connect with people in a way that will inspire them to go out and create wonderful new experiences and stories of their own.
Cheers to new experiences and many great new stories for all of us in 2016!
Damian
#GringoWithAGreenBag20
Looks like I’m not the only one with a green bag this year… 🙂
The Gringo – and the Santa – With A Green Bag would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas (Feliz Navidad) and a wonderful Holiday season! Let’s all make great memories!
-Damian
(Calaveras Big Trees State Park – California)
Life goes by pretty fast. Time is the one thing we can’t control. All we can do is make the best of it. Without moments of pause and reflection, we can’t really appreciate time. Most people are allowed a lot of time in life, but we often frown upon it because we feel we don’t have enough of it or that it is passing by faster than we’d like it to. I believe time should be measured in moments, not by clocks or years on the calendar. We can’t slow time down, but when we slow down and enjoy moments in time, the less we will worry about “having” time and the more we will enjoy “living” in it.
#GringoWithAGreenBag
#FreedomTour
(Rainbow Bay – Eleuthera, Bahamas)
This was my first morning on my recent trip to the Bahamas, up early (5:45am). I always love to catch the sunrise on my first day in any new place. It’s my way of connecting with nature…having some personal time in my new surroundings. This is the best way to set the tone for the experience that lies ahead. Sit in silence. Get a feel for the environment. Breathe in the freshest air of the day. Listen to the earliest whispers of the wind and sea. You can’t beat it. You really can’t. (unless you brought along a rum bucket and an endless supply of jelly donuts)
#GringoWithAGreenBag #FreedomTour
Just wrapped up the first leg of the #FreedomTour 2015 (literally…got my knee sleeved up as a result of some rugged hiking and shifty-legged Glidecam work. Took me a few embarrassing attempts to jump up on that rock, lol). The first stop was in the Eastern and Western Sierras of Central & Northern California (my home state). It could very well be the most beautiful and naturally diverse state in the union (but I’ll leave that judgement for a later day…once I’ve seen all 50 of those bad boys.)
Autumn in California…we’ve got some colors too folks. 🙂 More photos and video clips coming soon. Walking and gliding (sometimes stumbling) through nature…nothing quite like it.
#FreedomTour 2015
October is in the house! Next week I’m kicking off my Fall “Freedom” Tour 2015! I’ll be visiting 3 new destinations over the next few months…a journey to explore and highlight the diversity of this beautiful planet. Mountains…Culture…Sea…ending the tour in Eleuthera, which means “Freedom” in Greek. We are free to #travel, free to #explore, free to #learn, free to #discover…and most importantly, free to open our minds and gain a better understanding and appreciation of the world through simple interactions with people who are different, through learning about unique cultures and by establishing a personal connection with nature and the environment. Stay tuned for all the #GWAGB updates and photos…and please connect with me on Instagram for real-time updates from each destination 🙂
Hot damn, Sep 1 already??? What the…?? I was just barely stocking up on SPF-50! Welcome to this month’s #TravelTuesday special feature: The #Beach! I’m pretty bummed that Summer has zipped by faster than that shoe that got hurled at G.W.Bush’s head. I live near the coast, and I’m sure we’ll have a sweltry Indian Summer that lasts through October here in California, but I’m still gonna miss the Summer season of BBQ, baseball games and carefree fun in the sun…which seems like it lasted a week. So let’s get some virtual sand in our toes to last us ’til next Summer… 🙂
¡Adios Verano!
(Rincon, Puerto Rico)
(Cahuita, Costa Rica)
(Dog Island, Panama)
(Jericoacoara, Brazil)
(Great Ocean Road, Australia)
(Mexican Caribbean)
(Molokai – Hawaii)
The people who inspire me most, they are not of a “privileged” world. They are the people I meet in the most unassuming corners of the globe. People who have “nothing”, yet would give you everything. They find happiness in the simplest of forms. They share a strong love and compassion with one another – void of wealth, modernity and prestige – and they reflect those feelings with the people they encounter in their daily lives. They would sleep on the floor and offer you their bed if you needed one. They will cook you a meal in exchange for some good company. Their lives are not dictated by social media or the pursuit of eminence. They are dictated by the basic demands of survival, yet they endure far less stress and negative emotion than most people who become absorbed by a life spent worrying about their social status, making money, impressing their peers and getting “hearts” on Instagram. I’ve met these people on many occasion. I’ve been humbled with every visit, every conversation, every smile and every invitation extended to me as a gesture of raw generosity and as a means to gain perspective into their world…unimaginable to us, but very normal to them. We can’t underestimate the value of having perspective in our lives. Our privileged lifestyle that we often view to be unfair or insufficient is just a distant dream for the majority of people with whom we share this planet. It’s always a good practice to switch out your lens from time to time and view the world through a different glass. Get a better view. It’s the best way to keep our eyes exercised on an ever-changing world, and to look beyond our fixed view of a world that presents itself as “normal” to us.
#TravelTuesday
Gringo With A Green Bag 