Part 1 of my video short documenting my isolated island getaway off Thailand’s eastern coastline.

The experience was nothing short of phenomenal! Hope you enjoy. More to come…

The photo - and friend - that inspired me to go to Paradise

I’m realizing just how beautiful independence can be. So I’m going on a trip.

I was going to make this trip with Jeremiah, but as it often happens, things changed. I’ll be spending about a week going to Bangkok to see a friend and a few of those days on an island that’s not even on a map. I will literally be off the map for 3 days, snorkeling, kayaking, swimming, and relllaaxing in a small beach cabin to myself on an island I can navigate on foot in a matter of hours. No electricity past 11pm, no internet, and I even have to bring my own food to eat. I foresee dreams coming true, ladies and vagabonds. And the area I’m staying at on this pristine island is called Paradise. I will actually get to use the phrase, “I’m going to Paradise”. Hahaha!

See, man! Life is so good! No sense in clouding up all this sunshine with negative energy – mine or anyone else’s. It’s time for a release… in Paradise.

Mindo is a small town that’s only about 2.5 hrs away from Quito but lightyears away in terms of lifestyle. Ecuador’s capital city is a sometimes chaotic collection of sights, sounds and smells that tends to overwhelm even the most experienced traveler while Mindo is almost the exact opposite in everyway.  In Mindo there is a main road that has everything you need from a pizza place, tour operators, small general stores and internet cafes with the mountains and surrounding cloud forests only minutes away on foot. We got to Mindo around 10 am on a Thursday where we checked into our awesome hostel  that was tucked away in the the thick of the jungle along side a little creek that provided the perfect backdrop for lounging on the hammock with a little aguarardiente, the local firewater made from sugar cane and good company. Wildlife and nature abound in this little piece of heaven.  Just from walking around we spotted orchids, butterflies, humming birds and breath taking scenery. This is the place to go if you feel trapped by civillization and need some time to get away from it all.

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