Hmmmm....

You know how sometimes things you thought were solid aren't? Or when you see something in a new light you didn't see it in before? That usually always confuses me. And sometimes I find it hard to wade through all the confusion to find the truth.

An Exclamation

Can I just tell the world how psyched I am to be alive right now? World? You listening? I'M FREAKING PSYCHED TO BE ALIVE!!!! Thank you God: this is Your doing :)

Living Life

Life is one of those things that I don't think we understand. We all share it, we've all been given its gift of breath, but we don't have a clue as to what to do with it. We've set guidelines out telling us what it means to "truly live", and how to properly get there. Yet when did we sign our name on the dotted line agreeing to live that way, agreeing to stick to the plan, agreeing to strive for the same tentative prospect of wealth that has engulfed every aspect of hope in our society? As children, the world was so big, so endless, so full of wonder. What happened? Some would call it maturing; understanding the responsibilities and realities of this world. I think I'd call it loosing sight. Loosing sight of the fact that there is so much to do here on planet Earth. In our youth, we saw the world as our playground: trees were pirate ships, clothing racks were impenetrable hiding places, even mere dirt was entertaining. But we have lost sight of the imaginative, lost sight of looking at the world as something different than what is first observed. Everyone sees the world the same way; the way they've been told to. The way we've been told to. The way I've been told to. When did the world stop being our playground? When did we become dissatisfied with the basic joys of living, the joys that cost absolutely nothing monetarily? You don't have to pay a fee to look up at the sky on a partly cloudy day and turn the passing vapors into nonexistent shapes. You don't have to ask someone permission to run with the wind and enjoy its comforting embrace. Joy can be found everywhere you look; be it a highway, your room, the empty desert, or even the oddly specific, like a Toyota Avalon for show at the county fair. We weren't given life to squander it on the mediocre, we were meant to LIVE. Every second that passes is a second gone. Excuse me for quoting Switchfoot, but our high school dreams? Some are still there, most: gone. Every day spent is a day that you will never get back. Why not do something unique? Why not do something thrilling? Why not spend your time doing things that actually matter? Americans spend their days working away, looking forward to the week they can take off each year and go on vacation. Why not make every day a vacation? You don't need to spend the entire day doing something. Even just 30 seconds will suffice. Smile, laugh, play, enjoy every breath you breath in because you'll never get to take it again. I want to explore the riches of this world. I want to never be satisfied with the ordinary, never be content with the obvious. I want to see things that others haven't seen, do things that others haven't done, even if it is something as ridiculous as dancing down a normally bustling highway. The world is indeed my playground, and I intend to explore every inch that I possibly can. And you dear readers, you are all invited to join me. Any takers?

Kauai - A Review

Its been a solid 10 days that I've gotten to spend on the "Garden Island" of the Hawaiian island chain, and I'd consider that a good enough amount of time in order for me to offer some insights on my time spent in beautiful Kauai. I've been many unique and incredible places in my life. Greece's historical cities, Kenya's untamed Serengeti, London's bustling backwards-driving streets, Paris' elite restaurants, France's stunning countrysides, Germany's perfectionistic urban sprawls, New York City's every-man-for-yourself metropolis, Idaho's peaceful mountain-hidden lakes, Maui's gorgeous tourist traps, Hume's God-blessed atmosphere, Park City's untouchable ski resorts, Las Vegas' money and lust driven empire of selfishness, Los Angeles' traffic-ridden highways, and I happen to live in America's finest city; San Diego. Point is, I've been blessed to have traveled to an unfair portion of this stunning planet's locales. And of all those places, none have ever felt like Kauai. This island has a certain aura to it, something indescribable that takes hold of you from the moment it becomes visible out your aircraft's window and doesn't leave the back corner of your mind for what feels like it may very well be eternity. A connection is made with the lifestyle here; where the only freeway to carve its way across the varied landscape actually has two physical ends that you can reach within an hour and a half drive; where the speed limit never reaches anything over 50 miles an hour; where it rains every day for minutes at a time without warning while the sun is out. The people here are friendly; readily offering advice, conversation, and enjoyable times, regardless of what they may be out and about to do. They recognize what I feel almost the entire world has forgotten and thrown by the wayside: human to human interaction is what matters most. Not that people here are lazy, not in the least. But it seems like they have found the perfect mixture of life, work, and relaxation. And I admire them for it. This place does things to a person. I find myself ashamed that I am so incredibly internet oriented, so dependent on processors and endless sequences of code. God created an extensive world for us, and we've replaced it with a world of our own; intangible, but all-encompassing. It sucks us in, never letting go. And for our times away from our computers: smartphones. And for those that don't have them: Twitter and Facebook SMS feeds. I've never been more than a couple feet from my phone for years. Yet I found myself not wanting it here. I left it behind; forgotten on the dresser by my bed. The rugged beauty of the mountains astounds your intuition; the deep turquoise and blue of the ocean soothes your soul. The peerless majesty of the underwater world feet off the coast makes you gasp for breath; the mystery of the Na Pali coast makes you wish you had the physical ability to be the first to chart its unknown interior. And I didn't even have a chance to explore even a tenth of the Garden Isle's natural wonders. I've always been drawn to the sea; the power of the waves and surf as they angrily meet land has always been an intense match for the beating of my own heart; the infinite horizons a metaphor for my longing to pioneer the unknown and unseen. And for a place like Kauai to exist alone in the middle of the Pacific, ancient, lasting, and beautiful beyond words; it beckons to me. All the technology in the world, all the luxuries offered by man; they could never attempt to touch upon the peace and joy felt whilst taking in the sheer splendor of the jagged peaks of the long-extinct volcanic events of long ago as they become swarmed by clouds and spawn raging white waterfalls visible from miles offshore. This place.. it is unique. I can't do it justice with words and therefore will not try to. Just know that if you ever have the chance to visit this incredible isle of ancient mystery; you'll never be able to forget it. Like the famed island of Lost, it will always call to you; wishing you apon its shores once more for as long as you live.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Ever wondered what was on the other side of the rainbow? I've never been there before, until today that is. I physically passed right through a rainbow here in Kauai... and found myself in Kauai. So there you have it: the "garden island" of the Hawaiian chain would seem to be the mysterious destination everyone's been searching for!

(by the way, though I did not take this picture, I did kayak this river this morning/afternoon)

The Dive

One breath, two breaths, three breaths, each breath deeper and more filling than the last, this is my preparation for my next action. With my final breath, oxygen feels as if it is trying to rupture my lungs. And then down, down down down I dive. Feet kicking furiously, knowing that each powerful stroke uses up precious reserves of energy that I won't be getting back until the next time I surface. My head feels as if it is being crushed and exploded at the same time. Pressure is building up with each intentional kick. I pinch my nose and use even more air to equalize and relieve the pressure. My descent continues ever onwards. The ground looms seemingly miles away, but my determination will not break. Pressure builds again, and is once more relieved. Air explodes out of my watertight snorkel as the outside pressure becomes too great for the seal to hold. And then, success. My hands take hold of the silky loose sand, and I bring my legs down to finally rest. A lone curious fish comes within inches of my translucent mask, and then, its curiosity fulfilled, it vanishes. This is not my world, I'm simply temporarily visiting. And with that thought comes the realization that I'm on borrowed time, and that the invisible countdown has just run out. My lungs burn; as if hundreds of small ants are gnawing away at my insides. My focus shifts upwards, to the surface of the crystal clear water easily thirty feet upwards. The sun shimmers an eternity away as I compress my legs against the perfectly white sand deep below. An explosion of sand accompanies the spring of my body, and I erupt towards the pure air that my entire being so terribly wants and needs. My legs burn as they use up the last of my energy, but I still have a vast distance to cover. My arms pull with all the strength I have, and my legs push beyond the limit of their endurance, exerting more than they have through the fins strapped to my feet. My mind screams for air as black spills into the peripherals of my vision. A hiss of a deflating sound roars through my ears as decompression rapidly occurs. The blackness has left only a pinpoint of light for me to see through, and I release the snorkel bit from my mouth in preparation for inhalation. Then, finally, the moment my entire body has been waiting and working for: air. As I gulp in the life-giving cocktail of gases, the effects are instantaneous. My legs are revitalized, my lungs are filled, my vision regains its sight, and the clouds in my mind disappear. Life has been restored.

Hybrids: Take Two

I'm very vocal in my disdain for hybrid vehicles; I've honestly never really liked them. However, since driving my uncle's Toyota Highlander Hybrid for the past week on and off, I'm ready to make a couple of initial judgments on its breed. Because despite my objections to hybrid vehicles, a vehicle is a vehicle, and I'll admit that I can't make an informed decision on one without driving it, regardless of how much I may want to. So here goes!

-I actually find driving with only the electric motor to be somewhat fun.

-On the subject of the electric motor; instant torque is such a pleasure.

-And instant torque combined with the horsepower of the engine offers surprisingly fast off the line speeds, especially for an SUV.

-I find myself concerned when the engine doesn't shift; it just continuously revs higher and higher and higher.

-The engine turns off occasionally, especially at low speeds. Having the engine shut off right as you're merging into traffic moving much faster than you is terribly disconcerting.
^ I HATE IT ^

-The gas savings are legit!

-In terms of the Highlander, its actually a solid car. Definite surprise.

-Still not one that considers the Prius to be okay.

Patience & Trust

Sometimes God doesn't do things the way you want Him to, you know? While frustrating and annoying, you've just got to trust that He knows exactly what He's doing and why. Its hard to do, but why mope around with your head hung low when you could be living the life He gave you with a huge smile on your face and a mindset focused on the incredible portions of our time here on planet Earth? One step at a time, whether from the street to the curb or across a balance beam stories over the ground below, He'll faithful lead you through HIS idea of where your life should go. Its just hard patiently trusting that He truly knows what He's doing. Really hard.

Storm's Coming

I've just walked a friend home. I stand out on the street, dark and desolate with only a streetlamp for light, invisible forces swirling all around me. I can feel them in my chest, feel them in my heart, feel them in my soul. The black void above me flashes faint luminescence, once, then twice. The shapes of the clouds above turn threatening, but do not spill rain as expected. Silent lightning occurs countless times high above the dry windless street corner I sit upon. It would seem that powers beyond my perception are at war with each other. I know I'm not wrong. My mind runs rampant, my heart flutters faster than its regular steady blip. In this time of prayer, it would seem that more is on the line than I could ever know.