2014 Recap

Watching the sun set over the Pacific Ocean was the perfect end to 2014, a year full of adventures, travels, fun in the sun and good times spent with family and friends.  The year went by pretty damn quick, even with having two summers and keeping the days as bright and long as possible.  I crossed the equator twice to maximize the warmth of summer, going from Europe down to Australia for 6 months and then back up to the US for baseball games, Mexican food and frisbee in the summertime.

I started 2014 in Portugal with my family who had flown over for Christmas.  I'd been living in Istanbul and with the family in Boston, Portugal seemed a perfect place to meet up, celebrate and explore a new country all together.  From there, it was down through Sevilla into Morocco, a country full of amazing food and wonderful people.  I explored the Sahara by camel for 3 days, visited the mountain villages in the north and wandered around the mazes of the Medinas in Fes and Marrakesh.  Feasting up tangerines for $.25/kilogram, couchsurfing, hiking, eating and taking local transport made for an epic visit over 3.5 weeks in the country.

Using frequent flier miles (stock up people!  It's free travel!), I flew through 3 countries all the way down to Australia.  Carrying two Moroccan rugs.  That's right, my career as an international rug dealer had begun.  Landing in Melbourne, I was reunited with friends from Wellington, New Zealand and settled in to a very fun, laid back city, that always has something going on.  Melbourne is one of the best cities to live in, and if you don't believe me, read any top 10 list and it will be there.  Spending a summer there is amazing, from time at the beach, to exploring the town and enjoying all that is on offer.  I worked as a tour guide, was the night auditor of a hostel and cooked part time.  Quite a variety of work and fun down under. Riding a single speed bike around the flat town was a breeze, and staying caffeinated was both a pleasure and a statement of fact in the coffee loving city.

Once autumn starting turning to winter, I flew back across the equator to the US for 3 months of travels, bouncing around the country, visiting friends and family.  Quite fun to see loads of people again, attend baseball games at 4 stadiums, swim in 3 of the Great Lakes and laugh it up with good people in my home country.  From the West Coast, to the Midwest, to the Northeast, down to the South, American hospitality was on full display and I loved it.  Great times and then back to California to start a new chapter of the life.  I'm living in Santa Cruz, just a few minutes walk from the beach and working at an organic community market and having fun.  Great vibes in this here town, where the redwood trees meet the palm trees.  The life is good and 2015 is going to rock!