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adventure writer

Are You Writing Your Stories?

Oil rig diving. Venice Louisiana, May 2009. We swam with between 100 - 200 silky sharks on this day. Complete insanity.

Are you a story teller? Do you collect your memories? If you do not… Why Not?

I think everyone should document their lives down on paper, or their computer.

Write down your goals, what you did today, what you did yesterday, what you ate, who you met, how you felt… everything. 

You do not have to share it with the world, but you should do it for yourself. 

There is nothing like looking back at your life from 20 years ago and reading your thoughts on paper. How you have grown, reflecting on what you have seen, and felt, and lost, or gained. 

My first 8 second ride on a bull. I worked so hard to learn to ride bulls when I was young. On this cold winter day in 1995, it all came together and I made my first eight on this young bull. When I jumped off the bull I lost my balance and landed on my face. The dirt was soft, but I hit it hard and and i got up dazed. But when I got up, my face covered in dust, there was a huge smile on my face. It took me so long to finally hit that 8, I was so happy, and beaming with pride. This image along with my journal entry helped me to remember details from this epic moment that is forever a part of me. It is one of my most favorite days of my life on earth.

Since my early twenties, I have been keeping journals, and it is nice looking back at that crazy kid and reading stories from those long-gone days.

I cringe, I smile, I ache. It is so nice to be able to look back and see how much I have changed, how far I have come, how I have lost, how I have risen up from my horrible face plants, and how much further I still have to go.

So if you have not already started keeping a journal, please start today.

Maybe you feel you have nothing interesting to say or anything worthy of writing. But I disagree; everyone's story is worth documenting. 

And hey, if you don't think you are living a life worth writing about… a journal is a great way to remind yourself that you need to get out and do more. Take more walks, see more sunsets, ride a bike, go for a swim, head off on a road trip… whatever it is you feel like doing, you should do it. 

Get out there and experience the beauty of life. And when the day is over, take out that pen and get to writing.

Have a Beautiful Week Everyone!

Thank You For Being You!

Today's blog is dedicated to you - the Wildlife Photographer, the Adventurer, the Shark Diver, the Surfer, the Hiker, etc... I want to thank you for being out in the world - for writing your blogs, for sharing your images and videos on social media, for writing books and publishing your stories in journals, and magazines. 

And thank you for being on TV for everyone to see. 

Thank you for risking it all… for risking ridicule, and embarrassment, and loneliness, and death. Thank you for putting yourselves out there and trying new things. For being bold, fun, and different. Thank you for expressing your art and sharing your moments with the world.

Thank you for being brave enough to escape boredom, fear, work, and routine, so that you can travel and experience life. 

All of life, the good and bad. 

It is because of all of you that I started on this journey. It is how I found the courage to start a magazine all those years ago and how I got to live this travel life I get to experience. 

Your stories inspired me, and tens of thousands of people like me, to travel, and to want to experience adventures like yours. I grew up wanting to be like the amazing photographers I read about in National Geographic magazine. I wanted to be out there, experiencing incredible adventures - photographing wildlife in exotic places around the world. 

Your work and sacrifices gave me permission to realize so many of my dreams.

So thank you, because I know first hand that the adventure life is not easy, at least for me it has not been. I have fallen flat on my face so many times; I can't count them all. 

But that's part of what makes this crazy life filled with adventures so damn beautiful. It is unpredictable, it's not safe, and you have no idea how it is all going to end. 

So to all of you out there living your crazy dreams - please continue living life on the path less traveled. Please continue making mistakes and taking chances, and please, please, please, continue sharing your magic with us all.

The world is a much better place with you out there… so thank you for being you!