Walk Into the Future

Category: America

  • Negril Jamaica 2024 (In Pictures)

    “Wah gwaan!”

    Wah gwaan (what’s up?) is a friendly way to greet people while in Negril.  The common saying is an easy way to integrate within the Jamaican way of life and make instant friends.

    Mi deh yah (I’m doing well) is the most common way to respond to Wah gwaan.

    Made my annual trek back down to Negril over spring break for some sun, fun, rum, and reggae.  This year I went down for complete relaxation and to enjoy the Irie vibes.

    I hit my normal food and music spots to maximize my time in Jamaica but made sure I finished reading the two books I had in my book bag.

    Love Negril, irie vibes, reggae, and great food when I’m there.

    Here are some pictures from my latest visit:

    Day 1

     

    Day 2

    Day 3

    Resized_IMG-20240310-WA0003

    Where are you planning to visit this year?

    Irie!

  • 2023 OUC Half Marathon

    OUC Track Shack

    “Don’t dream of winning, train for it”.

    (Mo Farah)

    My Walk into the Future continues to seek out new opportunities and challenges to move me forward.

    Distance running and racing have become a huge part of this process.  2023 generated an aggressive running schedule that allowed me to run new half marathons to add to my medal rack.  The 2023 OUC Half Marathon was the 10th time I tackled this race.  I missed the 2018 race to run a smaller half marathon on Amelia Island.  The OUC Half Marathon was also my first half marathon so I guess you can say this race launched my distance running program.

    I love the races put on by Orlando Track Shack so expect to run this race annually until I can’t anymore.

    The 2023 OUC Half Marathon was scheduled 8 days before the 2023 Palm Beaches Marathon so viewed this edition as an extension of my marathon training.  My long training runs ended the week prior but never want to feel like I’m missing out on the great vibes at the OUC race.  My training plan called for me to taper my running since I was at the end of my training cycle but decided to toe the line at the OUC half anyway.  The course is flat and friendly so decided to have fun and enjoy the process of racing in downtown Orlando.

    I arrived early this year since I had trouble finding parking last year.  Didn’t want to feel rushed when I arrived so found parking in a downtown parking garage and made my way over to the race village.  I had time to stretch and socialize a bit prior to lining up for the start of the race.

    The temperature was in the low 70s at race time with equal humidity.  The forecast called for a gradual rise in morning temperatures so wanted to get moving to beat the heat.

    I decided to line up further back in the start corral and use that as part of my race strategy.  I tend to go out a lot faster when I’m close to the front so wanted to create a steady pace and stay measured throughout the race.  I didn’t have a set finish time in mind but wanted to test my fitness to gauge how ready I was for the 2023 Palm Beaches Marathon.

    Targeted the first 8 miles of the race as my strategic marker to see how long I can run without discomfort and determine my marathon pace for next week.  Eight miles seemed like an appropriate test—my plan was to pull back on the pace once I hit eight miles and then just take in the race day environment and the cheering crowds.

    I wanted to stay in the 9:50 per mile pace for this race to clock miles and work on strategy.  I had to keep reminding myself not to push too hard or fast since I had a full marathon coming up in 8 days.  My normal strategy is to push the pace for this race since the course is flat and I can normally get a fast time.  I set my personal record (PR) on this same course in 2019 and always think I can beat that time.  This was not the day to try for another PR.

    I hit the eight-mile marker without any pain or discomfort.  I was still running high 9-minute miles but decided to race smartly and began the process of pulling back to save my legs for the full marathon.  The rising temperatures and humidity made the decision to pull back a lot easier this year too. 😊

    Completed the race in 2:22 (two hours and 22 minutes) for a 10:50 per mile pace.  Very happy with this pace and effort considering the temperature, humidity and a pending full marathon coming up next week.

    Got a chance to catch up with some of my Orlando running friends at the race after party.  Nothing like a 13.1-mile race, donuts, and beer all before 10 am in Central Florida.

    Next stop?  The 2023 Palm Beaches Marathon!

    Irie!

    “I’ll be happy if running and I grow old together”.

    (Haruki Murakami)

  • New England Visit

    Breeze HOF

    “Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth”.

    (Henry David Thoreau)

    My Walk into the Future continues to expand with new adventures.  I would like to thank Breeze Airways for helping me find destinations to excite my journey.

    Not sure Breeze Airways was thinking about me when the airline began flying to Vero Beach.  The first flight arrived in February 2023 and Breeze adds new east coast destinations periodically.  They currently fly to White Plains, NY, Hartford, CT, Providence, RI, Long Island, NY and Durham, NC. The routes are adjusted to match the snowbird migrations south.  Breeze flies to Virginia Beach during summer months and I took my first Breeze flight for the Virginia Beach 10-Miler race back in September.

    I received an email from Breeze Airways to promote low fall airfares and the prices immediately caught my attention.  I love being a running tourist but have never ventured into New England states.  Never had a real reason to hit New England but wanted to cross off a few states I’ve never visited. I started looking for half marathon races I could sign up for to give me a real reason to fly up.  Discovered the Hartford Marathon and Half Marathon races were scheduled for early October and the entry fee was reasonable.  Breeze Airways has direct flights from Vero Beach to Hartford so decided I will head up and enjoy New England in the fall.

    My roundtrip flight including bag fees was $247.  I couldn’t ask for a better price so booked my flight with the intent of running the Hartford Half Marathon and then doing some sightseeing.  Well, it turns out my flight would not arrive in Hartford with enough time for me to make it to the race EXPO to pick up my race bib.  They did not have same day pickup so my thoughts of being a running tourist were eliminated.  No worries, I love adventures and going to Hartford, Connecticut would be an adventure without the need to run a race—what a concept, huh? LOL.

    My flight from Vero Beach to Hartford was…a breeze.  No issues checking in or on the flight up.

    Hartford

    Arrived in Hartford, Connecticut with the intention of sightseeing and making my way down to the race sight to watch the marathon and half marathon finish.  I discovered getting to the start/finish line was impossible since the race had already started, and streets were blocked.  I take this part of racing for granted since I’m normally running and never pay attention to which streets are blocked due to road races.  Met a super friendly police officer who gave me directions on activities he suggested I tackle since I was not going to be able to get downtown Hartford for a few hours.  I wrote the Basketball Hall of Fame as a possible destination and Officer Friendly recommended I head there and then come back downtown after touring the Hall of Fame.

    Springfield, Massachusetts

    The Basketball Hall of Fame is in Springfield, Massachusetts.  Turns out my hotel was only 25 miles south of the iconic venue.  Turned around and headed north with intent to visit the Basketball Hall of Fame and enjoy my first time in Massachusetts.  This was a bonus to my trip since I didn’t realize how close these cities are to each other.

    The Basketball Hall of Fame is a great place to embrace the basketball greats and their roles shaping the current basketball landscape.  I was impressed with the displays and how each era had a place within the Hall of Fame.  My favorite NBA player is Julius Erving (Dr. J) so was happy to see his display and read a bit about him during the tour.  There is a great display for Kobe Bryant within the Hall, and I came away with a new level of respect for the Black Mamba.

    Made my way down to the gym portion of the Hall to put up a few jumpers.  I have not played basketball in years and my jumper was beyond rusty—good news, I didn’t hurt myself or anyone else. LOL.

    Headed back south to Hartford to get some downtown sightseeing done.

    Return to Hartford

    The drive from Springfield to Hartford was uneventful but I was happy with my exploration so far.  Decided to hit a downtown park before trying to make it back to the race village.  I always heard about the fall foliage from friends and wanted to experience the leaf color changes.  Made my way to a lakeside park and walked around a bit just enjoying the cool weather and nature.  Got a few pictures by the lake and on a walking trail before it got too cold for me.

    Left the park and went downtown Hartford just to look around.  I had no idea there were still runners out on the course and watched the last marathoner cross the finish line.  Surprisingly there were still people there to cheer him on and he looked elated to complete the journey—good for him.

    Got a few pictures of downtown Harford before heading back to my hotel to warm up and map out my next adventures.

    Providence, Rhode Island

    Decided to maximize my time in New England and hit my third state in two days.  Providence was only an hour and a half away from Hartford, so I pointed the rental car east and made my way through the Connecticut countryside to Rhode Island.  The drive provided a scenic trip with a lot of fall foliage to admire.  Googled attractions in Providence and decided to make my way to Roger Williams Park so I could walk around and get some pictures in.  The park is huge and has multiple sections including a zoo and walking trails.  This was the perfect place to take in a bit of Rhode Island culture and scenery.

    Spent two hours in the park before heading back to Connecticut. 

    Thought about driving up to Boston to extend my tourist trek but decided I will wait to head back up and experience Boston as a separate trip.  Yes, Breeze flies to Boston from Vero Beach and I plan to head back up in the spring when it warms up a bit.

    My goal is to travel to all the Vero Beach Breeze Airline destinations before 2024 is over.  I will look for races as part of my travel plans but will not let that limit me from making my way back up to New England.  I still need to travel to Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire to complete my New England adventures.  I will turn my travel efforts out west to make sure I visit the Dakotas, Montana, and Wyoming.  Thinking of booking a dude ranch so I can live my cowboy dreams.  More to come. LOL.

    Where have you always wanted to travel?

    Irie!

  • 2023 Virginia Beach 10-Miler

    VB3

    “Either you love Virginia Beach, or you are wrong”.

    (Anonymous)

    My first Virginia Beach adventure was to tackle the 2021 Rock N Roll Half Marathon. 

    I always heard how great Virginia Beach was and wanted to experience it for myself.  I enjoyed the race, beach, board walk and the people.  The plan was for the running tourist to make this an annual trip to tackle the Rock N Roll Half Marathon.  Turns out the city of Virginia Beach did not enjoy the partnership with the Rock N Roll folks and decided to cancel the race—they didn’t want an outside organization shutting down the streets or boardwalk over a long holiday weekend.

    I continued to research Virginia Beach races with an eye to return to the area at some point.  Really enjoyed my initial experience and wanted to get back and explore a bit more.  I signed up for the 2023 Shamrock Half Marathon in March but decided not to run since it was the same week as my Negril, Jamaica trip.  That would have been too much travel for me in one week.  I love to see different sights but that was a bit much for the running tourist.  LOL.

    The city of Virginia Beach and J&A Racing partnered up to host the Chartway Virginia Beach 10 Miler over the Labor Day weekend.  Decided this would be a great race for my return to Virginia Beach especially since it was over a long weekend.  Never ran a 10-mile race but viewed this as a great training run and an easy way to set a personal record (PR).  This distance fit my training schedule and allowed me to see Virginia Beach from a different angle.

    Live, Love, Run

    Flew out of Vero Beach on Breeze Airways for the first time.  I normally drive over to Orlando for a Southwest flight, but Breeze is new to the area and had direct flights to Norfolk.  No extra driving and airport parking is free in Vero.

    Arrived in Norfolk without any delay and made my way to the Enterprise Holdings rental counter.  Norfolk is a smaller airport so getting out of the terminal and then the parking garage was an easy journey.  Made my way over to Virginia Beach and checked into my hotel.  Decided to book my hotel early this time and stayed directly on the famed boardwalk and beach.  Staying directly at the beach allowed me to just park my rental and walk everywhere I needed to go while in Virginia.  The beach, restaurants, and live music were easily accessible from my hotel.

    The race EXPO was held at the Virginia Beach Convention Center which was two miles from my hotel.  Decided to walk over to the EXPO to get my race bib and gear.  Used this walk to stretch my legs the day before the 10-mile race.  Made a quick stop at a local farmer’s market to check out the goods—didn’t buy anything but got a good vibe for the Virginia Beach farmer’s market scene.  Lots of vendors and friendly people out and about the day before the race. 

    The EXPO was small—just a few vendors available and only one spot to get my customary EXPO photo taken.  Picked up my race bib and made my way to check out the vendors.  Didn’t need anything but wanted to see if I could pick up another race shirt but the selection was not great.  One of the vendors sold race bib magnets—some runners use magnets to hold their race bibs instead of safety pins.  Decided it was time for me to step up my game and purchased a set of magnets to use during the 10-miler.  Small investment but I will get a ton of use out of these magnets.  Carb loaded a bit more after the EXPO and headed back to sit on the beach before going to bed early.

    The race start line was only two blocks from my hotel and the finish line was directly below my hotel room on the boardwalk.  Got up early on race day so I could stretch and mentally prepare for the race.  I didn’t have a set finish time planned but wanted to run as fast as possible to test my fitness over a longer distance.

    I was assigned to Corral #2 and made my way towards the front of the waiting runners.  This was an opportunity for most of us to continue to warm up and get a few selfies of ourselves standing around in a race line.  Made sure to give myself some room to maneuver in case runners around me were not paying attention—didn’t want to trip with so many people in the corral.

    I wanted to run a clean race where I could ensure my pace was consistent and provide a good finish to the race.  My last race in Virginia Beach was a struggle at the end because I didn’t pace it out correctly AND there was a bridge crossing at the 11-mile marker.  NOTE:  we crossed that same bridge during this race, but I was physically and mentally prepared for it this year.

    My mile splits are below:

    Mile 1:  8:56/ Mile 2:  8.58 / Mile 3:  9:13 / Mile 4:  9:28 / Mile 5: 9:39 / Mile 6:  9:58 / Mile 7: 9:56 / Mile 8:  10:24 / Mile 9: 10:01 / Mile 10:  9:40 /Mile .06:  :33

    The highlight of the race weekend for me was the post-race party.  It was on the beach with live music, good pizza, and beer.  The best part of this scene is the post-race party was across from my hotel.  I got a chance to drink as much beer as I wanted without having to worry about how I was going to get back to my hotel.  I simply walked off the beach, got on the elevator and went up to my room when the music stopped.  A 3-hour nap awaited me!

    There was a ton of live music available during the weekend and I made a point to get back out to check out the bands.  Virginia Beach has a cool vibe, and the folks up there are super friendly.  Made my way back to Catch 31 for great food and a nice view of the King Neptune statue.  The sound stage had a ton of activity, so this was the spot for me to kick back and enjoy my time in Virginia Beach.

    Looking forward to my next race weekend in Virginia Beach—just got to figure out which race I will tackle up there next.

    Irie!

  • My Reading Progress

    “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies…The man who never reads lives only one”.

    (George R. R. Martin)

    My Walk into the Future provides me with the flexibility to add new adventures daily.  I continue to view this life I lead to engage my mind, body, and soul.  This blog gives me a space to highlight what I am doing, thinking, or getting ready to accomplish. 

    Goal setting remains a huge part of my success in life, and I look for ways to leverage my goals to help me continue to move forward.  I review my goals daily to ensure my energy and focus are consistent to meet or exceed them.

    I set reading goals each year in January with intent to read something daily.  My daily readings center around Proverbs and a few companion books by Joel Osteen.  I started reading Proverbs daily when I lived in Warner Robins, Georgia and this Atomic Habit remains strong.  Joel Osteen created a 31-day Proverbs companion book which I utilize when completing my daily Proverbs readings.  This little book has helped me understand more and brings Proverbs to life with language for my current Walk into the Future.

    My larger reading goal is to read 1 book monthly.  There were years where I would be super aggressive with this goal but decided to create a reading goal that provides me an opportunity to stay on track.  Please note, just because it says 1 book monthly does not mean I can’t read more, and I do.  I am an avid reader and love to sit on the beach with a good book and cold beer to practice this hobby.  My love for reading started in middle school and it has not slowed down except when my schedule gets in the way. 

    The books I select range from leadership, communication, and inspiration topics.  These are topics of interest for me so stick to areas I seek growth.  I have a couple friends who inquire about my reading selections and have started to read the same books—you can say we have an informal book club going.  We discuss the books after everyone has completed them and look for ways to incorporate the content into life and the work environment. This little book club motivates me to stay on track and focus on my reading.  It has also provided me with access to books I may have missed on my own.  I tend to stick to authors I know but the book club expands my focus and challenges me to explore other authors to enhance my Walk into the Future.

    The following books were referred by book club members:

    • Disruptive Thinking / TD Jakes
    • Wisdom of the Bullfrog / Admiral William H. McRaven
    • 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication:  Apply Them and Make the Most of your Message / John C. Maxwell

    FYI—this was my first TD Jakes book, and I was pleasantly surprised by the content and enjoyed reading his thoughts on Disruptive Thinking.  It is something we can all practice daily, but it was great gaining new insights on how to move forward in life daily. 

    I have read multiple books by Admiral McRaven and his wisdom comes through within the context of leadership and helping teams get better.

    Lastly, John Maxwell communication strategies can be leveraged in most work settings and enhance overall operations for the team.

    I am on pace to meet my stated reading goals and continue to seek additional books to add to my library.  This will continue and help me to Walk into the Future.

    How are you doing on meeting your goals?  What books are you reading in 2023?

    Irie!

  • Navy SEAL Museum (teambuilding)

    “No one can whistle a symphony.  It takes a whole orchestra to play it”.

    (Booker T. Washington)

    My Walk into the Future continues to expand and grow tree branches.

    I am always looking for ways to enhance organizational growth and find opportunities to thrive.  I am still active with my consulting projects and this work expands my ability to develop new ways to inspire my team to meet organizational goals.

    Teambuilding activities have been the springboard towards enhanced communications, better work production and overall success.  This is an ongoing process, there are more opportunities for the organization to grow, and teambuilding will be a driving force towards this goal.

    The national Navy SEAL Museum is in Fort Pierce, Florida.  This is a fun fact, and most people ask why.  The shores of Fort Pierce were utilized as a prime World War II training location to prepare troops for beach invasions.  The underwater demolition program was a key component of the training program and was a precursor to the Navy SEAL program we know today.

    What does this have to do with teambuilding?  Great question!

    Many folks on my staff knew the Navy SEAL Museum was in Fort Pierce but only a few had been to the museum.  I went for the first-time last year with a student organization and enjoyed the experience.  I shared this with a few folks at work and we discussed a team visit to share the history and do some team bonding.  It took a bit of scheduling and adjusting calendars, but we agreed on a date and time for the team visit.

    I did not have a preset idea of how many folks would come to the museum but was happy when 10 folks showed up with smiles on their faces.  This was a voluntary outing for the team, and they took time out of their weekend for team bonding—I was impressed!

    We got an introductory briefing by the museum staff, and this set the stage for the team to explore the multiple displays and artifacts within the museum.

    I did not know how the team would respond to being in a military museum, but they were very active learning the history of the Navy SEALs and campaigns they fought in.  The ability to touch the equipment and sit in an actual helicopter allowed the team an interactive experience while touring the museum.

    The museum has displays outside as well: boats, statues, and monuments.  We got some great pictures of one of the combat boats that was larger than most of us thought it would be.  The obstacle course was popular with other tour groups present but we only tried a few of the obstacles.  I tried the rope swing but sunk quickly into the sand—I traveled 3 feet before my momentum was broken.  Think we all had a good laugh at my lack of movement on the rope swing.  A few others took a turn on the rope swing, and they had better outcomes than I did.  I may have to go back to the Navy SEAL Museum to redeem myself on the rope swing.

    The visit to the Navy SEAL Museum is another step towards making our team stronger.  It was a great way to highlight the ultimate team (Navy SEALs) and how they come together to complete missions.  The importance of teamwork on mission outcomes was a great reminder for my team as we look for ways to get better daily.  Always looking for ways to get 1% better daily.

    What are you doing to become 1% better today?

    Irie!

  • Poetic Flow / Life can be so nice!

    FP Inlet

    Eliminate the hunger and take away all wars,

    Break down all color barriers and bring equal rights to all.

    People living in unison, all getting along.

    This would make the world a better place for you and for me.

    Maybe one day kids can play together and have some fun.

    No war, no hunger, no racial wall.

    Life could be so nice.

  • 2022 OUC Half Marathon

    “The trouble with not having a goal is that you spend your life running up and down the field and never score”.

    (Bill Copeland)

    My 2022 Walk into the Future became focused on completing my first full marathon in December.

    The 2022 Palm Beaches Marathon provided me with a new goal and a physical challenge to work towards.  The 18-week training program provided me with flexibility with my runs, so I continued to look for ways to make training as exciting as possible.  This included signing up for 5ks and half marathons to help me break up the training sessions.

    My last long run before the Palm Beaches Marathon was scheduled to be an 8-miler.  I graduated from the super long runs (18, 19, 20) a couple weeks earlier but wanted to test my fitness one more time before the marathon.

    I signed up for the 2022 Orlando Utility Commission (OUC) half marathon back in December 2021 and decided to fulfill that commitment since I needed the miles.  I also enjoy being back in Orlando to see my friends and the culture the Orlando area provides.

    Rode over to Orlando the day prior to the race to pick up my race packet at Track Shack.  Always love visiting the Track Shack running store since they are a one stop run store where I can pick up running gear and supplements.  Started purchasing CBD gems (gels) at Track Shack because they have a huge selection with the best prices.  Bib pickup was uneventful—I got there before the big rush and purchased a new running shirt.

    Left Track Shack and headed back to Oviedo to check into my hotel.  I stay in the same place since I’m a creature of habit and it allows me to spend more time in Oviedo.  Headed to my favorite Italian restaurant, Café Panuzzos.  Love the food and atmosphere there and always come back when I’m back in town:  https://cafepanuzzos.com/

    Got back to the hotel to relax and mentally prepare for the race coming up.  I was still deciding how I wanted to attack the race from a strategic standpoint—do I go out for a specific time or just clock miles as part of the training plan?  Decided to completely test my fitness to see what my training program accomplished.

    Made my way downtown the next morning to toe the line for the 9th time for the OUC Half Marathon—guess you can say this is my hometown race now.

    Things were going as scheduled until I got downtown Orlando.  Normally it is easy to get downtown to park prior to the race.  This year the Orlando police changed the traffic patterns and had cars lined up for miles.  I finally got out of my normal parking garage line and found a surface lot two blocks down.  This put me closer to the start line, but I lost about 45 minutes trying to get parked—never experienced this before.

    Made it to the start line in time to hear the national anthem and the starter encouraging runners to have a good race.  I was able to get a light stretch in and got into the back of the race corral behind the walkers and parents with strollers.  Never been this far back so figured I was in for an experience during the race.  Fun fact—I have never passed so many people in a race.  I guess starting in the back does have some benefits. 😊

    Made my way through the other runners from the back of the pack and started to get comfortable with my pace.  Could not go out much faster since I had so many runners to navigate my way through.  The weather was great—nice cool central Florida morning so put a smile on my face and then kept pressing forward.

    Ran Mile 1 in 10:01 and did not feel pressed even though I had to weave my way through strollers and walkers.  Felt good after the first water stop and decided to see if I could run negative splits (faster times) for each mile.  Here’s what I got accomplished:

    Mile 1:  10:01/ Mile 2:  9:57 / Mile 3:  9:43 / Mile 4:  9:47 / Mile 5: 9:40 / Mile 6:  9:45 / Mile 7:  9:54 / Mile 8:  9:37 / Mile 9:  9:57 / Mile 10:  10:34 / Mile 11:  10:19 / Mile 12:  11:18 / Mile 13:  10:36 / Mile .1 / 1:45

    I laughed at myself when I saw my Mile 12 split because I got caught up looking around and sightseeing a bit too much and did not realize I slowed down that much.  Had nothing to do with fitness or pain, I simply drifted off looking at Orlando scenario when I should have been bearing down to finish this race.  Lesson learned.  Completed the OUC Half in 2:12:52 which was my second fastest half of 2022—should have been my fastest but Mile 12 took care of that. LOL.

    Crossed the finish line feeling the best I’ve ever felt while running a half marathon.  The full marathon training really helped me manage the lactic acid and pain.  Felt fresh and ready to run more if it was needed.

    I’m ready to tackle the 2022 Palm Beaches Marathon—let’s make it happen! 😊

    Irie!

    “A goal is not always meant to be reached; it often serves simply as something to aim at”.

    (Bruce Lee)

  • Melbourne Beach (9/11/2022)

    9_11b

    “Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink wild air”.

    (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

    Took my Walk into the Future on another road trip to my favorite beach location, the Crowne Plaza in Melbourne, Florida.  Yes, I make a point to visit this beach location multiple times throughout the year but there was added emphasis for this trip. 

    September 11th continues to be a day remembered in America due to the events that happened on 9/11/2001.  I will not document the things from that day, but it provides an opportunity for remembrance in this country.

    I was stationed at Kadena Air Base, on the island of Okinawa on 9/11/2001.  I viewed the second plane hit the World Trade Center tower live on TV while on the phone with my mom.  At the time we thought the first was an accident but fully understood the impact once the second plane crashed.

    I was on the phone with my mom halfway around the world because September 11th is my birthday.  She called to wish me a happy birthday and we witnessed the world change at the same time.

    Fast forward to 2022 and I ventured up to Melbourne to celebrate my birthday in a favorite spot and get a beach day in at the same time.

    Started my adventure by heading to Costco to do some bulk shopping and get a few samples.  I love a good deal and always find things I need there.  I stock up on vitamins, Bio Freeze and Salonpas patches which really come in handy with my marathon training program.  Need these things to help with my recovery and get me back out running.

    Next stop was the Patrick Space Force Base Exchange for some tax-free shopping.  Decided it was time to invest in another pair of Brooks GTS Adrenaline 22 running shoes.  I’m routinely clocking 90+ monthly miles now so like to have another pair of running shoes to rotate into my training program.  These shoes come at a reduced price on the base and there is no tax for the purchase. 😊

    Left the base and headed to one of my favorite spots, Squid Lips for lunch.  It is a laid-back spot overlooking the Indian River with great food and daily live music.  Great spot for seafood, cold beer, music, and people watching:   

    https://www.squidlipsgrill.com/melbourne-squid-lips/

    Made my way over to the Crowne Plaza next to relax on the beach and listen to the live band.  Turns out Sunday is the day for reggae so this put a huge smile on my face since I love reggae.  The band and DJ were good and put out an authentic Irie vibe.  The folks under the tiki hut were vibing and enjoying the sounds.

    A highlight of the day was the Sky Dive Melbourne Beach 9/11 tribute event:  http://skydivemelbournebeach.com/?fbclid=IwAR06kj3ItJyenYYDitGXbM8zD-f-NxNUjNF7oiJMWUMs6-ae74B0Ri3OGdE

    It was exciting to see the sky divers make their way down towards the beach.  Had to relocate my beach towel to get out of their landing zone. 😊 It was an impressive display and the crowds on the beach enjoyed cheering the sky divers once they all were down safely.

    Finished my beach day off with wings, fries, and beer under the tiki hut with reggae coming from the band.  Sounds like a perfect day, huh? 😊

    Great way to spend a birthday!

    Irie!

    Where will you spend your next birthday?

    “To escape and sit quietly at the beach—that’s my idea of paradise”.

    (Emilia Wickstead)

  • Navy SEAL Museum

    Navy SEAL1

    “We learn a lot and each museum ends up having its own distinctive character and personality”.

    (Richard Meier)

    I was honored when I was invited to join the IRSC Student Veteran Organization (SVO) leadership board as they toured the Navy SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, Florida.  I have driven by the museum, but this was my first time to enter the building and get a chance to review the history of the Navy SEALs.  This trip has been the highlight of 2022 for my Walk into The Future.

    It is great to have the Navy SEAL Museum locally in Fort Pierce and my visit will allow me to share with others. 

    My first experience with the Navy SEALs was a 2017 visit out to San Diego for an Educator’s Tour while I was still at Florida State University.  Select educators from around the country are invited out by the Navy to tour and see SEAL facilities to help with recruitment efforts.  I have been on multiple Educators tours:  Marine Corps (Quantico, VA.), Army (Fort Jackson, SC).  The services like to bring educators in to show them what true military services looks like and answer questions to enhance recruiting efforts at universities and colleges.

    My time in San Diego was to learn about the SEALs training efforts so I would be able to help students understand how their education would translate to the Navy and/or the SEALs.  The training is recognized as a mental and physical challenge, this is why the SEALs are such a respected and elite group—they are truly the best of the best!

    Fast forward to 2022 and my trip to the museum.  We were able to walk the halls and view historical artifacts from SEAL missions around the world.  The history of the SEALs is displayed throughout with emphasis on the tools used for success around the world.  The central theme for me was the bravery of the SEALs and how they carried out missions with professionalism and precision.

    I learned quite a bit during this trip and look forward to coming back with friends and family so they can see/experience this great history on display.

    https://www.navysealmuseum.org/