Out of the darkness comes the light
Each day is a struggle of life
The trials of the world weigh you down
Life comes fast…like intersections choke full of traffic
No direction…no director; just darkness
Out of the darkness comes the light
Find your direction, become the director
Act, make it happen
Open your eyes, it doesn’t have to be dark all the time
(Fort Pierce Inlet)
The Walk into the Future blog went back home to Negril, Jamaica over Spring break last week. Decided I wanted to get back down for some sun, fun, rum, and reggae. Mission accomplished.
Spent most of my time relaxing but got some good reading in while making time to break out my snorkel gear. Not much into the tourist activities but enjoy hanging with the locals and seeing the island from their perspective.
Documented this trip with pictures instead of my usual word play:
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
This was a good trip for me. Love to explore and get great pictures while in Jamaica. Looking at traveling to the Dominican Republic or the Turks and Caicos on my next adventure.
Which one would you pick?
Irie!
(Image by claudia martinez from Pixabay)
Solitude
Solitude rhymes with gratitude
And really is not the end of the world
Most people assume
The hustle and bustle of life
Makes the gratitude for solitude profound
In the life of those who can allow
Solitude to influence their attitude
And enjoy the energy and flow
Solitude in life can help you grow
“If your ship does not come in, swim out to meet it”.
(Jonathan Winters)
I always look for a clever quote to get me started with the writing process. There are not a lot of funny boating quotes or much to pick from, so I decided to go with reliable Jonathan Winters to get me moving.
My Walk into The Future allows me to chronicle adventures and outings I get to enjoy. I get out and do these things then have to go back and drop a few lines to make sure I capture the moments to share with my readers.
My latest adventure was an excursion with the good folks at the Indian River Lagoon and Swampland Boat tour. This outfit is conveniently located in downtown Fort Pierce, so I did not have far to drive to get this party started.
I have walked past the ticket office multiple times but never made the time to stop and purchase a ticket for the boat tour. This all changed the week I came back from Jamaica. I still had a few days left on my vacation so wanted to keep exploring even when I got back to Fort Pierce.
Joined about 10 folks who were waiting to get on the boat on a sunny afternoon. Luckily for us the boat is covered because the Florida sun was a bit warm on the day we went out. It is always muggy here so not sitting in direct sunlight for 2 hours was a welcomed aspect of the boat tour.
The boat captain tried to entertain us throughout the tour by identifying points of interest and places where he has seen dolphins and manatees. He did everything he could to keep us entertained but we did not see much in the water. There was one manatee in the water feeding so we circled it a bit so folks could get some good pictures.
The rest of the trip was a nice boat ride up and down the Indian River where we got a chance to see other boaters, kayakers, and lots of folks fishing. The water was calm and peaceful, so this part of the boat tour was great.
Discovered a few kayak rental outfits directly on the river. The boat tour provided a different vantage point for these outfitters so now I know who they are and how to get to them. I caught the kayak bug while living in Tallahassee but did not have a go to place in Fort Pierce to rent a kayak and explore. I plan to get back down to the river and leverage my newfound knowledge so I can bring a new adventure to the Walk into the Future blog. Be on the lookout for my new kayak adventures. 😊
Irie!
“Only the guy who is not rowing has time to rock the boat”.
(Jean-Paul Sartre)
Drive
Keep moving ahead
The dreams you dream are all in front of you
The actions you take
The dedication you display
The time you take
To chart the course
All come down to the drive you have
To seek your dreams and then to fulfill those dreams
Drive your success by allowing your dreams to come true
“Mi come soon!”
Decided to activate my Walk into the Future and make my way back down to Negril, Jamaica in July.
I made a point to visit Negril on an annual basis prior to COVID-19 and this was my first trip back down since May 2019. I felt comfortable when I traveled out to Portland, Oregon for the NACE2022 conference back in June and got the urge to get down to Jamaica since COVID restrictions were scaled back.
I went back and forth on when to travel to Jamaica but decided to just look at hotel and air prices to determine the best time for me to travel. Found dates that were compatible with my work and life schedules and booked a trip to my favorite spot, Samsara, which sits on the cliffs on the West End of Negril. I found Samsara years ago and always stay at this resort when I’m in Jamaica. The location is great for snorkeling, catching sunsets and experiencing Jamaica in a more authentic manner than staying at a large resort and never leaving the property.
The staff at Samsara is great and most remember me when I return which makes me feel like a family member.
My overarching goal for this trip was to get down to Negril and relax. Yes, I could have found a spot closer to home to relax but the Irie vibes in Jamaica kept calling me. I made sure to pack my snorkel gear since I wanted to spend as much time in the water as possible on this trip—mission accomplished.
Arrived at Sanger International Airport after my 2-hour JetBlue flight from Orlando. Made my way through customs, got my luggage, and headed to the Jamaica Tours counter to catch my shuttle to Samsara. The airport is about an hour and a half away from Samsara, so I got a Red Stripe beer at the airport and got on the shuttle for my ride over to Negril.
![Resized_20220715_160300[1]](https://walkintothefuture134225271.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/resized_20220715_1603001.jpg)
Samsara has gone through a remodel since my last time down there. They added a couple new buildings, a new infinity pool and deck overlooking the water. These additions were a complete hit with me as they brought a new level of adventure to the resort.
My room was in the newest guest building and was steps away from the infinity pool. This view created some unique pictures for me with the sunsets bouncing off the pool and the ocean. I did not get in the pool but appreciated the addition and several other guests were regulars. Guess not everyone goes to Jamaica to get in the ocean. 😊
I did not book the all-inclusive packages since I wanted to explore and not have to be at the resort at a determined time for a meal. Also, there are other options close by and I like to experience different venues for my meals.
One of my regular spots on this trip was the 3 Dives Jerk Centre on the West End. This spot has some of the best jerk chicken on the island and the price is fantastic. I’m not a huge fan of spicy foods but the seasoning they use is great and they provide the jerk sauce on the side so I can add more or not. Mostly, I don’t add sauce and just eat the jerk chicken with rice and peas.
I made another stop at the Rock House to get lunch and had the grilled snapper, peas and rice and plantain. The chef at the Rock House has an international reputation for great Jamaican dishes and I’m never disappointed when I dine there. The rum punch is pretty good too!
There was not as much live reggae available as past trips but believe this is because the island is still adjusting to having tourist back. Legends on 7 Mile Beach is a sister resort to Samsara and they host a live reggae band on Sunday nights. This is a new music spot from the last time I was in Negril and the band was good. The larger venues had DJ music which was fine but I’m a huge fan of live music so gravitated more to the bands/groups that were playing. Hoping the live music continues to come back since I’m already planning my next Negril trip.
This song was a surprise request for the band:
I was able to snorkel daily in the morning before leaving the resort for my food and music excursions. The water off the cliffs is calm in the mornings and provide a perfect place to float and see a wide variety of fish. There were no jelly fish this time, so this allowed me to stay in the water for extended periods of time. There were only a few other folks in the water, so it felt like I had the ocean to myself. 😊 Plan to get out to the reefs my next time down to explore a bit more.
I was able to get 4 full days during this trip and enjoyed every minute I was back in Negril. Hope the become a regular visitor again so I can enjoy the irie vibes, food, and great views.
“Blogging is like work, but without coworkers thwarting you at every turn”.
(Scott Adams)
The first Walk into the Future blog article was introduced to the world on May 21, 2018.
Yep, four straight years of creating blog content and sharing it every week (mostly) with anyone willing to read about my thoughts, adventures, travel, and leadership pursuits.
Looking back my writing style has changed and grown over the past four years as I seek to find content that others may want to read. Scratch that thought—I am writing content based on my life and sharing with anyone who wants to read it.
I never had a clear idea where this blog would take me but decided to just sit down on my laptop and create content to publish. I did not set out on a particular direction for my articles but felt an urge to write and the blog concept seemed like a natural place to showcase my words.
I would be lying by saying I knew four years ago I would still be writing and sharing content through this platform. A bigger lie would have been I knew I would attract an audience of people who never met me and read my articles weekly. My friends and family are ALMOST obligated to read this stuff so knew ya’ll would be along for the journey! 😊
I quick THANK YOU to my day 1 folks and everyone who follow this blog and my journey.
I did a summary blog article awhile back to highlight Walk into the Future blog stats. Decided to do that again for this article to showcase the continued growth for the blog and the impact it has in the world. I am amazed daily when I get a new blog follower from another country. This puts a huge smile on my face because I never thought starting a blog in Tallahassee, Florida would generate international interest.
Martin Lawrence once joked that Michael Jackson was BANGING in Bucharest. Well, I get weekly blog views in Romania so I can joke I am banging in Bucharest too—not as big as Michael Jackson but happy someone over there likes my work.
I will continue to produce content for the blog as long as it is still fun to me and people want to read my work. Let’s see how long we can continue to Walk into the Future!
What topics do you want me to write about in the future? No pun intended!
Irie!
Happy Anniversary with WordPress.com!
You registered on WordPress.com 4 years ago.
Thanks for flying with us. Keep up the good blogging.
Walk into the future blog stats May 2022
“Blogging is a conversation, not a code”.
(Mike Butcher)
(Image by claudia martinez from Pixabay)
Solitude
Solitude rhymes with gratitude
And really is not the end of the world
Most people assume
The hustle and bustle of life
Makes the gratitude for solitude profound
In the life of those who can allow
Solitude to influence their attitude
And enjoy the energy and flow
Solitude in life can help you grow
(Image by rose-de-velours from Pixabay)
What did I see?
When I looked over the horizon
And tried to see my future
The future said everything will go well
You just need to find you way
Understand the pursuit of happiness
And begin your journey today
Don’t waste your time
Running around without a sense of direction
Chose your path
Live your life
And walk into the future
“Running a marathon takes balls, other sports just play with them”.
(Anonymous)
I created an aggressive (for me) 2022 running schedule to make up for lost races in 2020 and 2021. Not trying to recapture those miles but wanted to get back to running races in multiple locations and get this running tourist thing going again.
Targeted a monthly half marathon for the first 5 months of 2022 with the intent to get better mentally and physically with each passing race. The full goal is to run as fast as possible when I get to Atlantic City for the 2022 Atlantic City Rock N Roll Half Marathon. I have never been to Atlantic City and thought it would be a great place to visit, run and take a shot at a personal record. I still need to put in the training work for the PR to occur but the flat course there is enticing for me. A bonus is the opportunity to see my friend, Lauren Apgar while in town. 😊
The 2022 Treasure Coast Half Marathon is a local race for me in Stuart, Florida. The race location is only a quick 30-minute drive down the Florida Turnpike and I thought this would be a great race to test myself and see a new city in the process.
The EXPO was held in a local middle school gymnasium and had several interesting vendors selling gear. My focus for the EXPO was to pick up my race packet and then get a sneak peek at the course I would be running the following day. Got my customary photo op at the EXPO and tried a few of the energy drinks the vendors made available to runners. Did not spend a lot of time at the EXPO since I was interested in getting a view of the bridge, I would have to cross during the half marathon. There are multiple bridges in Stuart, but I was happy to discover the bridge half marathoners had to cross was not one of the steep one. Left with the knowledge this bridge crossing and location would not be as diabolical as what I experienced during the 2022 Florida Marathon in Melbourne.
Went to bed early with the knowledge I would face a challenging course but one that was manageable with good effort.
Drove back to Stuart at 5 am the next morning to ensure I got parking and could warm up before the 6:15 am race start time. There was plenty of parking near the start/finish line and I made my way over to the race village to get prepared for the race. Got some stretching in and made one last bathroom stop before heading to the start line.
This was not a large race so there were no corral assignments for the runners. I settled into the middle of the half marathon pack to ensure there was separation between myself and the other runners.
We were still bunched tight, so I decided to hold back a bit, so I did not get caught up in traffic and possibly bump into anyone.
Surprisingly, I clocked 9:18 for Mile 1 and felt good doing it considering the amount of traffic I had to avoid. Miles 1 – 4 all were run with a 9 out front (9:18, 9:38, 9:39, 9:45). Mile 5 is where we crossed over the bridge for the first time, and I still clocked a 10:52 which is not bad for me with a bridge ascent. Miles 5 – 8 all were run with a 10 out front (10:52, 10:46, 10:37, 10:41).
The temperature at race time was 74 degrees and it got progressively warmer as the race unfolded. What’s my point? Happy you asked!
My race pace, strategy, and energy all took a hit once the temperatures climbed into the mid-80s. You could say I fell off a cliff or hit the wall after Mile 8. You pick the race metaphor and it applied after Mile 8.
Most of the course was run in direct sunlight and the higher the temperatures got the more the sun beamed down. I am happy with my efforts during the latter part of the race because I was able to bear down and keep moving forward. My pace slowed but I was making positive progress towards the finish line and found an extra gear to cross the finish line with a smile on my face. This was not my fastest half marathon but that was not the point of signing up for this race. My January, February, and March races are laying the foundation for my April and May races. I have a hard time making myself run fast on my solo training runs so decided to leverage races as my long runs and help me get faster in the process.
My next race is the Winter Park 10k on March 12, 2022. I set a 10k PR last year and look to repeat this feat in 2022. The speed I generate in the 10k will allow me to gauge my fitness levels for the 2022 Nashville Rock N Roll Half Marathon in April and the 2022 Atlantic City Rock N Roll Half Marathon in May. I will use the summer months to build mental and physical fitness to launch into the next running season in October.
Still got goals and races to conquer!
What goals do you have to accomplish in 2022?
“My doctor told me that running could add years to my life. I think he was right. I feel ten years older already”.
(Milton Berle)
INSTAGRAM: @jayla_brianna
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