Hope springs eternal as
I search the distant landscape
The path I choose will determine my fate
The goal is to win the daily grind
Which path will I take?
Determination sets the course as the search continues
Multiple options, multiple venues
Working towards the important things in life
Without trying the only thing left is strife
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!
“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.
Tomorrow
Tomorrow is not promised
But the promise of tomorrow leads the way
To ensure every effort today
Is made without delay
Waiting for tomorrow
Shortchanges things you can get done in the present moment
Wasting opportunity and precious time
To find the pot of gold you deserve
Start using your time today
To find your path to a better tomorrow
“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)
Thoughts of you crossed my mind today
Seems like you just stopped by to say hey
Maybe this was your way to let me know everything will be okay
Either way, it was great for you to drop in
Because I have really missed my friend
Don’t stay away so long
Thoughts of you make me smile
(Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay)
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”.
(Nelson Mandela)
Happy to see the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement continue to draw attention to racial injustices. The momentum gained after the George Floyd murder continues to lead people worldwide to protest injustices. It feels real this time, but I thought that after Rodney King, Trayvon Martin, Eric Gardner, and Michael Brown. Too many instances where black people are killed, and the justice system does not provide justice. Not trying to be cute with words here but most of these examples were seen on video just like George Floyd but no justice for black victims could be found.
Would like to say these are just isolated examples and America really treats black people well. Yep, we all know that would be a huge lie and I could not say that with a straight face anyway. America’s majority has treated people of color horribly and then try to convince us everything is okay. It is not and has not been okay for a long time.
Decided to go back in history and introduce Walk into the Future readers to Rosewood, Florida. Most people have never heard about Rosewood or the horror the black families endured there. It does not get the same press as the Black Wall Street massacre but is closer to home for me.
Sadly, I did not learn about Rosewood until the 1997 movie directed by John Singleton was released. I grew up in Florida and never heard a word about the massacre in a history or civics class. Rosewood is less than a two-hour drive from my hometown Jasper, Florida so it is equally shocking how close this type of mob/Klan activity was to my family.
I watched the movie and remember thinking this happened right down the street from my hometown. How is it possible I did not know about this? How could an entire town get wiped off the face of the earth and nobody said a word? This appears to be the American way. We condemn other countries and regimes for their atrocities and then hide ours from the public.
The movie stirred me to visit Rosewood in 1997 so I could see the place for myself. Sadly, the only substantial thing to identify Rosewood is a placard to let you know you are in the place where the town of Rosewood use to be. There are a few buildings there now but most of the things in the area are incorporated to Cedar Key, Florida. Felt weird being at the site of a massacre of black people but believe this was an important lesson to never forget the past so these things do not repeat. Like what is happening now; we cannot just let these injustices occur without responding in kind.
The BLM movement is here to stay, and we will need to remain vigilant to ensure human rights are respected for all. Keep learning and growing tree branches—we need you to make this a better world!
Learn more about Rosewood, Florida here: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jan/03/rosewood-florida-massacre-racial-violence-reparations
“The scars and stains of racism are still deeply embedded in the American society”.
(John Lewis)
Repost from August 20, 2020.
“Don’t die without embracing the daring adventure your life was meant to be”.
(Steve Pavlina)
My Walk into the Future has allowed me to experience some great adventures.
My adventures prior to COVID-19 took me to places that required a bit of planning. Planes, trains, and automobile (not really the train) got me from place to place so I could enjoy new places. We are slowly getting back to being able to travel again with more and more people getting vaccinated. I am excited about the possibilities of becoming a running tourist again. Please note, I signed up for the early bird special to run the 2022 New Orleans Rock n Roll Running Series Half Marathon next February. Yes, the Rock n Roll folks changed their name!
The newest adventure for me only took me 35 miles from Fort Pierce. I have traveled to the town of Okeechobee multiple times because we have a campus there. I drive over and take care of my work and then drive back to the main campus in Fort Pierce. A very routine process but realized I had never taken the time to go to Lake Okeechobee. Imagine being about 10 miles away from the largest freshwater lake in Florida but never visiting. Decided to fix this issue and get over to the lake for a little adventure.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Okeechobee
My day started with the prospect of severe thunderstorms approaching the area. Luckily, I did not let this deter me from my adventure. The skies remained sunny and clear, so I took a chance (Walk into the Future) and packed a backpack and headed over to see the big lake. The drive over was around 40 minutes, so it did not take long to begin the adventure. There was not much traffic on the road, so the drive was easy. It is a farming community so not many sights to see on the drive except orange groves, farms, and cows.
I did not create a travel plan for my visit so just decided to make it up as I went. Parked at the Welcome Center and took in Lake Okeechobee from the walking bridge. This was my first view of the lake and it did not disappoint. The massiveness of Lake Okeechobee is probably the most impressive part of being there. I knew going over it was going to be a large body of water but being there and not seeing a bank on the other side was amazing. Finally got a chance to break out my new camera with my 80x zoom lens for this trip—it was needed to zoom in on objects in the distance.
I decided to go further down the road and see what other adventures Lake Okeechobee had for me. Pulled over when I saw a sign for the Lake Okeechobee Historic Trail—seemed like a great place to explore a bit more. The trail is paved so made my way east and took in the sights. There were several people at this point fishing, and they were pulling them in. Guess I will return to this spot IF I ever get into fishing—never been high on my list of hobbies to pick up. Got a 3 mile walk in on this portion of the trip and got more pictures of the lake and surrounding area. A couple riding their bikes shared they saw bald eagles a little further down the trail so decided to get back in the vehicle and drive down more to where they mentioned seeing eagles. Would love to get pictures of bald eagles in the wild! I was also racing time because the skies were getting dark—the rain was coming!
Drove another 5 miles or so down the road and pulled into another segment of the Lake Okeechobee Historic Trail. There were more people fishing here so the theme of the day is Lake Okeechobee is great if you like to fish. 😊 Again, walked on the trail heading east looking for perches eagles would populate—funny to read that last sentence—how would I know where eagles hang out???
Got a good walk in on this portion of the trail. I saw birds but nothing as interesting as bald eagle so took more pictures of the lake. I got lucky and spotted an alligator swimming in water close to Lake Okeechobee. This allowed me to utilize my zoom lens to get a good shot of a 6-foot alligator—my camera on my phone would not have allowed me to get this shot so happy to have the zoom available now. Cannot wait to take some pictures in Negril, Jamaica with a real zoom lens!
The skies got extremely dark because of the incoming bad weather so decided to cut my losses and get back on the road to head home. No need to get caught in a thunderstorm on Lake Okeechobee. This was a short trip but worth the time to drive over and explore Lake Okeechobee. May venture back over soon and experience the lake via an airboat ride. The adventures continue! 😊
“I thought it was an adventure but actually, it was life”.
INSTAGRAM: @jayla_brianna
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