"Remember, gentlemen, it's not just France we are fighting for, it's champagne." -Winston Churchill | Gyé Sur Seine, Champagne, France |
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Good thing I only drink wine on days that end in “y”…
Friday afternoons in Cali are my kind of afternoons
I’ve been beyond blessed to visit some amazing places and do some neat things, but by far the best times I have are with the best people. Alex and Jess came in for the week, minus little Daniel, and we had such a fun time having an adult getaway in Napa this past week checking out Cakebread Cellars, St. Supery Estate and Black Stallion Estate Winery So grateful to have a best friend like Alex and his amazing wife, Jess. Cheers to this amazing couple!
P.S. Spend less time planning the perfect trip, picking the perfect wineries or making the perfect itinerary. Instead travel with the right people and you’ll never go to a wrong place.
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"A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless. We find that after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us." - John Steinbeck || Seaside, CA ||
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Everyone always wants to know my favorite place to travel to.
Instead of giving you the typical “Top 10 Places to Travel to in 2020” I’m going to give you my 10 favorite travel moments of 2019 as a starting point, and let you figure out what the places are that you want to travel to.
Hopefully these moments give you a little glimpse into the pure joy and gratitude I had in making these moments and some of the people I got to make them with.
Also, I hope they inspire you to create you’re own breakthrough moments in 2020 that can alter your world view and change the course of your life.
I also thought it would be fun to instead of list them from 1-10, out them in reverse order, with my favorite moment last.
SO! Without further adieu, here they are, my top 10 travel moments of 2019:
10) Sipping wine in a wine cellar in Alsace 🇫🇷 at a 300 year old winery while admiring a 100 year old oak barrel used in the Paris World Fair, that’s still in service.
9) Soaking it all up during the wine festival season in Germany 🇩🇪.
8) Linking up with the Grace’s for a 12 hours and drinking all the Tuscan wine in Siena
7) Wandering the banner strewn streets of Müenster
6) Relaxing and having a cocktail on the beach on the French Riviera
5) Attending an Italian Opera at the Teatro La Fenice
4) Touring the streets of Brussels, and learning the art of Belgian Waffles and Chocolates
3) Climbing a mountain in the Swiss alps
2) Watching the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Monaco
1) Playing Golf in Scotland
Going to these places and making these moments absolutely changed my perspective and gave me a greater appreciation for things I just take for granted in everyday life. I hope you make moments in 2020 that change the way you think.
Safe travels to all in the new year!
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You don’t really appreciate a place until you’ve spent a significant amount of time there, and then leave it and spend as much time away from it.
When we are gone, I think we find ourselves thinking about those one or two places that always put us in the best mood, where the sun is always shining, and we instantly feel better when we arrive in those places.
For me, that’s the Texas hill country.
When I’m gone, and I’m thinking about places I wish I was, my thoughts always find their way back to this countryside.
It’s gives me a place to go, when things aren’t what I want them to be or easy around me. . And gives me something to look forward to.
I don’t know if you feel the same way as I do about the, but I hope these photos show why I love the Texas Hill Country.
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World’s largest Weinfest! Another tick off the bucket list.
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This is my “Go walkabout in the Scottish highlands and slay some Loch Ness Monsters, but be ready to hit the Links with the boyz” loadout.
Versatility and multi-functionality can not be overstated for every piece of clothing and gear.
This is my 5th trip flying solo with just the carryon backpack.
I’ve come a long way in choosing what goes in, but somehow I still find myself cramming stuff in and having to press down on the top to make everything fit. Anyone feel me on that?!
I think I naturally gravitate towards the mindset of “I have this much space, must fill it” instead of determining what I actually need and then finding the appropriate bag for it to fit in. Needless to say, looking forward to breathing some crisp Scottish air this weekend, hitting the links, and tasting some Scotch.
Just wanted to give a huge Thank You to my good friend Billy and his wife Nicola for showing me a Royal Weekend in Scotland. These are my favorite kind of adventures
P.S. Try the Haggis, it’s fantastic!
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Different kinds of adventures require different kinds of load outs.
This is my sit back on the beach, watch the waves crash, and ponder life’s deep questions during the day, and eat tapas, and flamenco all night loadout.
Remember, less is more, otherwise how are you going to fit all those cheeses and Jamón Ibérico in your bag on the flight home?!
This is España
Sailing into the week, Barcelona on my mind.
Decided to get my PhD in Paella in Barcelona last weekend.
Paella is all about bringing in the right flavors, and using high quality ingredients to bring out the best in the dish. . It’s a local specialty, in that it always uses local products, wherever in the world you find them making Paella, which gives it its authentic taste.
The most important ingredient is people.
Paella is cooked and served in a traditional pan, that allows for sharing family style.
That’s what makes good Paella, great Paella.
Looking forward to making some Paella back in the states for some of my favorite people!
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Continually do I find myself reevaluating the gravity of the world wars that shook Europe.
My ability to comprehend how these wars completely and literally shook a continent is limited for not having to endure these times.
But walking through these places, and seeing what our greatest generation saw many years ago continues to be hallowing.
Visiting the 101st Airborne Museum in Bastogne was one of those moments where I grew to respect the eerieness of some of these places.
It gave me a greater appreciation for the heaviness of what transpired in Bastogne and during the Battle of the Bulge.
If you’re familiar with Band of Brothers By Stephen E. Ambrose, then you may recall Bastogne, where the elements of the 101st endured a long winter.
They were given one simple task, hold Bastogne.
They repelled attack after attack, underwent bombing after bombing, and stayed true to their mission. . Bastogne was never retaken by the Germans .
Getting a slight glimpse into the lens that the 101st endured in Bastogne reaffirms my gratefulness for the greatest generation and what they endured.
I’ll leave you with this parting thought: On 22 December 1944, four German emissaries approached the American front lines with white flags demanding surrender. To which Brigadier General McAuliffe simply replied “NUTS”!
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Dove into the world of craft foods in countries #23 and #24 this past weekend, Belgium and Luxembourg!
Around every corner was an opportunity to expand the palate.
The Belgians are craftsmen in every sense of the word. From crafting of their chocolates to their waffles, even their pommes frites (aka French fries, don’t worry I used to not be in the know, trust me, ignorance is bliss my friend), they use precision in everything they produce.
We don’t have to be chocolatiers or Belgian waffle makers to be craftsmen.
We get to choose what we want to become the best in the world at, and if we keep persisting, and continue to hone our craft we too can become craftsmen.
Seek out some true craftsmen in your travels this week!
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Throwing it back today to canyoneering in the Alps!
What is canyoneering you ask? Basically a combination of rappelling, jumping, climbing, sliding, swimming and spelunking.
Do more stuff that excites you. This was just plain fun.
Want to see what canyoneering all entails? Check out the video and watch me stumble through the Grimsel Pass in Switzerland.
Luckily they got all my canyon clumsiness on the GoPro…
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“But do you have the meats?”
“Yea. I got the meats. I got all the meats.” .
Over the past 10 days I embarked on a culinary, enological and cultural adventure: Weinfest!
Everyday was a chance to try some fastidiously crafted Rieslings, Blanc de Noirs, Sekts, and a few other German specialties.
Thankful I got plugged into an awesome crew here that could show me the ropes, help me navigate the wine selections, and steer me away from the soggy schnitzels.
It also made me super grateful for being able to find people in new places that you can connect with.
I don’t know where you look for what you seek to find, but I’ve found if you invest in the people and experiences around you you’ll be amazed what you find around the corner.
Good food, great wine, and awesome people are what good times are made of. .
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Ready for adventure…
Country #22! Switzerland.
In between looking for the best chocolates and cheeses, may have ran across a dwarf or two (fun fact, the Alps were inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien when he was envisioning the mystic mountains among other places in the LOTR world, nerding out just a little bit...).
Tonight, we feast (on cheese, chocolate and wine, not necessarily in that order).
Tomorrow, we climb!
SUP? Come here often? These are my stretchy pants
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Saturday I had a humbling experience to walk through and see the city of Schweinfurt from a new perspective.
Growing up I was a huge WWII history nerd. I loved it, learning about history, and especially WWII because I think from an early age I recocognized the scale of a period in our world history that affected so many people and steered the course of where we are today as a nation and as a society.
One of the more nuanced campaigns of the allies in the European theater was their bombing campaign.
The reason I bring this up, is because people would normally think, oh yea, bombing, we just bomb everything and that’s how we win. Just start carpet bombing every square mile.
But this isn’t strategy. In war and in life and in business we have limited resources and limited time and we have to make those resources achieve more effects than than the inherent value they have in a shorter period of time than allotted.
So they knew they had to think outside the box. They had to get creative. They started targeting auxiliary systems of the tank, ie the ball bearings that make the wheels and tracks on a tank move.
The factories for the ball bearings were in Schwienfurt. So the allies wanted to hit them hard and provide a devastating blow to German tank production. . They attacked several times, and paid a heavy price. So did the people of Schweinfurt.
Walking through the streets of Schweinfurt today and seeing where these factories used to be and other key locations used during the war gives you something you can’t get playing a video game or watching a documentary.
So if there’s any takeaways for me this weekend it’s getting out and walking the ground to experience what it was like will always be valued over a simulation. And the power of our ingenuity. We owe it to the people we lead and serve to be constantly innovating and seeing what’s next so we can steer the course towards that next horizon now.
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While we can’t always reach for a little liquid courage, when we find ourselves in uncomfortable situations we can rely on our past experiences and confidence in our abilities to navigate our way through the ambiguity of the situation.
Exploring the French countryside last weekend was uncomfortable in a lot of ways. The French have a certain way to do everything. And if you don’t do it that way they let you know.
But once you push past that initial discomfort, and transcend your comfort zone, that’s where the going gets good.
I’ve found just having a little courage to ask a question, stop at the place that catches your eye, or not worry about making a mistake opens you up to a whole new host of growth and creates opportunities to peel back some layers of the people you find yourself in those situations with.
That’s real courage. Taking chances failing daily so you can learn from them.
While champagne helps you take that first step, if you don’t have courage to stay uncomfortable you may easily take two steps back into your comfort zone.
But like any other skill, we can train ourselves and cultivate our courage, and our ability to not only operate in uncomfortable situations, but to enjoy it and thrive in it.
We can create our own form of liquid courage, take more risks, and get more comfortable with the uncomfortable.
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“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”.
Pursuing the things that make me happy this weekend!
Had the most chill day I’ve had in a long time!
At the core of everything we do, the most important thing is human connection. That’s why some businesses fail, and some crush it. It’s why some leaders are so relatable and you want to follow and others are not.
And that’s truly what the French have figured out here in champagne.
That’s the reason sparkling wine is most commonly referred to as champagne instead of the other way around. It’s because they focus on the human connection. They take the time to turn every person that walks through the doors of their champagne house into raving fans. Because they know those raving fans will go out into the world and sell their brand for them.
Everything else in life works the same way. Focus on the one on one, build the connection and do things that don’t scale, because that is how you scale business, influence and life.
I got introduced to Jennifer and Thierry of Fluteau through friends of friends, and because of our shared love of wine we just were able to connect. That’s what we need to focus on more, where we are the same and the rest will follow.
So with that, cheers to you and your people and I hope they’ve made you as much as my people have made me. Let’s keep building relationships one at a time.
Crossed another one off the bucket list! Dinner at a Michelin Guide restaurant! Still blown away by the flavors, presentation and ingredients! Thank you Château de Courban and Takashi Kinoshita for a fantastic feast that opened my palate and my mind to some wild combinations!
Château de Courban was the perfect launching point for exploring everything Champagne and surrounding wine producing areas had to offer.
Not only was my stay stress free, it was also affordable. Highly recommend checking out Château de Courban for your Champagne getaway!
France proved to be quite a welcomed change of place and was surprisingly a great place to spend Fourth of July weekend. I mean, our ties with the French go back a couple hundred years, so what better way to celebrate independence than tipping the hat to French wine, french cuisine, and the easy going French way of life.
Back to the grind this week, but feeling refreshed, crisp and with an extra pip (!) in my step.
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Finally got around to picking out some of my favorites from checking out Festival de Cannes. I was basically a kid in a candy store checking out all the spots, the red carpet and international village. If you look close, might see some movies coming up on the horizon!!
If you know you want to do something, no matter how crazy, far flung, or out of reach you think it is, just go and do it. Everything else will fall into place. Don’t let goals turn into regrets.
The Cannes Film Festival has always been on my list, because yes it’s in a beautiful place, and you have the red carpet, and the stars, and the food and wine. But really for me, it’s about the celebration of the arts, bringing together the best of the international film community, and showcasing the best everyone has to offer. It gives people a chance to try new things, to innovate and be different.
How are you innovating and being different this week? .
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Hello from Nice! You could say it’s nice.
Shirt untucked. Wine in hand. Vacation mode on.
I came. I saw. I Cannesquered.
Navigating the “high sophistication” of French Society in a place like Nice (the city on the French Riviera, not the adjective, made that mistake before myself ) can seem daunting at first.
I’ve found that you just need to look a little closer, and dig a little deeper and uncover some of their ethos that they find fulfilling in their everyday life.
If you take a moment and step back to enjoy the sights, savor the wine, and sample the best that its people has to offer, I think you just might find your own kind of magic.
What they apply to their everyday life in Nice, I think we can apply to our everyday lives and how we live them no matter what mode or season of life we may find ourselves in.
Found a new replacement for the iron throne in Cannes. Too soon?
To wrap up, here’s some lazy Sunday inspiration/outdoor space goals from Cannes…
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Still replaying all the moments from a stunning, surreal, and spectacular weekend. Thankful for the opportunities to visit these places, and grateful for the perspective these experiences have given me. Got to cross two items off the bucket list: .
1) Attend an F1 race in person (not to mention at Monaco, one of the toughest and trickiest tracks on the circuit, and get to see Lewis Hamilton take the well deserved first place)
2) See the Monte Carlo Casino Royale, in Monaco. Still blown away by the magnificent interiors of the classically styled casino (BOLO for my own take on Monaco).
If there’s something I’ve learned in the last four days, it’s that trips never line up with expectations. But they have the potential to exceed your expectations and ideas of your trip, if you re-frame you perspective and mindset.
It’s ok to cultivate multiple options, and have a giant wish list for your trip or travel plans, but realize you’re not going to see it all or in the way you imagined. Where the real magic happens is when you commit wholeheartedly to an event, activity, sight, or restaurant. Does that mean you can’t go with the flow and see where the day ( or night) will take you? No. But by committing to something, you force yourself to get out there and take the first step. I’ve found it usually sets you up with an adventurous day, and you never end up where you thought you would.
Anyone else guilty of trying to cram a couple thousand years of history, 12 course meals, and all the bars and clubs into a weekend trip before?
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Made the most of Münster! Didn’t want to leave!
A nice place to spend a week, weekend or more. If I had to describe the city in one sentence, college town meets German holiday. Whether you want a relaxing weekend spent focusing on down time, or a jam packed week full of excursions, activities and fine dining, Münster delivers. I hope you enjoy what I’ve found for you.
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