Everything feels circular in Nepal. Karma. Walking around the temples (always clockwise). Spinning of the prayer wheels to release blessings out into the world. The red tika dotting my forehead, a blessing to me from our girls at Raksha Nepal. The sun, always a red glowing disk through the haze of pollution. Her turquoise skirt […]

This volunteer trip was put together by Help Intl, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting poverty through sustainable development, and Proof Eyewear whose #DoGood trips I have been blessed to be a part of the last three years. DAY ONE Sunrise on the rooftop in Kathmandu. Pastel tones and birds circle over the LEGO land of colorful buildings. […]

MAKE EVERYTHING BETTER PEANUT SAUCE 1 cup peanut butter 1- 15 oz can of coconut milk ¼ cup fresh lime juice. I’ve used lemon juice in a pinch and it works just as well. ¼ cup soy sauce 2-3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped (or use the prechopped one bought in bulk) 1 Hawaiian chili […]

Today a place I love, that many love, is on fire. The Columbia River Gorge is a glorious and historic area in northern Oregon and southern Washington. Mossy gorges, dozens of waterfalls, swimming holes, backpacking trails, wildflowers, kiteboarding, nature..just so much nature. If you’re not already familiar with it, I’m so sorry, because 10,000 acres of […]

From @makaicreative: Is the trip to West fjords worth the time and effort? If you only have a week or less it probably isn’t. The weather = more variable. Things to see = way more spread out. The drive is gorgeous and fun but definitely long. And even though you’re out in the middle of […]

So as you guys probably know I’ve just returned from my spontaneous sixteen day adventure across Iceland. Initially I was going to a four day women’s retreat. Ten or so days before my trip it occurred to me that well, four days just didn’t quite seem like enough. I went for it, got a girlfriend crazy […]

Photo By Noel Alva on the bus ride to San Salvador

Grand staircase Escalante. This was the first place I fell in love with the American southwest. Its seemingly endless backroads had us driving fast, windows down, four heads sticking out singing at the top of our lungs. We hiked across a Martian landscape to this oasis where we spent the night eating Thai curry under […]

This week my friends and I decided to hike 10 miles into Havasupai in the remote northern Arizona desert to spend four days exploring the canyons and waterfalls. A lot has been written on Havasupai so I’ll skip the pack list and other guide details in lieu of a more personal list. These were the […]

Kylor is voluntarily sleeping underneath the porch of the camp bathrooms in his hammock. He’s worried that, in the dark, Mikai won’t be able to find out campsite tucked off the side of the trail and doesn’t want him to freeze to death. I find this questionable (I have this thing with smells), but I […]

The designation “desert” gives the complete wrong impression when it comes to Havasupai. I had seen hundreds of images and videos online, but even the best photographers couldn’t capture how truly magnificent this landscape is. Sheer sandstone cliffs line both sides of the narrow canyon we spent the last 5 hours hiking through. Cracks and […]

In early January I had the wonderful opportunity to partner with Westjet in exploring Belize, one of their newest nonstop destinations. I would recommend it as a great place for travelers going out of the country for the first time, adventurous families, honeymooners, and those looking for spectacularly accessible diving. Only four hours by plane […]

Part III: Unexpected Adventure, Welcome to Tahiti Words by Chelsea Yamase, Photos by Travis Burke Dec. 6th Day five takes us from remote Rangiroa to the main island in French Polynesia, Tahiti. Besides being home to the capitol city of Papeete and the infamous Teahupo’o surf break, I don’t know too much about Tahiti. After […]

Part II: Unspoiled Nature, Welcome to Rangiroa Words by Chelsea Yamase, Photos by Travis Burke Dec. 4th I thought we would be used to the aerial perspective by now, but with eyes glued to windows we catch our first glimpses of Rangiroa or “Te Kokōta” as our plane begins to descend. The snaking outline of […]

French Polynesia Part I: Taha’a Words by Chelsea Yamase, Photos by Travis Burke I had the great pleasure of flying Air TahitiNui‘s Poerava business class on the 8 hour direct flight from LAX to Papeete, Tahiti for my birthday trip to explore French Polynesia. After a hot towel and light dinner of seared ahi salad […]

Photo by Joshua Grant Rose

Cover image by Darlene Dame, Gallery images courtesy of Travis Burke

    Every sunrise and sunset the horses run, untethered, across the dirt road and straight through the wide open field below our cabin. It surprises me at odd times – standing on our way to dinner or while eating breakfast, spoon halfway to my mouth, as the herd thunders past the huge picture windows. This […]