I was born in San Francisco and grew up in the suburbs of Northern California. Although it's hard to beat the art, culture, people, and food of the Bay Area, I often long to escape the crowds and toll bridges to breathe fresh mountain air or swim in the ocean's cool embrace. I'll take majestic redwoods and crashing waves over gray skyscrapers and traffic noise any day!
If I'm not hiking in the oak-studded foothills of Mount Diablo or paddling in the brackish waters of the Carquinez Strait, I'm probably snorkeling with some honu (green sea turtles) or enjoying the lush, guava-scented forests on the island of Maui. I have ohana on Maui, and I'm usually there a few times a year. From its warm sands, cloudy peaks, primordial landscapes, and tropical rainforests, there is no other place in the world like Maui.
I explore the world on foot, on bike, and in a 6-man outrigger canoe (and occasionally from a dragon boat). I try to make travel intentional. Everyday can be an adventure with a little planning and a shift in perspective. Therefore, go outside, encounter Beauty in the splendor of creation and in the hearts of humanity, then return a little different than when you first stepped out the door.