Thoughts From General Conference

5:46 PM ispeakitboldly 0 Comments

Every six months we have the opportunity to listen to prophets, apostles, and other leaders of the LDS church as they provide messages that encourage, inspire, and guide us in our daily lives. Elder Ronald A. Rasband - toward the end of the conference - encouraged everyone to record thoughts and testimonies to be reviewed at a later time, perhaps as a reminder for me or maybe for the benefit of someone else. I have decided to follow this counsel and share three main takeaways from this past weekend.

1. Influencing
One of the major concerns I have been seeking guidance on recently is how to influence friends and family members to make better choices. All too often I feel anger over the poor choices of others and almost have the desire to be more controlling in order to help someone close to me get back to the path that will lead them to happiness. Almost immediately I was provided with an answer. I was reminded we cannot pray away someone else’s agency. As hard as it is to watch someone make bad choices it is up to him or her to choose righteousness. Along with this thought I was taught we also cannot speed up the timeline for someone’s conversion. My friend or sibling or whoever will be ready when he is ready not when I want him to be. This does not mean we do nothing. There are still things we can do. For instance we can pray for when to speak and then what would be best to say. And most importantly we can have patience and be kind. Through patient love towards our fellow men and women we can achieve the impossible. 

2. Opportunities
Something else I have been pondering a lot recently is how I can personally do better in my life at accomplishing the goals I have set. How can I reach my full potential? As we have been told so often before, it is the choices each of us make that determine the opportunities we will have in this life. Whenever we make a choice - no matter how seemingly small -  or don’t make a choice we need to consider whether or not it will cause us to miss out on future opportunities relating to our family or our career or whatever else is important to us. Another way I learned how to improve our opportunities is to identify the various “stumbling blocks” in our life. These could be pride, misplaced trust, procrastination, a lack of discipline or anything else that impedes our growth. You and I need to determine our individual stumbling blocks and come up with a plan to remove them as quickly as possible. 

3. Introspection
The final thought I have regards introspection or an interview with ourselves. Many of the speakers challenged us to ask tough questions about our personal standing before God. We should include Him in this interview and seek His counsel on how to adjust course if required. Here are some of the questions we can use to be more introspective: What will I give in return? What are my feelings towards God? Am I prepared to follow God’s path? Am I good enough? Am I content with my current situation? Do I ignore available truths? Does the Spirit flow when I study the scriptures? Have I forgotten any gifts from God? And probably my favorite as tough as it is…Why is God doing this to me? Be honest when asking these questions. Write down the answers. And when we ask God for His help be silent and hear what He has to say. 

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On Gratitude

5:43 PM ispeakitboldly 0 Comments


“A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not.” ― Seneca

While preparing my dinner on a recent Friday night I was thinking how sad it was that my dinner was a Hungry-Man microwave meal (Selects edition of course because I never go cheap when purchasing frozen meals). On top of that I was eating by myself. I had my phone out ready to take a photo and post it to social media complaining - in a joking way of course - about how terrible my life is. But just before I did a simple impression came to me, “I have food to eat”. I will have dinner tonight. And for too many people that isn’t the case. Too many will have to go hungry tonight. And unfortunately for others, the lack of food may be the least of their worries. 
This impression led to even more thoughts as I ate my meal and pondered on this truth. I took pause and reflected about so much that I take for granted. I have affordable and easily accessible food in great variety within a five minute drive. I have fresh, clean water to drink in my house. I have a roof over my head. I have an amazing family. I have great friends. I have a wonderful dog to come home to every day. And yet with all of this I was choosing to focus on what I didn’t have. 
I - and I would imagine most of us out there - tend to complain more than we should. I know I do this more often than I want to, both in a joking and not so joking way. Too often we wonder why I don’t have this latest gadget or that vacation that we see people on Facebook or in the neighborhood have. None of us have the “perfect” life, whatever that may be. However there is so much we do have. From the big things: we live in the greatest, most innovative time in history; we live in free, prosperous nations; many have spouses and children to brighten up the home with laughter and joy. To the small things: a neighbor dropping off homemade bread; a mountain trail to hike behind the house; and yes…microwave dinners.
This isn’t meant to chastise or make anyone feel bad because they occasionally consider the things that aren’t going the way they want in life. I believe it’s natural to want more. Really, it’s just a reminder that we truly have so much to be thankful for. It’s so easy to forget all the gifts that this life and God have given us. It’s so easy to focus on our imperfect family. Or our job not being the greatest, most exciting thing ever. Or the talents we wish we had (“if only I could sing as well as so and so…”).  
It’s also a reminder - and for me this is what is most important - that, as Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, “we can choose to be grateful, no matter what”. Gratitude is the key to happiness and is available regardless of our situation. Each of us can always carry in our heart the spirit of gratitude and look for the things, big and small, that make this life so great. 

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Still Not Enough

8:10 PM ispeakitboldly 0 Comments

There is a power in music that words alone cannot convey. Today in my church I sang in the choir and one of the songs was Jesus, My Savior. There is a line in the song that says “All of my life, yea, all my days, Still not enough to sing Thy praise”. And why is it still not enough? Because “what greater debt [is there] than mine to owe?” There was a time in my life when everything was going well as I wandered down the path of life, following the guidance I had received since I was young. Then there came a moment when I looked off to the side of the path and there was a broad way leading to bright lights, partying, and what seemed like endless fun. I suppose in many ways it was like looking at Pleasure Island in the Disney cartoon Pinocchio. Unfortunately, I did not stop at just looking. 
Many years after wandering down this path and discovering that all the fun and happiness were a facade for sorrow, misery, and loss, and I had reached a point where I could sink no lower, I came to the realization that I needed to return to the original path now. Today. Although I did start making my way back to that better path immediately, it took a long time before I finally had both feet firmly planted where they had once been. 
Every time I think about this - which almost seems like a dream or another lifetime - I wonder how it is possible I could be allowed to return to where we are all meant to be. How is it possible that someone such as I who has accumulated such an insurmountable amount of debt would ever be able to pay it off? But that’s the beauty of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I didn’t have to pay it back. I was forgiven. Completely. With the only condition that I don’t do it again. But that does not mean no one paid the debt. My Savior paid the debt. He suffered pain and humiliation beyond imagination. All for me and you. And simply because He loves with a perfect love and knew there was no other way for us. 
For this reason it is still not enough. I will never have enough days or words in all the eternities to say thank you and praise the One who was perfect enough and brave enough to rescue me, even though I so often stumble or am stubborn and allow my pride to get in the way of good choices. Forever I am indebted to Him for the ultimate sacrifice He performed for me, Timothy Holley, and the hope He gave me when all seemed lost. Even though it is not enough, it is all I can give; so as the last line of the song states, “ever I will sing [His] praise”. 

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The 5MJ Experiment

8:30 PM ispeakitboldly 0 Comments


Back in December I was listening to a Tim Ferris podcast and he mentioned one of the daily routines he has is to write in his Five-Minute Journal morning and night. I hadn’t heard of this product, but I am a big believer in journal writing. Unfortunately I am a little inconsistent when it comes to writing something down on a daily - or even weekly - basis. I decided to give this journal a try and see if I could stick with it for an extended period of time. 
There are six months worth of pages in each of the journals and I was successfully able to write every day - even though traveling and an irregular schedule made this difficult. I am now on my second journal, but I wanted to share some of my thoughts about this half-year experiment with you. 

Consistency - This was one of the most important benefits I was looking for when I picked up the Five-Minute Journal and the primary reason for making the purchase. I wanted something that would better incentivize me to write - if just a few sentences - every day for more than a couple of weeks before slacking off again. I followed their suggestions and left it with a pen by my bed, even when I was in a different country. It was the first and last thing I saw every day. As a result there is an entry for every date from the time I started. There is a special kind of confidence in yourself that comes from consistently doing something you have determined to do for an extended period. I know that if I can do something as simple as write in this journal every day for 6 months I can build any habit I set my mind to. 

Planning - This was an attribute of the journal I didn’t know about before I bought it. There is a space in the morning section to write 3 things that would make the day great. It forces me to think about what I need or want to accomplish each day. This doesn’t necessarily translate to action unfortunately (one of the habits I am still working to cultivate), but it provides a way for me to write down on paper what would make the next 12-16 hours amazing. During school it helped me think about assignments, on the weekend I would think about fun activities to do with friends, and on the Sabbath it would help me come up with ways for my day of worship to be more meaningful. This simple tool to organize and prioritize for the day made each one more productive. 

Gratitude / Positive Thinking - One of my characteristics I am constantly working on is being less negative. I have a tendency to look for the bad in people or events too often. My humor is more often than not self-deprecating or sarcastic. I have talked with many people and read a lot about positive psychology and how you can be happier if you focus on the blessings and good things that happen from day to day. This journal was a tool that helped turn this theory into action. In the morning I write 3 things I am grateful for. In the evening I write 3 amazing things that happened. Both of these sections can be either big things (thankful for awesome parents, I graduated from the MBA program today) or small (thankful for the sun shining through my window, I stopped and talked to a friend in the hall today). Regardless it provides uplifting thoughts to bookend my day. Without a doubt that has been the biggest reward for using this journal. It is not to say I don’t have bad days or sad things happen or failures anymore. It does mean that training the mind to focus more on the good - and less on the bad - makes me a happier person, someone people are more willing to interact with, and better able to face the trials we all go through in this life.

As I have already said I bought a second one and am working my way through it now. It is a simple thing, yet I have seen great benefits and the 5 minutes a day is more than a worthwhile investment in me as I continue to improve. I would definitely recommend you pick one up and try the Five-Minute Journal experience. 

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Another Adventure Comes to a Close

7:54 PM ispeakitboldly 0 Comments


I’m writing this as I sit in the Narita Airport waiting for my flight back to the States. It’s hard to believe two weeks have come and gone so quickly. It had been two years since I last saw my friends, but when they picked me up at the airport it’s like it was only yesterday when we were in Hawaii playing Phase 10 or sitting on the beach at Lanikai. I spent my last evening with them in Okinawa just sitting in a sushi restaurant talking about whatever came to mind. While I do love traveling in general I think being able to spend time with good friends builds memories that last well beyond the end of a trip. And it was even more special to be there to share the special moment of them finding out they are having a boy.
I also want to say how much I love Japan. There is just something about the culture and people that draws me to this country and makes it hard to leave. The people are courteous and it’s clean and safe unlike anywhere else I have ever been. I suppose learning to speak the language would make it even better as it would be nice to communicate with them a little more. Of course I can’t say enough about the food here and how I could easily eat out at the different cafes and restaurants every day. There is just so much more to see and learn and do. Unfortunately time is the ever dwindling resource that I never seem to have enough of.
I always encourage people to travel. There is so much to see. The world is such a big place. While it may be easier or safer to stay in our home and live from day to day we all need to get out and explore. I have never regretted an adventure to another country. I have learned and grown so much from my travels. I have met many people with such different stories from mine. In the words of Ellie from Up, “Adventure is out there…now go have a new one!”

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A Weekend in the Water

7:16 PM ispeakitboldly 0 Comments

I had a couple of low key days as John and Eunice both had to work and I am still too scared to venture out on foot or a bicycle due to the heat. I was able to spend some time with Amelia - one of my new friends here - and help her deliver a cake for her business. We also ended up having lunch at American Village with one of her friends. If I haven’t mentioned American Village yet it’s exactly what the name says. It’s a shopping district with restaurants that is meant to be like an American seaside tourist spot. I even helped her bake one of her cakes later that evening…although I mostly played with her pups and ate parts of the cake not being used. 
It was a special day for John and Eunice as they found out the sex of their baby. They're going to have a boy and I couldn’t be more excited for them. They are going to be awesome parents. There was supposed to be a special dinner reveal, but the secret wasn’t kept too long after they found out so they just told everyone. 
The weekend weather was perfect for a trip to the beach. We had a bit of a late start - that’s island living though - and then went to try and buy something for photos to reveal the baby’s sex. It was fun walking around “the bunny store” (not sure if that’s the real name…) looking for some kind of clothing or toy to identify the baby as a boy in a photo. 
Our beach for today was on one of the smaller islands - Ikei - off the main island of Okinawa. It’s a very pretty drive as we crossed over a couple of other islands to get there. There are mostly fields with the occasional home or cafe on these islands. We had to pay ¥500 (~$5) a piece to get to the beach. This is the first time I have ever paid to use a beach. I’m not sure I approve of it. Once again the sand was incredibly hot. We brought a small tent to provide some shade, but unfortunately we left the most important part…the canopy. So we retreated to the water, which was just perfect. 
One of the main missions of our trip to the beach was to get the perfect photo for John and Eunice to reveal the baby is going to be a boy. We took a bunch of photos with a lot of different poses. Fortunately I am a patient and professional iPhone photographer. The one they picked out for social media was good though and worth it. Plus it’s fun to do things like that with friends. Other than that it was a wonderful afternoon of just relaxing and talking and floating in the cool water. As the sun began to set off in the distance we headed back to find some food. The first place we went to had just closed up. Fortunately this was on another small island so even with this disappointment we were treated to new views of the ocean and little islands. 
Our next stop was King Taco. They are apparently famous for something called taco cheese rice. It’s basically taco meat on rice topped with shredded cheese. Definitely not my favorite meal of the trip but edible. It was a long day so after we got home we all had some well-deserved sleep. 

The next day I was finally able to go diving in the famous Okinawan waters. It was another perfect day for being outside. Our first dive spot was Onna Point - the Toilet Bowl. It took us a couple of tries to find the right road as the GPS sent us down this random trail in the wrong direction. The correct road was one of the junkies roads I have ever seen in Japan with massive potholes. The actual dive spot was a little sketchy getting in. And even worse getting out. You have to climb along this sharp rock formation right on the edge of the water. Getting out you have to climb back on this rock so gloves are required. The tide was a little low and it kept dropping while we climbed out and we were left dangling on the rock. At least a couple of us struggled getting out and got cut up. 
The dive though was amazing. Water warm enough to not need a wet suit. Deep blues. Schools of fish floating right by us. Some of the group saw sharks a little ways off. This was also my first time diving without a guide although one of the group is a diving medical officer in the Navy. I also went my deepest yet at close to 80 feet. 
Because of the low tide and the struggle to get out we decided to go to Cape Maeda for the next dive. This might not have been the best idea. There was a ridiculously long line to get parking. We spent almost an hour and a half trying to go maybe half a mile. We should have just parked and walked with out gear. Then the water itself was full of people snorkeling and diving.  It reminded me of Hanauma Bay on Oahu. However, it was another great spot to see some fish and just relax in the ocean. We were treated with more large fish and hung out in a little cave that had much colder water than what we had been swimming in. 
We finished up a perfect day with lunch at the seawall followed by ridiculously big and delicious shakes. I got a large because the medium looked too small. But since I don’t let good food go to waste I downed it and had no regrets. We finished up with more good food - this time at an Indian place. After that my bed was calling me and I answered. 

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Playing the Tourist

6:53 PM ispeakitboldly 0 Comments

This has been a beautiful week in Okinawa. No rain and plenty of sunshine. John took Monday off to take me around and cruise some of the tourist spots. We first went and grabbed lunch at a fried rice place. I have never just had fried rice for a meal and it was amazing. It comes with a raw egg on top and a little bowl of onion soup. It’s very flavorful and actually kind of filling. Our first tourist stop was at Shurijo Castle. It is in Naha and has been around since the 1300s although it has been rebuilt since it was destroyed in World War II. It’s definitely the biggest of all the castles I’ve been to and also the only complete one with a museum inside to see what it was like to live there as the king or queen. 
There is a big courtyard in front of the main palace that has rows of colored tiles where dignitaries sat on the stone based on their rank with a large pathway in the middle for the king and royal guests. It reminded me of the Jet Li movie Hero. Inside they had completely rebuilt the halls and rooms where it looked brand new. The ceilings were kind of low so there was a lot of crouching from me even though I'm not that tall. There was a peaceful little spot where you could sit on the outside pathway with your legs dangling and enjoy a little garden with a slight breeze. The one interesting thing was it was kind of dark in the throne rooms for both the queen and king. It seemed there were not windows and the walls and floors were all painted black or dark red. It’s always fun to imagine what it was like four or five hundred years ago in these buildings and how people actually lived and what their stories were. Especially since these are the types of buildings you see in video games. 
We then drove to the city center to drive down the main street (Kokusai) which reminded me of the strip in Waikiki. Just a lot of shops and restaurants and tons of people. Very touristy. Very crowded. Way too much traffic. We had dinner was at one of the new malls on island. It’s a big AEON shopping mall that’s very open and I’m sure is great for events like shows or dances. The food court was on two floors and there were way too many options. We ended up doing this sliced roast beef on rice dish. It came with a dollop of horseradish yoghurt. It was actually a lot better than I thought it was going to be. 
Eunice took the day off on Wednesday and we had a very busy day. We went to one of the prettiest spots I’ve ever been to. Cape Maeda is surrounded by rocky cliffs with crystal clear water perfect for diving. There are beaches off in the distance and lots of green covering the rocks. Unfortunately, there isn’t a place to rent gear so we just walked around. I still can’t believe how hot and sweaty you get in just a couple of minutes here. 
Ryukyu Mura was our next stop and it was very similar to the Polynesian Cultural Center and other similar places with a wide variety of ways to view traditional Okinawan life and even some opportunities to interact if you pay a little extra. You can see habu snakes, watch dances, build pottery, learn to play an instrument and feed fish. It might have been a little pricier than it needed to be at ¥1200. And it was extremely hot again so we tried to find shade as often as possible. This nice young lady was handing out towelettes dipped in ice which felt amazing. Then I had a shave ice which also was amazingly refreshing. I was confused how to purchase it at first and found out you pay into a vending machine type thing and then hand over a ticket to the people running the counter. Otherwise you’ll sit there for hours apparently. 
We found a nice beach to go to. Zanpa beach was not too big but had a swimming area and wasn’t very crowded. We were going to rent beach chairs and an umbrella to escape the heat. But after we found out it was ¥3500 we decided to just lay on our towels and suffer under the sun. The water was a perfect temperature though and it was amazing just floating in the water. The sand was a little more rocky than I like, but don’t want to complain after the relief it provided. I decided to not put on sunscreen because we were only going to be out there for an hour. That was a mistake as my poor white skin definitely got cooked. We had a nice chat about life while we just relaxed in the ocean and then grabbed lunch at a Hawaiian style place. 
Our final stop was at one more castle. Nakagusuku Castle is just some ruins with only the stone walls, open fields, and a prayer area left. It’s a large complex and it was nice walking bare foot through the grass. It was set up to be three squares in a row each as a different enclosure. The views of the surrounding countryside and ocean were quite spectacular. There was even a pretty red Buddhist temple off in the distance. Unfortunately the heat was really starting to get to us so we didn’t dawdle too long. We were sufficiently tired, hot, and definitely sunburned so we headed home. I didn’t realize how bad I was until I got home and saw I had turned completely red in the face. 

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The Weekend

5:00 PM ispeakitboldly 0 Comments


The rain hasn’t quite stopped - it still just comes and goes. I spent Saturday remembering how weak I am by going to the gym and then jiu jitsu with John. It’s always motivating to go to a Marine gym. Although I then begin to miss my time in the Marines. After blasting our legs with a thousand reps of front squats and deadlifts we went to John’s BJJ dojo. He’s been doing it for years and is a legit practitioner. I’ve been a couple of times and am always humbled after twenty or thirty minutes rolling with other students - mostly novices like myself. I successfully came away with sore ribs and hip, some missing skin, and a cramped quadricep. Being old and out of shape is no joke. I was fortunate enough to see John get another stripe added to his brown belt. I like being able to take part in these types of experiences and celebrate the achievements of friends. 

Side note: We had an interesting talk on the way home about the importance of consistency in achieving mastery and how BJJ teaches you to focus on technique instead of relying too heavily on strength alone. Too often we want to be the best after one or two days of practice. Mastery is a long journey that takes years of dedicated training putting in the time day in and day out even when you have no desire. Sometimes it may feel like no progress is being made, but looking back after five or ten years you will be amazed at how far you have come. It also takes humility to grow and accept the teaching of one who has already made the journey. There will be many who are willing to help you along the way. However, if pride gets in the way and you think your strength or current skill is enough then the journey ends. There was much more to this - perhaps I will write a full post on this in the future. 

For dinner we went out with a bunch of John and Eunice’s friends and ended up getting Thai food at the American Village. We tried to eat outside but the rains were coming sideways and some people don’t like to get wet while eating for some reason. Inside it was dry but kind of stuffy. We then ventured over to a karaoke studio and proceeded to spend a couple of hours badly singing our favorite tunes. There may have been drinking - from the others…not me - and we may have lived up to the stereotype of loud Americans. This brought back memories and felt like I was back in the Corps again hanging out with rowdy Marines. One of their friends may or may not have passed out trying to get into their house, but everyone survived so it was a successful evening.
Sunday brekky was at the American Village again. I had something that was neither Japanese nor American - Canadian Benedict with a side of an amazing ocean view. The sun was out so we could really see all the blues and greens in their various shades. 
Our first stop was at the Okinawa Peace Memorial. This is a fairly large park with green fields, a museum, and rows of names on black stone walls. Hundreds of thousands of names were on these walls and it was a stark reminder of the cost of even one battle in a prolonged war. It is a beautiful memorial that sits on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. There weren’t many people there and it was quiet allowing me time to reflect on what had happened here only a few decades ago. The museum inside is very well done with life-sized sets and movies and testimonials of those who endured the horror of this battle. I would definitely recommend anyone on Okinawa to take the couple of hours to go. It is a reminder of how much death, how much destructions, how much loss, and how much rebuilding comes about because people choose to hate. We must never forget the suffering caused by war especially on those innocents we are meant to protect. 
There was also a peace hall with a prayer statue that looked very similar to a Buddha. There are beautiful paintings inside of Japanese nature and people in traditional garb and it all points to the message of preserving peace. Above the statue at the top of the tower are many small glass bulbs that appear as stars representing the infiniteness of space where the war dead can finally rest. 
We then made our way over to the Ryukyu glass blowing museum and shop. They have an open space where we could observe their work. It was extremely hot by the furnace on top of the hot of the day. I’m not sure how the workers do it hour after hour every day. But it is amazing to watch their craft as they quickly and smoothly take molten glass and mold it into whatever shape they desire. We walked around the store where there are probably thousands of pieces to purchase and noticed much of it was actually from Vietnam. We found a place to play various games including one similar to beer pong. We all won a couple of glasses and had some fun for only ¥300 per round. 
We finished up with dinner at a Japanese curry place with one of John’s work buddies. I thought it would be a good idea to order extra meat and get spice level 3 (out of 10). Both were bad ideas as it was way too much food and way too spicy for my weak tongue. But katsu always hits the spot and it was another good evening with great people. 

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Rain, Rain, and More Rain

4:23 PM ispeakitboldly 0 Comments


Rains are putting a bit of a damper on fun activities right now. Apparently there is a typhoon in the area that will keep it wet for the next few days - and if I’m lucky the entire time I’m here. John had to work all day so after his wife came home we just chilled. As a side note I seem to be sleeping a lot here. I’m not sure if it’s their couch - which in Hawaii also caused me to sleep a lot - or the warm, muggy weather. As a result I also end up waking up around 5 or 6 every morning. 
Friday Eunice and I ventured out to run some errands before John was out of work. Okinawa has the nicest ¥100 stores (dollar stores) I have ever seen. It was clean, seemed to have decent items to purchase, and you didn’t feel dirty after coming out. The Japanese people really don’t have dumpy places and is one of the things I love about this country and culture. On our way to get John we saw a few protesters outside the gate. There are always some of them as a few of the locals don’t like the military installations. I’ve heard it can get bad, but today they mostly just sat across the road with a couple of signs. 
We went to a burger place for lunch called Captain Kangaroo. Their a/c was not the best i.e. non-existent and it was kind of crowded. As a result we waited for a little over thirty minutes in the somewhat stuffy restaurant. The burgers were decent though. I liked the way they toasted the buns and the teriyaki sauce was tasty. I’m just not sure the wait was quite worth it. 
We went over the Okinawa Aquarium towards the northern part of the island, which for a time was the largest aquarium in the world. I believe it is still the second largest. There was quite an assortment of fish and other sea creatures. It was awesome seeing jellyfish up close and other fish that live in the dark with eyes that almost act like flashlights. The main attraction is a massive tank with whale sharks and manta rays and other larger fish. These are huge animals and I could just sit there for hours watching them gracefully soar through the water. We also happened to be there for feeding time and watched the whale sharks just open their mouths and suck in gallons of water to get a little bit of food. I love the ocean and the thought of exploring it. Aquariums provide a way to do that for those of us that for various reasons can’t get into the ocean depths. We finished up at the dolphin show. These are always fun - especially for the children. I am always amazed at the tricks and abilities of these animals.
Dinner was at a Japanese BBQ place. I kind of love Asian food and this was all you can eat. I may have eaten more than I should have but it was delicious and filling. 

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Okinawan Heat

5:11 PM ispeakitboldly 0 Comments



My first day in Okinawa was spent being lazy in bed, playing with Colbie, eating breakfast - honey nut cheerios and apple juice like the little child I am - and an attempt to go exploring. I thought it was hot and humid last night…I was wrong. I couldn’t believe how quickly I was pouring sweat. I probably made a mistake wearing shoes and jeans as well instead of slippers and shorts. I cut through a golf course right behind their house. It’s kind of a dumpy little course with short holes. I did see some people out using it though. Maybe I will give it a go as well if it cools down some. I saw a path that didn’t look exactly like one I should take, but I tried it out anyway. I immediately walked into two huge spider webs with monster spiders hanging out on them. I found out once I got home they are banana spiders and not poisonous. At the time though I was a little worried I was going to be that dumb tourist who dies on his first day in a foreign country. 
I walked through some neighborhoods with parks and schools and hospitals. It’s not as clean as mainland Japan. It’s also not as nice with regards to buildings. It kind of reminded me of the not-so-nice parts of Honolulu. But their buildings here are more for typhoon resistance than aesthetics. I came across a little 7/11 type store and got what I thought was water and pound cake. The water turned out to be some type of orange flavored water - which I drank anyways because I needed to hydrate - and the pound cake was a meat sandwich with some type of mystery condiment. I survived both though but will pay better attention next time to what I purchase. 
The beach was small and no one on it. I walked in the water with my jeans rolled up and enjoyed the relief from the heat. There were some large, white crabs scurrying sideways into the water. I saw a couple of locals with surfboards although I saw absolutely no waves anywhere in site. Not sure where they were planning on going. I was already warm and sweaty for the walk back and it definitely wasn’t any cooler. Some of the roads didn’t have footpaths on the side and I had to keep an eye out for all the large trucks driving to their various destinations. By the time I got back I was dripping wet like I had just jumped in the ocean with my clothes on. The a/c was a welcome relief as was the cold shower I took. 
After spending the afternoon relaxing I went to some local ruins with Eunice. We were already winded after climbing the stairs to the base of the castle only to find out there is a winding staircase that is meant to tire our attackers. All that is left of the castle are some low lying walls and some of the foundations of palaces. There is a nice view of the surrounding area at the top and it had cooled down significantly since I had been out. The ocean can be seen in all directions as well as some small islands a short distance off the coast. We came back and John was home so we all went out to dinner. Of course sushi is the perfect first meal out in Japan and we went to a restaurant with the conveyor belt and ate till we were full. In addition to good sushi they had excellent fries. We finished up the day eating Okinawan salt cookie ice cream. I was exhausted and passed out very quickly.

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Return to the Land of the Rising Sun

5:03 PM ispeakitboldly 0 Comments

If I sit around too long I get antsy. I need to be moving and seeing new things or I’m bored. I’m back in Japan now after spending the 4th of July on a plane. I’m not complaining though as I chose this day on purpose for easier standby traveling. I was rewarded with my great sacrifice by getting first class to Los Angeles and then business class to Tokyo. Wide seats - or even better the ones that lie down completely - make traveling much more enjoyable. I would strongly recommend it. I was hoping to take the train to downtown Tokyo while I wait for my flight to Okinawa, but they wouldn't let me check in until three hours before the flight and I didn’t feel like lugging my luggage with me all over the place. 
I bought some Asian airport food for dinner (some type of fish, rice, and seaweed box) and then got on my last flight to Naha. I slept again - so I was three for three on plane rides - and woke up right as we landed. I got off and even at 10 pm it was a sauna outside. Even in the airport it felt warm and muggy. My friends picked me up and we spent the hour long ride catching up and it really didn’t feel like it had been two years since I had seen them. I find that to be one of the interesting things about relationships. You can not see someone for quite a while and if you’re close to them continue as if it was just yesterday when you had last hung out. 

We had good old McDonald’s for a meal on the way home. It also amazes me whether you are in the middle of Okinawa or Paris or Peachtree City, Georgia the fries and burgers are exactly the same. Reuniting with Colbie - the Shins’ German Shepherd - was a lot of fun. She’s such an energetic dog and it seems she didn’t forget me either. I passed out on the couch with her amazingly still tired after sleeping all day yesterday. But then I woke up around 5 am and couldn’t get back to sleep. 

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Last Few Days in Paris (delayed post)

5:02 PM ispeakitboldly 0 Comments

Saturday
We’ve decided to spend a little bit more time doing our own thing in Paris instead of always sticking together. First thing in the morning I went to go get a shave. I found a place right down the road where the barber shaved my head for 8 EUR. That’s the cheapest I’ve ever seen it outside of Southeast Asia. He did an amazing job too with the straightedge. It was a little difficult to communicate with him as he is one of the few people who I have met who didn’t speak any English. We figured it out though. 
I haven’t been feeling super hot the whole time in Paris. It could be the change in weather or just the constant moving around of this trip. It could also be sleeping on a crummy couch/futon but I don’t want to complain as the bed was offered. I got some ibuprofen and spent most of the day just lazing around the flat. Brody - a friend from school who also happened to be in Paris this week - showed up and we went to another cafe, get more hot chocolate, and then watched Captain America (perfect moving for France I know) in a really cool old Theater. There are three levels of seats although the bottom two are for live performances. Of course these were the much more comfortable seats and I was close to taking a nap. We moved up to the top level for the movie and were rewarded with a ceiling of stars and moving clouds. 

Sunday 
We went to church in the city and it was a mixed French and English ward so talks and prayers varied depending on who was speaking. We immediately headed outside the city to Versailles. We probably had our least favorite food of the trip in a little crepe place before we entered. This place was packed - perhaps not too surprisingly on a Sunday afternoon. Outside in the gardens though this was a non-issue as the place is massive. It takes upwards of 20 minutes to walk from the palace to the German village where Marie Antoinette stayed most of the time. I loved the peace and quiet that was found just walking around the streams and lakes and across bridges. It was almost like an escape from modern life for a few moments. The fountains came on - they are usually off - and were accompanied by classical music which was just divine. I felt like everyone should be in powdered wigs and wearing fancy clothes. 
The line into the palace itself was super long even a couple of hours before closing. Even worse the inside was a packed mess with too many people even to see some of the displays and move around the rooms. I would definitely recommend not going on a weekend or during a busy day as it makes it quite unenjoyable. We had steak and frites for dinner - all you can eat - and it was another long wait as apparently they have dinner shifts that mean we couldn’t eat till 8 when earlier customers had left. Also - perhaps due to my illness - I was freeing cold waiting outside. But it was decent food for a low price. 

Monday
This was another do it yourself day. Everyone went to do their own thing. I went to the Pere Cemetery where many famous people are buried such as Chopin and Jim Morrison. It’s a large, beautiful cemetery with many old graves and tombs. There is a peacefulness found there that’s welcome after the bustle of the city. I also went to Saint Chappelle, which is another old church with incredible stained glass windows completely covering the walls telling various stories from the Bible. It wasn’t the biggest church we have visited but very unique and pretty. I went home and relaxed and then met up with my friends back in Montmartre. Janice got her silhouette done by a famous artist (or maybe not so famous). It looked like a floating head on fire for a while, but turned out very nice in the end. There was a cafe nearby where we stopped for dinner. This is definitely one of my favorite things about Paris. So many different little hole in the wall places with excellent dinners and just very quaint. We were really packed in too. The entire dining area was maybe the size of a small living room. 

Tuesday
Unfortunately I left early as I just wasn’t feeling great and was having back pains as well. It was still an amazing adventure with great friends. 

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Just Once More...

3:13 PM ispeakitboldly 0 Comments

I don’t cry very often…but today I cried.
Today we said goodbye to a pet. One of our little Corgis apparently had a heart attack and was already gone by the time I woke up. He wasn’t super old, and just last night he seemed to be fine, running around and playing just like he always has. I don’t normally like dogs sleeping with me, but he was one I didn't mind doing so, especially since he liked to cuddle right next to me (expecting some petting of course before I fell asleep). 
To make it even harder, in the middle of the night he was acting a little different, but I thought nothing of it and just put him outside the bedroom door. Perhaps I could’ve saved him if I had known he was not feeling well. At the least I could’ve been there to say goodbye and comforted him in his last few moments. 
As I thought about this today all I wanted was one more day with him. 
Just once more to feed him a corner of my peanut butter sandwich (he loves patiently waiting as I eat knowing he will get the last bite).
Just once more to throw him the tennis ball, watching him bark or go crazy over his favorite game (maybe he will bring it back, but if not I don’t mind walking over to grab it and throw it again).
Just once more to leave and have him see me off through our fence.
Just once more to have him lay down with me at night, putting his front paws on me like he is saying to me, “You’re my human”.
But unfortunately he’s gone. 
A Lesson to Remember
Although he is “just a dog” there is an important lesson in this that we all too often forget. For those of us who are still young - or relatively young - we think that we, and those we love, will live forever. Death is not something we think about very often - and that’s probably good for the most part. At the same time though anybody - a friend, a family member - can be taken from us without warning. 
I often think I should call an old friend, or take the time to visit a relative I haven’t seen in a while, or say “I love you” to those who mean a lot to me when I say goodbye. I also know I should never leave someone in anger. Yet too often I forget, or procrastinate, or let pride get in the way, always assuming I will see them tomorrow or the next day or at the latest before the end of the year. But we never know what the future holds for any of us.
My advice today: Treasure the moments you share with people. Find time to be with family and friends. Don’t delay a call to someone you haven’t talked to in a while. Never leave or go to bed in anger towards someone close. Finally, always find a way to be filled with love for all your brothers and sisters. 
You will never regret making the little sacrifices it takes to do this. 

A Hopeful Thought
Although I am sad, at the same time it makes me happy to know he is running around endless fields or still bothering cats or bringing joy to people as he did my family. And as with all our loved ones, I know there will come a time when we will be reunited and never have to say goodbye again. 

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All the Main Tourist Attractions in a Day

4:01 AM ispeakitboldly 0 Comments

Woke up - ate our favorite pastries - and went to the Eiffel Tower first thing. This is another one of those sights I have been wanting to see my entire life. It was a little foggy this morning so the top was hard to see until we got right next to it, but this actually added a little to the mood of our visit. I couldn’t believe how big it was in person. It must be thousands of tons of iron. There were a lot of people taking photos and doing silly things to get the perfect shot: jumping, holding umbrellas, timing a selfie with a friend and getting it wrong. It definitely provided me with some entertainment. Another thing that really surprised me was the number of African immigrants trying to sell knick knacks (primarily small Eiffel Towers). There must have been at least a hundred of them around the base and each one wants to come up and try to sell you the same junk. 
We then walked over to the Arc de Triomphe. This was also an amazing sight with many people taking photos - even in the middle of the street. It was neat just sitting there watching the cars drive around the monument and imagining the famous people who have walked through that arch. We then made our way partly down the Champs-Élyssés to look at some of the high end shopping and also what may be the largest McDonald’s ever (on top of this it was packed with people). 
We took the train over to Montmartre and right in front of us was the Moulin Rouge -  complete with windmill and all. We had lunch at a cafe where Amelie was filmed (a French movie with Audrey Tautou). We climbed up to the top of the hill and saw a small art market where painters will do your portrait or you can buy other works of art. The Sacré-Couer is the main attraction as it is a large basilica built on this hill and can be seen from most of the city. I think this may have been my favorite church we have visited so far. The main dome is very impressive and there is a mural above the altar that is very well done. We happened to be there during a type of mass where the bishop and nuns walk around the chapel speaking and singing the program. I enjoyed it a lot. 

We came back and took naps before heading over to a small concert in a French bar. It’s a not so well known band called Vallis Alps. It was a good show though and a fun way to end the day. 

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Gardens, Bones, and Museums

3:54 AM ispeakitboldly 0 Comments

We seem to be getting up later and later each day here. We have a wonderful little bakery right on the corner by our place and every morning we get brekky there. There is a really good pain suisse and croissant au amande. We went to the Luxembourg Gardens for our first stop and just walked around and took a few minutes to sit in the chairs and listen to books. We saw people playing tennis, teenagers shooting hoops, and young children at the park. There is a nice sized palace in this garden that provide a nice place to relax. 
It was lunch time and we found a little cafe in a side street to have some toast with cheese and salmon on it. The next stop was the catacombs. Right outside the entrance we saw a huge demonstration for a labor union which had started a parade in the roundabout. For some reason the catacombs were closed for four hours and then once they reopened it took forever to get to the ticket counter (one reason was there were no computers and all receipts were being done by hand). To make it better it started to rain. I sat down and just listened to podcasts. 
Once we got in though the catacombs were amazing. There are a decent way down under the city and huge tunnels. Due to collapses cause by excessive mining the government had to think of a way to provide additional support. Due to the overcapacity in the cemeteries it was decided to use human bones and skulls. There are huge rooms filled with thousands of skeletons piled to the ceiling. Some of the builders were creative and made heart designs or archways our of them. We saw moss caused by the light growing on some as well as crystals forming due to the moisture. Scriptures and other inscriptions were randomly situated throughout the tunnels as well. It was interesting and kind of creepy at the same time. 
We next went to the Musee D’Orsay and looked at some more artwork. This was a much less intimidating museum than the Louvre and I was able to see many artists and their works while there for a little over an hour. Van Gogh - possibly my favorite - along with Monet and Degas were all represented. There were also these gigantic clock windows on the top floor everyone wanted to take pictures of (with them in it of course). It was fun to sit in these giant baseball glove-like couches and just people watch. 

We had dinner at a fancy little cafe where we all had our first escargot. Enough garlic and pesto makes anything taste good. It was nice just relaxing late on a Thursday evening enjoying the cool air and living the Parisian life. 

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Bienvenue à Paris!

1:39 AM ispeakitboldly 0 Comments

We left lovely Vienna this morning and took flight to Paris on an airline I had never heard of before…Transavia. They were moving people around to spread load the passengers - since everyone decided to pick seats at the front of the plane - so I ended up with a whole row to myself. As soon as we were at a high enough altitude I put my seat back and slept (I don’t think any of us got more than five hours of sleep last night). The view wasn’t great out the window anyway as it was cloudy the entire flight. 
We took a long cab ride to our flat with someone originally from Cambodia as the driver. It was a good hour long drive and he gave us a nice tour of the city - as well as an introduction to the crazy Parisian drivers. I had wanted to rent scooters, but am not so sure I will survive if we do. We are staying in the 18th Arrondissement near Montmartre. Not sure if it’s the nicest part of Paris, but it’s pretty easy to get to the city center. We had these weird quesadillas/tacos for lunch (from a place called O’Tacos) with a ton of mayonnaise and fries in them. I kind of liked them, but others not so much. 
We took the metro to Notre Dame and proceeded to get poured on. I think this is the first bad weather day we’ve had on this trip. In a way it kind of adds to the whole atmosphere of Paris. However I don’t like having soaking feet, which happened rather quickly.  There was a line getting into the chapel - probably so people could escape the rain. The short wait - including some young school girls practicing English on us - was definitely worth it. Inside we were rewarded with a dimly lit room playing hymns/chants softly in the background. There are huge ceilings and some of the most beautiful stained glass windows especially behind the organ pipes.
We got hot chocolate after as a way to warm up a little and then made our way to the Louvre. It was fun finally seeing the famous glass pyramid in the middle of the palace courtyard. There weren’t that many people walking around outside - unsurprisingly - but inside was a different story. The inside was impossibly big - and there must have been thousands of people walking around the various halls. I can’t even imagine what it’s like on a weekend or during the summer. There are thousands of pieces of sculpture, paintings, tablets, from all time periods focused primarily on the European continent. In addition to this the building itself was a work of art on the ceilings and walls. I made a point to see some of the famous works like Venus de Milo, Mona Lisa, The Raft of the Medusa, etc. 

I tried to get money out and an ATM decided to eat my debit card (I later found out the bank decided to cancel my card for some reason). I may have been in a little bit of a bad mood after that. We went to a Japanese restaurant, and then a creperie for dessert, and after getting home proceeded to pass out on the couch because I was so tired. 

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Strolling Through Vienna

3:40 PM ispeakitboldly 0 Comments

We went to our favorite place again for breakfast…a little bakery on the street. But a croissant and orange juice isn’t a terrible way to start the day. We spent the entire day walking around Vienna and I still can’t believe how many palaces, museums, churches, parks, and statues there are. I was actually probably most surprised by the number of salesmen in Mozart outfits trying to get us to go to random concerts. One of the interesting finds was a huge monument to Soviet soldiers thanking them for liberating Austria from Nazi control. Our main attraction for the morning was the Hofburg Palace which has since been turned into a museum. We rented the audio tour devices and walked through the first area. This was entirely dedicated to thousands of pieces of silverware, dishes, and centerpieces for the various feasts throughout the dynasty of this family as rulers of Austria. I wonder at the great opulence of these meals and how the peasants would view this. 
The main part of the tour though was through Franz Josef and Elisabeth’s living quarters. Hearing about the life of Sisi, seeing the way they lived, walking through what was once their home was an eye opening experience. I didn’t know that they would have running water and electricity during their life times. It was not expected to see an empress with a pull-up bar in her room or hear that it took two hours every day to do her hair. Royalty are a fascinating group of people. 
We followed this up with a couple of cathedrals. One had Tuesday afternoon mass going on. I wonder what it would be like to try and have a spiritual experience and commune with God while dozens of people are walking in and out taking photos the whole time. We had lunch at a very large market (Naschmarkt) in the middle of the city. There were a lot of Egyptians selling hummus and olives and falafel, which is what I ended up having. Meghan and I had an interesting run in with one of the vendors. He joked about her being his girlfriend and asked if I would give her to him for a couple of thousand Euros. Then his friend was saying things about Afghanistan attacking America and how he hated me because I had been there with the Marines. I ignored him and left at that point. 
The afternoon was spent at the Belvedere Palace looking at some famous pieces of artwork such as The Kiss by Klimt. There were also some works by Monet and Picasso. In the lower part of the palace we saw some modern “art” and toys. I wasn’t super impressed and breezed through that part somewhat quickly. Looking at the various pieces of art I think I prefer bright painting of nature or gardens especially for something I would hang in my house. 

Our final activity was to see an opera. We went to the last act of Wagner’s Lohengrin in the standing room section. It was my first opera and I was very impressed with the performances. I find it amazing that someone would be able to compose for instruments and voices while also telling a story. It was also neat to think that - although this building was rebuilt after a bombing in World War II - was where royalty and maybe Sigmund Freud went to see operas. We finished up the evening with some famous chocolate cake (Sachertorte) and hot chocolate. All in all one of the best days of the trip. Vienna is an amazing city. 

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A Day in Austria

2:53 PM ispeakitboldly 0 Comments

We left our not so nice place in Salzburg as quickly as possible this morning. It was not the nicest place we have stayed so far to say the least and definitely a lot different from our lodge in Erlenbach. We randomly came across a small bakery for breakfast and then made the short drive to Hallstatt. This is another one of those postcard perfect places. It sits right next to a lake with mountains rising all around it. The homes have these beautiful little yards and there is plenty of delicious food and shopping for knick knacks. We started with a cable car ride up the side of the mountain (which seemed to be almost straight up) and had a great view of the lake and surrounding area from a platform that jutted out over the town. There is a salt mine tour we didn’t do - salt is why this town even exists - but did walk up to the entrance and saw some of the historical buildings, fountains, and a skeleton. 
Lunch was at a little cafe by the lake and I had some amazing lake trout. We went to a little shop with wood carvings - particularly nativity scenes - and I was going to buy one until I found out that they were from Poland (including the wood). So some of my friends bought a couple of things but I decided to pass. We got ice cream (today was a particularly warm day) and then made our way back to the car for the not so short drive to Vienna. Traffic made it even longer but the views and good company make it more than bearable. 
We turned in our car, which was a kind of sad moment. She was a good little Skoda and took us on some fun adventures. We then walked around for a little bit and happened upon a massive Indian wedding at the Belvedere Palace. The music was wonderful and there were so many people wearing brightly colored clothes. The palace grounds were so nice with massive hedges and statues of Greek gods and goddesses. After about thirty minutes of walking around we happened upon yet another pizza place. I may have eaten more pizza on this trip than I have ever before in my life. We also had our first run in with a sketchy homeless person harassing us even in the restaurant. 
Obviously we have wonderful working internet again as I am posting these. This place is much better than Salzburg. We even have towels. 

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Walk Across Liechtenstein

2:49 PM ispeakitboldly 0 Comments

We said goodbye to Erlenbach and our host this morning. The valley we stayed in was such a magical place and I feel I could've gotten lost for many weeks just walking the hills and along the rivers. We went to an English speaking branch in Zurich and enjoyed a really nice Mother’s Day sacrament meeting. There was a Mexican woman talking about red carnations and each bloom represents a new generation, the Primary children singing “I Often Go Walking” (this song always gets me right in the feels), and other uplifting messages. We found an American diner to eat greasy burgers at for lunch followed by a drive to our next country - Liechtenstein. 
Obviously there wasn’t much difference between there and Switzerland. Our goal was for some of us to run/walk across the entire country. I stayed in my church clothes and just walked enjoying the beautiful scenery and warm weather. I actually was drawn back to memories of walking through the fields of Ireland when on lazy days my family and I would cut across farmlands or dirt roads to explore. There were fields of grass, plowed plots, horses and cows, churches and small roads. I met my friends on the other border and we made the long drive to Salzburg. 
Walking around after settling in we found the river and crossed over to the big square with the palace and horse fountain. There were lots of shops with stuff for Mozart and traditional Austrian clothing. We had terrible Japanese food for dinner and then Italian desserts. We were even serenaded by our waiter pretending to be Shaggy singing “You’re my Angel” and Pavarotti singing who knows what. Very entertaining. 
All four of us are crowded into one room and it’s bed time. Hopefully I will have internet and be able to post these one day. 

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