A Street Llama in Santiago, Chile

 This guy was just hanging out apparently

Of course as soon as I took the picture, an errant Chilean hopped out to collect, so we made the most of it

The old Delta 747 - second floor business class

It seems like a distant memory now, but working for Delta was pretty cool. As an employee, I would just look for open seats to interesting places, call Kristin from work, and say something like, "The business class seats upstairs are open on the 747 to Tokyo later today, you want to go to Japan?"

Of course everything has a cost and sometimes it is not a number. Traveling completely freely with Delta for about two years will always be something I look back at fondly, no matter how many companies I build or places I go. I took about eight weeks of vacation in a year there, and nobody really gave a shit. That is pretty cool. I got paid great to do pretty cool work that was not hard; that is pretty awesome. But in the end I could do my daily job in about 40 minutes and its impact on the grand scheme was dubious at best. Everything has a cost, time above all else. Don't settle. Even if it comes with free business class flights anywhere in the world.

Kristin enjoying a trip to Japan in the old business class seats upstairs on the 747

Paris at night - golden and quiet

Kristin was sick and sleeping. We had just arrived in Paris. I slipped out with my tripod and sort of just communed with this great city. One of my favorite travel past times is to go out in the middle of the night with my camera and just kind of jog around and catch the city sleeping.

Look Up Tokyo! Shinjuku, Tokyo at Night

Color floors action - The night is Shinjuku Kabukichō

What are these people looking at?

Ginza the heart

Octopi have a few hearts. Japan is like this. It has many hearts of shopping. Shibuya, Harajuku, Omotesandō, even Akihabra for the electronos. Ginza is the heart of hearts for Japan shopping though - I give it the crown. Its wide boulevard is always a great walk. And its location is perfect.

Nassau, Bahamas

 A classic Nassau scene 

Tsukiji fish market of Tokyo

The freshest sushi I have ever eaten in my life was in the Rock Islands of Micronesia. A local fisherman pulled the fish out of the sea, and we were eating sashimi within the hour. It was all very simple and perfect. Supply is all about the vertical. It all starts somewhere. I was there.

Catches come from all over the pacific, from countries like Palau that have GDPs the size of Series D balance sheets. The fish are flown to Tokyo for the world's top fish market. Basically, Tsukiji is to fish what Wall Street is to money and finance (or was). Money passes through the markets. Fish passes through Tsukiji.

The place is part circus part aquatic slaughterhouse, with all manner of peculiar vehicles, people, critters, smells, and sights. 

Chasing the devil's wine in Chile

We went down to Chile to explore some wineries and switch seasons. Chile is a sly mix of South America with a twist of Europe. Dash of the devil.

Pizza on the beach

I have, in my life, eaten a lot of meals. Good meals. And There has been sandwiches, lots of sandwiches. There has been glory. I have eaten a 7 course meal at the highest restaurant in the world over the sands of Dubai. I have dined on the finest of Bologna atop the city state of San Marino. The Peninsula in Hong Kong. Ceviche at La Mar in Peru. Bistecca alla Fiorentina. The freshest tuna in the world right off the beach in The Rock Islands of Micronesia. I could go on like this like an asshole for hours. Hell, I kind of did.

But sometimes, you just can't beat some pizza, any beach, and the sunset. We put the world on hold. The life you lead becomes a whisper. The crash of the ocean a distant beat. Even Domino's will do.

Belgian Rooftops

On any square in the world and at any point in your life, do not forget to look up. There is so much more than what is at eye level. What is what in front of you is the biggest distraction for what could be next. 

Sunset in Colonia, Uruguay

An old town at the edge of nowhere. Colonia, Uruguay. Just at dusk, we ambled around a deserted square made pink by the sun's gorgeous retreat.