The Why Phase :)

January27

So Calico has finally hit the “why” phase! I got the first why a few weeks ago and yesterday maybe a hundred :). And, here is Calico pretending to be a Tiger in a jungle.

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Day Trip: Montanejos Hot Springs

January15

Lindsey surprised me with an all-day Saturday adventure for Christmas :)! We visited some mountain villages around Valencia and eventually ended up at the Montanejos Hot Springs. We realized this was our first day alone in 3 years, we hope we get more of these now that Calico is older. It was really nice to enjoy each other’s company.

First, we stopped at a little bar in Montan for a snack. We ended up going to the olive press factory and got these beauties!

This is a special type of olive oil that you can only get in Montan… and per the locals, it cures all types of ills. We got 10 liters of it since we use a lot of olive oil :).

We saw a ton of Iberian Ibix too…

The hot springs were not super hot, around 75F so it was a bit cold given it is January. Lindsey wore a wet suit and was still a bit cold. I was pretty good without a wetsuit but as Calico says it was “refreshing”. The hot springs are beautiful and you have to go through a canyon to reach them.

Very fun day!!!!!

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2020 Plans: Let “it” go.

January13

My theme of the year is “let it go” (watch the video here).

What is “it”?
The frantic energy that is anxiety and insecurity and hard to define. It is the inability to hold still or be at peace. I want to work on getting back to my quiet place. A place where I can just sit and feel calm and more deliberate and more present.

My big 3 for the year?

1. Let “it” go & find my calm. This influences so many things with me, relationships, and work.

2. Make something awesome w/ Shepherd. Starting a new business is HARD and sometimes I forget to have fun. I am working on that and trying to remember that “fun” is a factor in what we are choosing to do/build.

3. Enjoy our time in Europe and figure out some individual and family adventures.

Onward to a very futuristic sounding 2020!

posted under Life Planning & Execution, My Thoughts | Comments Off on 2020 Plans: Let “it” go.

2019 Book Summary.

January1

Since 2010 I’ve taken part in a yearly challenge to read 100 books. For 2019 I read 149 books! This is my 3rd highest ever… I read a ton of fantasy this year.

88% of the books I read were fun books, and 12% were serious. This year was a little rough as I feel like I hit a bunch of duds and it was much easier to pick my top choices. I read a LOT of fantasy and historical fiction this year.

I do a big book summary each year too, if you want to take a look at past years for some reading ideas check them out here: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, so what are my top books of the year?

If you only read 3 fiction books this year I recommend the following:

1. The Power of the Dog is a stunning 3 book series by Don Winslow that takes you deep inside the drug trade and cartels. They are fantastically written and feel like they are pulled directly from newspaper stories about the cartels. They follow a DEA agent through his career and are amazing.

2. The Gaius Valerius Verrens series is 9 books of stunning Roman historical fiction. The character is fantastic and you follow him through an uprising in Roman Britain, Roman politics, and seeing a lot of Rome from AD 68 through AD 80. The only downside was the last 9 pages were a little off, but the rest were magnificent reading.

3. Thin Air by Richard Morgan one of my favorite authors. This is a gritty detective book set on Mars and just a great read. The main character is fantastic and the story is even better. I hit a lot of duds this year when it came to hardcore science fiction and this helped redeem a lot of those duds.

After top 3 of the year, my fav 3 Fantasy / Sci Fi / Historical Fiction:

1. It starts with the Green Count and is a 4 book Chivalry series by one of my absolute favorite authors (Christian Cameron). It is historical fiction and it follows William Gold starting with his life as a goldsmith’s apprentice in London just after the great plague of 1347 and continues through the Battle of Poitiers and the Savoyard Crusade, as well as the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, right through to the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, covering the history of the period—military, chivalric, and literary—in England, France, Italy, and Greece. Cameron just brings everything to life and like all his books it is hard to read the last book because you don’t want to lose the characters.

2. The Raven Mark Series is the best of fantasy, characters that feel real, that you wish you knew, and a story that leaves you unable to put down the book. This one is set in a postapocalyptic frontier that is half magic and half western.

3. The two-book series the Age of Tyranny are my final pick. They throw you right into the middle of a crazy world with a hilarious dark and messed up main character. Magic, gods, and a deeply disrespectful main character. The author knows how to end a book and I was impressed that the 2nd book was even better than the first (the ending was magnificent).

After top 3 of the year, my fav 3 *Real* Books:

1. The Mastermind: Drugs. Empire. Murder. Betrayal. This is a MUST READ, and one of the most awesome and insane true books I’ve ever read. Lindsey and I heard the author on a podcast and the story is insane. Basically about a guy who started a business that was in a bit of a gray area and making hundreds of million dollars and then decided to become an arms dealer, drug smuggler, assassin, etc… insanity.

2. Free Country: A Penniless Adventure the Length of Britain. This was a hilarious travel book about two guys who decided to see how nice the people of the UK are. How did they do that? They went to the southernmost point of the UK, stripped down to their boxers and then had to make it to the most northern point in 20 days on bikes without paying for anything (including bikes). Meaning they had to ask for places to sleep, food, bikes, clothes, etc. Thanks to Tony for the recommendation!

3. The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country. A hilarious story that is part travelogue and part cultural exploration. It had me laughing out loud constantly. Highly recommended!

Enjoy your next book! :)

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Workout Summary 2019 + 2020 Goals.

January1

For 2019, I did a total of ~316 hours of tracked workouts. I worked out 236 days out of 365 days in some form. Another good year… although I did not break my last two years’ records on hours or days (they tracked stroller walks w/ Calico which I dropped this year).

Biking
I rode 132+ hours on my bike and biked 115 days out of 365. I covered around 2,252km. About 60 hours less than 2018 but a very good year.

Strength / Rehab
I am stronger than I have ever been in my life which is cool. I’ve never really done strength training and Jeff has taught me a ton. It keeps my back pain free – and hopefully, my body better ready to handle adventures.

Fun stats:

  • I rode 2,252km this year on my bike. My 2nd highest year (only counting outdoor rides).
  • My longest bike ride this year was ~61km over 3 hours and 6 minutes (6th longest ever).
  • I did 119 strength training rehab sessions this year. That is about 2.2x a week (good habit).
  • My average strength training session was 45 minutes.

  • What are my workout goals for 2020?
    I am living in Europe and I ordered a new touring bike so I am hoping to do a ton of adventures on it! And, I want to stay strong and pain-free.

    1. Build a good base on my bike so I can do repeated 4 to 6 hours no problem. Right now that means riding 3x to 4x a week with one or two long rides on the weekend. Regardless just explore as much as I am able with work and family.

    2. Keep doing my strength training and build a ~3x a week habit to keep my back healthy and get stronger.

    3. Throw in some fun challenges here and there. I’ve been doing soccer juggling and I am thinking of trying a 30-day pushup challenge or something.

    Past years: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 workout summary.

    posted under Fitness & Sports | Comments Off on Workout Summary 2019 + 2020 Goals.

    This is bwb’s personal blog, so he can share his thoughts with the world, however scary or silly they might be. Plus family and friends can track what I am up to, and where I am in the world.

    I am pretty simple. I love Mangos. I love the ocean (although mostly at sunset, as I’m a ginger). I love to travel, eat exotic food, do long bike rides, read, and use my imagination. At some point, I decided it was better to be a pirate captain than an admiral. I am a globalist and see the entire world as my responsibility and playground. And I am married to an amazing woman who makes life even more fun :)! And we are now the proud parents of Calico Jack :).


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