It seems crazy that several weeks have gone by since I got home from my last contract in Indo and Australia.  That whole time I’ve been packing.  And by that I mean literally packing my stuff for this next adventure, but also packing in as much time with friends, family, and favorite places as I possibly can.

Spending time with my new nephew Parker and my beautiful, smart nieces has been high on my list, as well as:

– Surfing Rhode Island’s amazing waves

– Celebrating my birthday at a best friend’s wedding with great people

– Living and feasting on the beach in Newport for a few weeks, despite the cold digs

– Reading everything I could get my hands on about the “Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration”

– Visiting my dear friends in the Florida Keys where I was in, or on, the water every day

– Running and yoga

– Spoiling and exercising my dog

And now, as 2013 comes to a close, I’m getting my fill of smart, provocative, and hopeful stories that seem to sum up a positive direction in our world.  I realize that it’s not all Yahtzee and Mai Tais out there in the sea of humanity, but I’m seeing some great and inspiring stuff happen.  If you have some time to be amazed (and who doesn’t?), then I recommend the following videos and websites and I’m sure there are many more out there:

Hugs Hammocks:  Handmade Hammocks from the, Philippines to Benefit Those Affected by Typhoon Yolanda

TED Rachel Botsman: The Currency of the New Economy is Trust

Ken ‘Skindog’ Collins Responds to Laird Hamilton  (Laird had a condescending and negative reaction to a female surfer charging the biggest waves of the year in Portugal)

One Time A Guy Gave A Homeless Man A Computer And The Recipient Did Exactly What the Giver Expected

TED Hans Rosling: The Good News of the Decade?

TED Amy Cuddy: Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are

Aaron’s Last Wish in Newport, RI

Happy holidays everyone!

I’ll send out my next Travel Logs from New Zealand, the Sub-Antarctic Islands, and the Ross Sea, Antarctica.

Cheers.

~~ Kit