Everything is on the line when you wake up. Looking at the cell phone is a plunge into the energy of others, the comparison traps of social media, and the anxiety of world news. It will start you off unbalanced and unfocused.

Dedicating the first moment of the day for yourself is the truest way to "look out for #1". A brief routine to consciously center oneself will make a remarkable impact on the rest of the waking hours.

Here is my current routine:

• ​Wake up without an active phone: Obviously nothing beats waking up naturally, but if an alarm in necessary use an alarm clock. Sunrise clocks offer a gentler way to be roused.  If you must use the cell phone, make sure it's on airplane mode before you sleep so that zero notifications will catch your attention as you turn off the alarm in the morning. The key here is not to get sucked into the device in this fragile, groggy state.
• Take a second to appreciate another day alive: Sometimes I verbally acknowledge this.
• Drink a glass of water: Hydrate yourself after many hours of no water.
• Meditate: I've been using the app Calm to keep consistent. Some of my friends like Headspace. Spotify is full of guided meditations. There are also many free ones on Soundcloud. A regular meditation practice will start bleeding into the rest of the day in fascinating ways. More and more often I break out of the spell of deep thought into the present moment.  Waves of emotion become less consuming as a gap appears between a sensation and a reaction.
• Journal: This is the daily briefing with the captain of the ship. Is the course optimal? I write down a few things about which I'm grateful, remind myself of who I am, and plan how to move through the day. 
• Cook and Eat Breakfast: Author Yuval Noah Harari describes how modern homo sapiens have lost most of their sense of taste. Our attention is now often on a screen, a conversation, or a thought instead of on our food. The morning is a chance to appreciate the stuff that's going into our bodies. Keep the phone off and savor the flavor, texture, and nourishing sensation of that breakfast.
• Phone on.. day started.

I'm always tweaking this routine and would appreciate any feedback to make the list better. What is your best tip to start the day right?

Burning Man is now a massive spectacle, but it had humble origins on San Francisco's Baker Beach. What meek little event will grow up to be the next big thing? Here's one dark horse racing out of Europe's most underappreciated capital city. 

Do you know another burgeoning event that captures the Burning Man spirit? Tell me about it in the comments.

Cheap flights and growing economies have created a massive populace of new tourists. The industry which funnels them into the world is based on creating inflated expectations.

 Think about how much fun you'll have on your 5 day tour through Europe! 

• See the famous Eiffel Tower
  
• Take a quick snapshot in front of Neuschwanstein
  
• Attend a flamenco performance in Sevilla (while drinking an authentic sangria!)
  
• Watch the Queen's guard change shifts just before catching the flight back home

This paradigm is good at making money, but terrible at providing what we deeply crave: connection. Expectations ultimately let you down. Things are never as rosy as imagined, or as glossy as their marketing. The romance of Paris will evaporate when a local is rude to you, the "cultural experience" in Vienna will sour when you notice the only Austrians in the room are being paid, and Stonehenge won't provide the wonderment you hoped to feel because you were quickly marched around it by a person holding a mini flag. 

This disappointment will lead this new populace to the same conclusion most travelers eventually reach: Travel is better without expectations. A destination is more impactful when it's allowed to define itself. 

Enter Serbia: a country with a minuscule presence in the travel market. You probably know nothing about this destination. Perfect! Come without reading a single article. What a treat to open a destination like a Christmas present, with no idea what's inside that big box. 

Serbia has dodged the mainstream trap because it doesn't have many marketable checkboxes. There is no Everest, no Vatican, and no Eiffel Tower. It has a subtle charm and beauty which can't be easily defined in a tourist brochure. It's simply genuine, open, and honest. What that means to you will have to be defined through direct experience.

When today's multitude of new tourists mature they will desire a deeper level of travel. Serbia is ready to provide.

Coffee is one of the world's favorite drinks. It has many health benefits. It's the centerpiece of pleasant morning rituals, business meetings, and casual dates. So why stop? A temporary break from caffeine could make a profound impact on your perspective. Principally  in these five areas:

1. Sympathy for your fellow addict: Go cold turkey on your coffee habit and you will quickly realize you are an addict. Moreover, there is a good chance you will relapse before breaking free (while reciting the classic excuses used by all drug addicts).

The rough attempt to quit caffeine will create sympathy for the staggering amount of people in prison for drug possession. Perhaps you could become an ally in changing the world's draconian policies to something more like Portugal's successful model of decriminalization.

2. Boost your self control: One of the great virtues in life is self control. Are we a slave to our passions or do we have choice? Whether it's porn, coffee, or refined sugar; the only way to prove control is to confirm the ability to stop. You've got a whole lifetime to indulge. Can you abstain for just one month? 

3. Reframe views of happiness: There are many folks who would benefit from anti-depressants but don't utilize this resource. Why? There is a societal disapproval of chemical cures... a belief that a person should be able to make themselves happy through pure willpower.

Quitting a caffeine habit will smash this perception in the teeth. A day or two into the cleanse a chemical reaction will plunge one into a deep state of grumpiness. A grey raincloud will hang above. Watch how fast it evaporates just minutes after drinking a coffee. Everything is right in the world again.

While contemplating a new appreciation of chemical cures, the caffeine abstainer can also seek other methods of finding well being, such as meditation and mindfulness. 

4. Get a grip on anxiety: There is a heap of worry in our modern world. We are inherently anxious creatures. But what is our baseline and how much is the caffeine? Temporarily removing this stimulant provides a more accurate assessment of the stress we process.

5. Unleash caffeine's power: To the addict a dose is like scratching an itch. Its appeal is the sensation of relief. To the casual user a dose provides the full potential of a drug. After breaking a coffee habit, one will discover that caffeine becomes a useful tool for moments when a boost of energy and alertness is most useful. The addict doesn't get the same reward.

​
The research say coffee consumption is positive, but committing to a cleanse has many benefits. I'm a fan of the beverage, but also dedicate myself to the occasional break**. It gives me a sense of self control, makes me more understanding of the delicate nature of brain chemistry, and has given me more sympathy for people who struggle with other addictions. Hope it does the same for you.

** The first break from coffee, done while filming in Romania, was a bitch. The withdrawal lasted 10 days. Sleepy, lethargic, and grumpy most of the duration; although I'd occasionally wake up at 4AM wide awake. Now I no longer cold turkey my breaks from caffeine, but will slowly decrease consumption over the course of a week until I'm off the sauce. However, that cold-turkey experience was extremely valuable for self growth and understanding the addictive power of drugs. I recommend everyone try it once.

President Trump’s April 26th Executive Order requires a review of national monuments dating back to 1996. Our time to influence this review is coming to an end. Bears Ears National Monument comments are closed on May 26, all others on July 10th. This is a closing opportunity to tell our government our values. 

Some of you feel helpless in today's political climate. Will this really make a difference?

All comments go on public record. The Department of Interior must take into account the balance of "yeas" to "neys". If the department's decision goes against our wishes the process will almost certainly lock up in legal battles. The result of those battles will be heavily influenced by our input. Leaving comments and opinions creates a vital paper trail for the courts. 

What if I'm a Trump supporter and want to stay loyal to my leader?

Trump's order puts national monuments under review, which means he's asking: How much do you care? The best way you can support your president is to give him an honest answer to his question.

Big oil is answering the question. They are submitting these forms right now. Corporations view the world in terms of growth and profit. That's simply the nature of the beast. A shark is designed to eat without regard for the seal's feelings. A corporation wants to grow without regard for the value of tranquility, recreation, or natural beauty. If we value these things as individuals we must exercise our political power to protect them.

What if you came home to find someone carving out a piece of your lawn for a project that would pay you zero money? That's exactly the nature of this looming threat. National monuments are your land. You can't grab your shotgun, but you can fill out this form.

But.. They probably just want a teeny tiny slice of land.

The promise of protecting national monuments is a promise of forever. That's how the Antiquities Act was designed. That promise is broken if a piece of land is forfeited. With this precedent it will become easier to lose more and more of our land to industry exploitation.

We can put flags on our cars, and sing the national anthem with pride at the big game; but there is nothing more patriotic than defending the land. It's where the rubber meets the road. 

For every Republican, Democrat, or Independent there must be a serene place that we cherish: A favorite fishing spot where we bond with good friends, that epic hike which provided new perspective, or the camping trip that crowns the memory of a great romance.

Some of my life's best moments happened on land which is now in danger. Join me to protect these spaces. Now is the time to act.  

Send THIS FORM (with an adjustable letter provided by an action committee)
Or fill out THIS FORM (from the official government site) 

Make your voice heard. Defend your land.

-----
P.S. Here is my letter to the Secretary of the Interior:

Protect Our National Monuments

Dear Secretary Zinke, 

I officially oppose any concession of Bears Ears or our other national monuments. I believe Teddy R. would agree that the promise to protect these lands is a promise of forever. A forfeit of even an acre breaks that promise and sets a dangerous precedent to carve out more and more of our protected land. 

These spaces have been valuable to my mental well being and enjoyment of life, and have inspired thousands who have seen them on our show Road Less Traveled.

These historic sites represent a crucial part of our American heritage – they protect Native American sacred ground, preserve areas of historic and scientific value, and drive local economies with opportunities for recreation and tourism. 

 The authority given by the Antiquities Act is well-tested and clear, and the process by which each of these 27 monuments was designated included significant local input in conjunction with a broad view of our shared national interests. President Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act in 1906 to protect our shared American landscape from corporate looting.

I urge you to protect and preserve our nation’s national monuments from any changes. 

New travelers often make the same error as young bucks: They put too much value on the count. Months later, what is left from that quick night with Jennifer or blazing through Italy in five days? Both were better than staying home, but an opportunity lost to go deeper. 

The era of social media and cheap HD cameras has exacerbated this old traveler pitfall. Destinations are now edited down to highlight reels. Production teams, eager to push out content, fall into the same ruts that steer the banana-pancake backpackers: Laos becomes a drunken float tour and waterfalls, the Philippines is about a party in Boracay and paddling kayaks around Coron; Italy is about hiking Cinque Terre and eating pasta.

This content is not without virtue. It inspires folks to travel, which is intrinsically a good thing. However, it inadvertently encourages the idea of checklists: You gotta do this. You have to go here.

People don't care about numbers as much as we estimate*, and numbers don't build a sense of self-worth as much as we hope. Investing time in a culture or a person creates connection. Connection opens the mind by exposing us to different perspectives. Connection creates a sensation of belonging and inclusion. Connection fosters understanding and love. This is the essence of travel.

St. Augustine famously said "The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page."
The world is more like a library. Those who do not travel read only one book. Those who speed travel are only reading the back covers.
The wealth of emotions, the complexity of the human experience, and the novel perspectives can only be reaped deep in the pages.

* With the exception of social media numbers, which is a currency that continues to gain value.

One night 500 Californians were killed and thrown into the ocean. There were smashed and drowned by a fifty meter wall of water as it tumbled violently down a series of valleys. Bodies were recovered as far south as Mexico. The catastrophic collapse of the St. Francis Dam was the second biggest tragedy in state history, and the epic downfall of California's favorite son: William Mulholland.
Despite the dramatic story and stunning setting this spot is rarely visited. Southern California's grand disaster has become a traveler's secret spot. Here are my recommendations if you'd like to discover it:

2. Scramble over the Rubble to the Left: Climbing over big chunks of the old dam notice metal pipes and other curiosities poking out of the ruins. Once you surmount the first pile you'll find a serene little creek and pool on the other side. It's a good spot for a tiny picnic. I took a dip on my first visit, but saw an unidentified snake slither off in the deep. There may also be more concrete with metal attachments underwater, so I'd advice against leaping in unless you thoroughly explore the depth.

3. Climb up the Ridge to the Right: After scrambling around the rubble to the left of the road, go back and scale that ridge on the other side. It has very clear remains of the dike which was a 3 meter extension of the old dam. From the top it's easy to see the exact placement of the doomed structure. Also, looking north, you get this gorgeous view of the forest, dramatically lush in contrast to the dry hills around. Notice your parked car off in the distance by the new road.

4. Head for the Big Rock in the Distance: From the ridge, looking across the rubble of the old dam, a prominent rock is visible. To get there drive down San Francisquito Motorway about 1.3 miles until a fireroad appears on the left. From there it's a fairly easy climb up to a T junction. Go left on the narrower trail which will lead straight to that rock. From the top one can see the remains of the entire old dam and trace the path of the water as it plowed down the valley before hooking a right around Castaic Junction, following the Santa Clara River Valley to the Pacific Ocean.

5. Extend your Exploration: To make a full day of the St. Francis Dam story, follow the water course down towards Ventura.

• The rebuilt Powerhouse #2  (the first structure to get crushed) appears shortly down San Francisquito Canyon Road. It has a memorial to the dead stashed behind a fence.
• Some of the small towns along the river valley have memorabilia from the day they were smashed.
• Ivy Lawn Memorial Park (A private cemetery) has a mass grave where most recovered bodies were interred, although, surprisingly, there is no sign or memorial on the spot.
• Park at Surfer's Knoll and walk south along the beach to reach the place where the dam water, full of debris and corpses, dumped into the ocean. Today the water here is pleasant for a swim, but be aware of rip tides. Don't add yourself to the count.

Before going, read the dramatic story of the St. Francis Dam and the rise and fall of Mulholland. It's a doozy of a tale which will make this adventure all the more impactful.