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We take a walk around the north side of Grape Island in Hingham Bay. Part of the Boston Harbor Islands, Grape has always been one of my all time Favorite places to go during warm, sunny, humid days in the Summer.
*** It IS my happy place.
I’d love to learn about Your happy place(s).? I’m always looking for suggestions. Just the other day a buddy from High School (go Hingham Harbormen!) Eric, mentioned to me that his favorite place (at least as it relates to warm, sun and beaches) if the Caribbean. I’ve always thought that the Caribbean is “too expensive” BUT after traveling to Bermuda, I know that it’s possible to enjoy myself and Not be distracted by the price of everything. Getting an AirBnB is ALWAYS helpful in savings money and, at least in my opinion, allows for us to have a more relaxing time and feel less like a tourist…

So, where would you go if you didn’t necessarily need to earn a living by being there. I realize that many of us, all over the world, including Myself, do not necessarily live in a spot that is as ideal for emotional, physical and spiritual enjoyment as it is for making a living (a.k.a. generating income/revenue). So, I’m always searching for a way to Live My Ass Off and be in an environment where I can Live *and* Work and be so happy that I don’t spend many days at work, waiting for when I can leave the city where I work and live and go for 1, 2, 3… or *more* weeks “on vacation”… only to have to return to my locale of work to earn money so I can leave where I live to earn said money and enjoy myself… vicious cycle…
It really seems like a ridiculous paradigm at times. But, I get it. It’s what we do and I am conditioned to believe that if I live in a tropical paradise I am unable to earn the same decent living that I can when I am living in a city or environment where it is Less “tropical”… THAT also seems like a flawed way to thinking. As if the only thing people do when in a warm, tropical climate is goof off and have no real responsibilities… hmmmmm

Anyway, here’s me walking along the beach of Grape Island, trying to get some more clarity around that!

Thanks for watching, and remember, go Live The Dream.. cuz if you’re not, you’re doing it wrong!.
Peace.
~mikes

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Taking a short walk near the beach and on the pier just showing off some of the beauty that is the Summer in Hingham, MA.
Not the least of which is the solar powered composting outhouse. Who doesn’t love a clear outhouse, right!!???

Thanks for watching and hope you enjoy it.
If you get a chance to head out to the Boston Harbor Islands I *highly* recommend it.
#LiveOnVacation

Live the Dream!
~mikes

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After setting up our tent in record time, Gracie and I take a walk through the trains of Grape Island. Indeed its a magical place for me. A place where I was blessed to live arguably THE best childhood a guy could ever ask for.
The Boston Harbor Islands *in the summer* are always so green and clean. Its always a pleasure to experience when tax dollars really do go to the preservation of nature. In this case, via the DCR (Department of Conservation & Recreation) or through the amazing donations of people to the Trustees of Reservations.

Thanks for watching. Hope you enjoy it.
Live the Dream!
~mikes

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Every July or August for at least 20 if the last 25 years, I have gone “home” to Hingham, MA to visit with my folks. The months of July and August in the Boston area are my favorite: sunny, hot and humid… traditionally. There are of course days with rain but rarely does it get below about 70 in the summers. My kinda weather.

We took a bunch of photos and videos while there.
Hope you enjoy our little trip to Grape Island.
Part of the Trustees of Reservations and managed by the Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) and organization that adds massive value to living in Massachusetts

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Sorry that this upload/post is a bit out of chronological order. I was sitting here in San Diego editing some video to post on YouTube and realized I missed posting several videos from the summer.

This one in particular, while originally shot in June, is from our long weekend in Florida. The June Gloom was especially bad in San Diego this past year so gratefully, I had some JetBlue points that I actually needed to use or they were going to expire.
I had never really gone any further West in Florida than Key West and up until this trip, had never experienced the west coast of Florida.
It is now my FAVORITE place in Florida.

Its always a great thing when Gracie and I travel to a place where neither of us has been before. The whole “exploration” thing for me is a bug I was bitten by many years ago and gratefully I haven’t been cured of wanting to explore. I also realized that if I stay in a “cold” (my version of cold… probably not the same as your “cold”) climate I really get bummed out.
While much data and many people all seem to agree that if you live in an area with lack of sunshine, you can get depressed, for me, living in an area where it is not Always above 70 degrees… I simply do not feel normal.

SO, hope you enjoy this last little bit of our trip in Southern Florida and Specifically Sanibel Island – if was a magical place and I KNOW we will return for longer next time!!!

Thanks for watching.
Live the Dream!
~mikes

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Now, I’m not ignoring the fact that I have a *GREAT* life in San Diego. Great people in my life. Very comfortable. Challenging work and a team of IT rock stars that keep my heart and mind stimulated for hours. I even enjoy doing “work” when on “vacation” over in this part of the world.
Its just that I love being in this part of the world.
This past month has been exploring two islands in Malaysia, more parts of the Philippines, Singapore (3 times) and Hong Kong, for the 4th time since November.
I have never felt this strongly of an attachment to a place. I have moved from Boston to San Diego to St. Louis and back to San Diego – where I have been since 1996

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I’ve got a Microsoft conference: “Ignite : The Tour” in Singapore this week and it caps off my last month or so traveling thru South East Asia as I do this time of year.
I have never stayed over here any longer than 5 weeks continuously but Every Time I leave it feels harder and harder. I just LOVE this part of the world.
And thus, with less that 4 days left, my annual separation anxiety seems to rear it’s pesky head.
I’ve got a TON more videos to edit and upload but I thought I’d upload this one as a check in from mighty Singapore. It’s a magical place. I will stay much longer one day but for now, it’s simply a beautiful part of the world I get to visit from time to time.
Thanks for watching.
Live The Dream!!!
~mikes

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We stop by a new nature park (a.k.a Zoo), appropriately named, Langkawi Nature Park. Here’s just a quick video I shot inside their aviary. The Langkawi Nature Park has been open since September 2018. They have brown bears, zebras, camels, tigers, a white lion, several deer, and a mangrove with a 800m walkway through it all the way to the rriver. It’s near Kuah (Jetty Port) on Lankawi Island in Malaysia. At times we were quite literally the Only people in the park.
Entrance was 48 RM or about $10USD.
Fun

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Driving further up the west coast of Florida, we end up in St. Petersburg. A beach that gets quite a bit of positive press. Labels like “Top 10 best in the US” I read frequently. It definitely has great sand and certainly at this time of year, it was pretty vacant. Definitely appreciated. We’re liking Florida more and more, beach by beach.

**sign up for AirBnB** :: https://www.airbnb.com/c/mikes107?currency=USD

Sarasota AirBnB : https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/21736719

Sand Key Park, Clearwater, FL:
* http://www.pinellascounty.org/park/15_Sand_Key.htm
* https://www.visitstpeteclearwater.com/profile/sand-key-park/1734

Sand Key MAP:
*
http://www.pinellascounty.org/park/maps/color/amenities/SandKey.pdf