Active Workation Croatia 2018 – Working and Floating the Adriatic Sea

What is the Active Workation?

The Active Workation is an opportunity to spend a week with people who have either retired, have internet businesses or are seeking to learn about internet businesses while doing something fun. Also, some people came along just because it sounds like a lot of fun. For this Active Workation, our ‘something fun’ was a weeklong boat trip to various islands in Croatia.

They call it sailing, but there wasn’t much sailing happening. The boats all motor around these days. It’s a bit loud, but much more efficient that way.

We do have opportunities to do work either online or by making art which might help us in some way in the future.

For people live V and I, it’s an opportunity to discuss our next projects and teach anyone who wants to learn about the business stuff that makes it so we can choose to do business trips like these.

Note: this is a work in progress post. I'll update over the next few weeks, but it will be complete by the end of June. At that point, this paragraph will dissappear.

Some of the Videos

“Why make these little videos, Ian?”  I’ll explain that in greater depth below…

Here is a collection of small instagram-like videos I made using the GoPro Hero 6 during our Croatian Workation in May 2018.

Mikey is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu student from Detroit. He also likes diving. Though I made a few of these videos of him, this is the shortest one that I could add to the blog without using a third party application like YouTube or something owned by Mark Zuckerburg.

Zia is a from England and works in finance. She was initially afraid to get on a boat, but now she loves boats, and swimming. Good work Zia.

Simon is a German/Korean finance/project management professional living in Zurich, Switzerland. He is also fond of swimming.

Sean helps keeps yachts operating effectively between Europe and Dubai. She is originally from Australia and is fond of swimming.

Sam is good at gymnastics and dancing.

Rik is from Holland and is good at many things. He made a video of the croatian workation that you can watch by clicking here.

Here’s another video of Rik.

Lauren is learning about what she wants to do next. This trip was a way for her to get ready for what to do next.

Louise was with us for Nomad Cruise 6. She lives in the Dominician Republic and is good at paddle boarding.

What is this collection?

This is an experiment on publishing videos on my own site. You see, almost everyone uses services like Google, Facebook or Wistia to publish videos. The problem with that is that when we use these services we depend upon those platforms for the rest of time. Therefore if those platforms lose our data or highjack it, we don’t really have much we can do in retribution. I mean, we gave up all our power from the beginning. It’s nice that they offer the service to host our media for free, but I feel it’s important to remember that they are offering their free services not because they are the kindest organizations in the world, but because they use the media to make more money than it would cost them to create and host it themselves.

Socially, this was an experiment in giving with 0 anticipation of anything in return. These videos are helpful for other people to share on those previously mentioned platforms. Some of them have received a a few thousand views and the vanity metrics probably make people feel happy about their trip.

Technically, it was a great way to practice filming with the GoPro Hero 6. I learned a lot about depth and how to dive with the subject while on this trip.

Is That It?

No. I have a few more videos I would like for Patrick, Marcella and other guests of the event. Those will have to wait as I have exploring to do.

I do plan to update this blog as I have more time and access to the internet. Thank you for reading.

If you have anything to add or would like to request a movie, please let me know in the comments below.

Principles

This is a list of my own principles. This list was inspired by Ray Dalio. Ray lamented in his book that there wasn’t a written down list of principles from many of the greatest thinkers of our society.

I believe a world of shared principles would be a better place. Therefore I’ll list my own principles here in the hopes it inspires others to think critically about their principles.

Principles

This is a working list.
Updated May 4th 2018

 

    1. Honesty is an attribute which pays infinite dividends. Always be a person who speaks the truth and executes on the plans one commits to. Honesty is the core of all trusting relationships. If you allow yourself to be dishonest, it will be forever impossible to become honest again.
    2. Be kind to people. Kind people get more from every interaction.
    3. Be happy with people. Happy people get more from every interaction.
    4. Supporting the goals of others is an excellent way to improve one’s own’s chances of achieving one’s own goals.
    5. Constantly improving one’s knowledge of philosophy, engineering, art, athletics will lead to a consistently enriched life.
    6. If someone is angry with you, remember that their anger is probably a derivative of their own disappointment in themselves. Therefore, respond to anger with patience and sympathy.
    7. When getting ripped off or robbed, remember that you will survive the event. The thief will lose the long-term capacity to improve their lives. Note: This does not serve one in extreme situations.
    8. In extreme situations, the evils of the outside world need to be responded to with extreme force. Avoid extreme situations where you are subject to evil. If an extreme situation is unavoidable, plan consciously and absolutely to destroy the source of the situation.
    9. Trusting people is a brave and powerful tool.
    10. Read about historical brutality (especially wars, torture and genocide) to become grateful for the modern times.
    11. Zero-sum-games are less common in the real world than in economics books. More often than not, there is a way for all parties to achieve mutually beneficial relationships.
    12. New experiences stretch one’s understanding of the opportunities in life.  Try to get out of your comfort zone enough to continue developing as a person.
    13. When experiencing hard times in life, it is always your fault. Never assign the reasons for your failures to others. It does you no service to exiting those hard times and it makes you powerless to others.

Inspired by Ray Dalio

Learn More about Principles

You can pick up Ray Dalio’s book by click thing here.

I made a random principle generator of Ray’s Principles, you can check out by clicking here. 

Final Thoughts on Sharing One’s Principles

What if everyone wrote down their principles?

What if everyone thought critically about their principles?

If you find this list useful, please feel free to list your own principles and link them in the comment section below.

I hope you found this useful.

Fly in Canarias – The Most Exciting Thing I’ve Done in the Canary Islands

Today we went paragliding with Chris from fly in canarias. This was a super exciting adventure and I’ll be honest, I was terrified of doing it. Luckily, I’ve got friends who influence me to do stuff that scares the heck out of me. I’ve turned the corner on that fear now and am contemplating getting a paragliding kit and taking a 5 week course. We can save that for later though. Here is the video:

Paragliding the Canary Islands

Paragliding is essentially kite flying where the kite is strong enough to carry the pro and a guest.

paragliding canary islands - fly in canarias

The day was so exciting that we look like a bunch of giddy teenagers after everyone went flying. Here’s our group:

paragliding canary islands - our fly team

One cool thing about paragliding is that it takes place in beautiful places. Los Gilles is a town in the Canary Island called Gran Canaria. These stunning views empower some cute photography. Here’s a shot of V carrying me.

paragliding canary islands - v supports

About Fly in Canarias

You can learn more about the group that took us paragliding on their website.

Paragliding Planning

If you’re planning on going, here’s one thing to keep in mind. Paragliding is critically dependent on the wind conditions. This makes for an activity relies heavily on conditions which the tour company has no control over. It’s like skiing, surfing or sailing. Without wind, your plans will be ruined.

The good news is that Chris was excellent at describing to us the situation. We met at an initial place which we learned would not work out. Then we made plans to go to the other side of the island, but on the way there he called us and we turned around. The wind had shifted and our initial plan was now acceptable.

When we arrived at the launch pad, Chris hustled to get us into the air while the going was good. It worked out perfectly. We each took a 20-minute flight and returned safely to the landing pad.

Connect with Fly in Canarias

If you’re headed to the Canary Islands and you’re looking for something fun to do with a date or with the family,  I can’t recommend this enough. Not only will you see a big chunk of the islands, but you’ll do something that stretches your limits and pushes the adrenaline through your veins.

Connect with Fly in Canarias:

We delt specifically with Chris. He was great. You might want to mention his name when you call them up to organize a time. Here’s where to start:

Connect | Prices

Later that Day, in the Grand Canary Islands…

One very cool thing about paragliding is that it happens quick. After a 20-minute flight, you still have a ton of time to see more of the island. David and I went surfing after this, but I’ll share that video later.

Thank you for visiting.

Surfing Pacifica 2018 | Mostly a Review of the GoPro Hero6

We spent the afternoon surfing Pacifica, California. The video is basically my first attempt at making a movie with my new GoPro Hero6. Here are some of the lessons I learned from working with the camera for my first time in the water.

Specific GoPro Hero6 Black Stats at Time of Shooting

This is the new GoPro I won from doing the Roses are Rad film festival:

GoPro Hero6

Name = GP05828030

Version Number = 01.51

sunset wave break - surfing pacifica

Surfing Pacifica with a New GoPro – Lessons Learned

Hang loose - surfing pacifica

The new GoPro Hero6 is my favorite of all those that I have owned in the past. That said, I still don’t feel like they have perfected the camera.

Problems

  • Touch Screen Lock? When I hold the camera in my teeth and ski down a mountain, sometimes it gets intense and my tongue accidentally touches the screen. This causes unwanted video stoppages recording accurately.
  • Battery Reliability? The camera showed a 0% battery when I first went out. Though I thought this was a mistake, I didn’t film for 15 minutes as I thought the battery was dead. I then tried it again later and found the battery at 85%. My guess is that the camera suffers in the cold, Northern California ocean water.
  • Temperature Problems? The day after filming the above video, I took the camera out and it froze again. This time it was just stuck on the media playback scene. It remained frozen the whole time I was in the water so I lost a bunch of opportunities to film. That included a dolphin sighting and Veronica catching some fairly large waves on a longboard.
  • Sound? Thus far, the sound remains a big weakness of the GoPros. It’s beyond me how a waterproof camera can record sound at all, but I none-the-less wish it could record sound a little better.

Excellences

  • Slow Motion – Filming at 120 fps allows me to slow down some really great shots. This camera does an excellent job.
  • Record Button – I love the way the new record button feels
  • Lack of Housing – The lack of housing rocks. That makes this camera much easier to film with. It also has a lot less critical pieces which make for a better filming experience.

still water - surfing pacifica

Skateboarding Reno – March 2018

Skateboarding Reno is fun.

Skateboarding Reno Spots

Today we visited two skateboard parks, one is called Lazy 5 and the second is called Mira Loma.

Skateboarding Reno - Today's spots

Mira Loma and Lazy 5 are our favorite spots. They have nice transition and some fun street elements. Lately, the best skateboarders always seem to be skateboarding at Mira Loma. I believe that is because Mira Loma is much more central to Reno. Lazy 5 is fairly far away from the center of town.

Chirripo in a Day – Climbing Costa Rica’s Tallest Mountain in One Day

The problem with climbing Chirripo in a day has nothing to do with the complexity of the trail. When we decided to hike from San Gerardo to the top of the tallest point in Central America, there was nothing that could prepare us for the challenges that lay ahead. Here’s the story.

Chirripo in a Day

Chirripo in a Day

Written documentation of the day trip will go here.

Elevation Gain Comparisons for Understanding

The elevation gain of this hike is about 2,470 meters.

Hiking from San Gerardo de Rivas (1350 meters), Costa Rica to the summit of Cerro Chirripo (3,820 meters), is the elevation gain equivalent of:

  • Climbing the Eiffel Tower (300 meters) 8.2 times
  • Climbing the Freedom Towers (541 meters) in New York 4.5 times
  • Climbing from the town of Mammoth California to the top of Mammoth Mountain Ski Area then climbing down 1/3 of the mountain and back to the top.
  • Hiking from Reno, NV (1,374 meters) to the top of Mount Rose (2,716 meters), then doing it again.

Planning the Chirripo Hike

Chirripo Hiking Stories

Stories of Chirripo in a Day

Chirripo Maps

A nice map for planning Chirripo in a day

Planning a Hike to Chirripo in a day