Dear America, Please don't destroy our great country. Regardless of the outcome of tomorrow's election, democracy and freedom don't have to implode because our preferred candidate isn't elected. America won't fail because of Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton; our great nation can only fail because of
"If you plant a potato, we would never expect that a rose will bloom, it will always be a potato. If you want roses, you must plant roses." ~ Mingyur Rinpoche Most days, one of the first things I do when I wake up is to read
A few weeks ago, I had the fortune to meet a fascinating old woman who is quite well-known in Puerto Maldonado. She carries her 94 years as if they were 60, and the years certainly haven’t reduced her sharp wit – if anything, it would
These past several weeks have been packed with action and constant movement, as I’ve traveled around the region filming videos of the champions of the sustainable livelihoods initiative here in the Peruvian Amazon. Here are some key lessons and insights, including a change in the
Just about everywhere I’ve visited so far here in the Amazon, someone has told me a story or two about some pretty spooky myths of jungle spirits – frequently either protector spirits who defend the forest, or nasty, malicious evil spirits who are simply up
I’ve been largely disconnected from the internet for the past couple of weeks, which has, of course, both benefits as well as drawbacks. One of the benefits is providing some time to write, reflect, and process what’s in front of me, rather than constantly chasing
Tomorrow morning, the adventure fully begins. After months of anticipation and preparation, I'll be trekking out into the Amazon with a crew of local conservationists to shoot a series of videos about sustainable livelihoods in the Manu-Tambopata conservation corridor. The path to achieving worthwhile goals is
As I was finishing my dinner at a cozy little open air establishment on the Plaza de Armas here in Puerto Maldonado, I noticed a commotion growing out in the street. Passersby were gathering, while several police officers slowly closed in on a point on the grassy
It seems quite ironic, and perhaps encouraging, that the first person I struck up a conversation with on Day One in Peru happened to both be very interested as well as informed about conservation issues in his country. Striking up a conversation with a friendly
I can remember the exact day that I became a “man”. Only a "quote" man because I think that becoming an adult human is a ongoing process that doesn’t have an end result, like arriving at Paris after a long flight, but is rather a life-long