Joe McWilliams

I stood on the beach in Sayulita this weekend with the waves crashing on my feet. It was a few days into the trip so I had successfully reached a state of relaxation. Something was different though. Normally I trick myself into thinking the vacation I'm experiencing is what I need forever. I normally wonder why I'm living a normal life when I should be on vacation all the time without any worries. This time I couldn't do that. I was still engaged with all of my responsibilities. I was pondering what it would really mean to live my life without my current structure. I know too well that I can't just leave everything. There has to be something more sustainable. My journey to leaving started a long time ago. Even as a youth I had trouble with falling into a pattern and accepting that the world around me was the only path. I still haven't found out what the end of this journey looks like. I have this fire and desire in me but I have only seemed to keep adding to th

This month marks my 3 year anniversary living in the San Francisco area. This post is dedicated to my favorite ways to explore nature in this area. I am avoiding some obvious choices like Golden Gate Park and Sutro Tower. Lands End Starting location in Google Maps I like to start at Sutro Baths because there is ample parking. The baths themselves are also a sight to see. It's worth reading a bit about it before you go. Be sure to walk down to the ruins and take a right to go through a cave. If the tide is high enough there are rocks you can watch the waves crash onto. After checking out the Bath House ruins follow the trail North toward the Golden Gate Bridge. The views will not disappoint and the path is wide and easy to follow. Buena Vista Park Google Maps It's unassuming but a thick forest with a great view at the top. There are winding trails everywhere and it's easy to get lost. A great feeling while still being in the middle of a major city

What a year! My entire life has changed and it's been an amazing ride. I've written about some of it here already so I've linked to those pages. Let's start with January. In January I moved further than I had ever moved before...to Maine!  Read full article I also made it to Florida for my birthday to visit the Kennedy Space Center. A dream come true.  Read full article I also had the opportunity to visit New York a few times. The first time I got to see the SR-71 Blackbird with my own eyes! Another dream come true. SR-71 Blackbird at the Intrepid in NYC I've loved living in Maine. It's so beautiful and the summer was mild and warm. I drove up Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. I know you are probably thinking what I was, "psh drive up a mountain. This will be fun." I was pleasantly surprised. I've never had so much adrenaline while driving in my life. It's a road barely big enough for traffic in two directions with a sheer d

The cat is out of the bag. I LOVE SPACE! Now that I'm a real person and actually have income I decided to take a trip to Florida to see the Kennedy Space Center. It just so happened that the first commercial spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station was scheduled to take off on April 30th. I jumped on the phone and called my best friend to see if he would meet me in Florida. He was on board! I never had my hopes totally set on seeing the rocket take off. I knew they often got delayed and this was a first so it was even more likely. To this day it still hasn't taken off! Nevertheless, it was still an amazing trip! As my plane was flying into Orlando I could barely sit still! I wanted to scream I was so excited. It was so great to see my best friend and his wife. We enjoyed our time in Orlando over dinner before driving to Titusville where I had a hotel booked. The first day was all about NASA. We drove out to the island and took our Up-Close tour that took us

I had the opportunity to visit a friend who just moved to New York City in the Fall. I took the train, which was my first Amtrak experience. I took a bus to the Amtrak station in Boston and had some extra time so I laid down in a park to take in the warm air and sun. Relaxing in Boston On the first day we went to Times Square to buy tickets to Phantom of the Opera. Times Square was where I spent the most time on my last trip to New York so it was nice to be back. It's a very busy area but kinda cool. Times Square Next was the Intrepid Museum. The Intrepid is a retired aircraft carrier that was turned into a museum. My favorite part was seeing the SR-71 Blackbird . It is the plane that was being designed in Area 51 during the cold war. My next favorite part was the real Soyuz capsule that was used in 2005 for a manned mission to the International Space Station. Soyuz Capsule that went to the International Space Station After we saw Phantom of the Opera

Sorry I haven't written in so long! Things have been busy. Not in a bad way but in a way that makes me happy. Last week it was in the 70s and beautiful here. I soaked it up all I could and loved  it. I went to Fort Williams with some friends but of course by now it's cold again. I wait patiently for Spring! Lighthouse at Fort Williams Beach area at Fort Williams A tanker rolling in at Fort Williams