Inspiring Love, Hope, and Natural Health!

The Legend of Alamere Falls

2017-05-14T08:43:00.002-04:00

Let me just start off by saying, this hike was no easy task...

The original hike for the search of Alamere Falls run about 8.4 miles round trip...if you start from Palomarin Trailhead. Unfortunately, on the day my wife and five year old daughter decided to venture out to the trail, the Palomarin Trailhead was blocked off, due to the amount of people who had the same idea that day. So instead of a 8.4 mile hike, we were rerouted to the Five Brooks Trailhead, which added a few more miles to the journey...now a 12.8 mile (roundtrip) hike.

We started off strong, as we were following behind a few people on horseback and a lovely family of 3 (a mother and 2 teenage daughters). The trail was wide and easy to walk.

After about a mile of hiking, the family in front of us sat down for a quick snack break. As we pass by, we look over and say in a joking manner, "Only 5 and a half miles to go before we make it to the falls!" The look on their faces? Priceless! At that point I realized, this family had no idea the commitment needed for this journey...and there was a good chance that this was the last we'd see of them.

My wife, my daughter, and myself carried on a bit further. At about 1.5 miles, the trail split off into a much smaller, more remote area of the woods. The forest was dense and the terrain was a bit less friendly. There were rocks to navigate, as well as, poison ivy and thick mud. At about the 2.5 mile marker, my wife and I looked at each other and had to make a decision. We were already a little tired...and we were ill prepared. In addition to being rerouted and adding miles to our journey, we also got a late start and were concerned that nightfall would come before we were able to make it back to the trailhead.

We only had 2 bottles of water, half a bag of chips, half a brownie (all of which the 5 year old packed), and zero extra clothes as the temperature dropped. At that moment, we decided it would be wiser to head back to the car and plan the hike a little better next time. It was also that moment...where the look of disappointment in my daughters eyes shattered my heart. She didn't even know what a mile was...she didn't know how far we really had to go...time and distance we irrelevant matters to her heart and determination.

I again looked at my wife and asked, "Should we do it?"

Despite every piece of wisdom telling me to turn back and head to the car...the disappointment in my daughters eyes was more powerful than logic. And against all my better judgement, we headed toward Alamere Falls...

For the most part, this hike was simply...long. No real obstruction or challenges, other than a few areas of "swamp-like" terrain. The paths turned and circles and turned again. We passed a few groups who were lost and we tried to direct them to the best of our ability, but we didn't really know which direction we were heading either.

A couple hours later, we made it to the last half mile...the secret path that lead down toward the waterfall.

As we stood above the falls and admired the beauty, we also knew that this wasn't the final destination...and this is where the real challenge laid. There were steep, rocky cliff areas that need to be navigated, expertly, in order to make it down to the bottom. I asked my wife to stay where she was (due to her fear of heights) and we'd be back shortly.

Ever so carefully, I climbed my way down the cliff side. As I made it to each "safe zone", I would have my daughter jump for the ledge above, into my arms. Before we knew it, we made it to the bottom! So much joy! So much gratitude! Exhausted, thirsty, sore, and bruised...I sat down by the falls and watched my daughter take off her shoes and play in the beach sand. The ultimate free spirit was released! She was so proud of what she had just accomplished!

I looked up to the ledge of the cliff at the top of the waterfall...and there was my wife! Looking over the ledge waving to us down at the bottom.

At this point, I gathered my daughters belongings and we started to make our climb back to the top of the falls. As I looked up, I saw my wife trying to come down...tears running down her face...shaking from fear...but knowing that she wanted to be with my daughter and I more than anything else in the world. We climbed quickly to her and there was an intense embrace. We helped each other back to the top of the falls and we started to make our way back toward the path for the 6.4 mile hike back to the car.

My wife is in pain, as she took a spill on the climb down to the waterfall. My daughter is exhausted, as she's only five years old and has already hiked 6.4 miles to get to the waterfall. We only have a couple chips left, a couple bites of brownie, and a single bottle of water. The sun is now starting to set and there's a chill in the air...

Unknown to my wife and daughter, I'm afraid we won't make it back in time and we'll have to figure out how to survive the night in the woods. Not even a 1/4 mile has passed on the walk back when my daughter decides she can no longer walk. I pick her up and throw her onto my shoulders. My wife is limping but forces herself to continue despite the significant amount of suffering she is going though. She asks me if she can lead the way because it feels more motivating than falling behind. Of course I say yes, but in my heart, I knew we weren't moving fast enough...

I see the sun starting to set, I feel my daughters head become heavy as she falls asleep on my shoulders, and my wife, due to insurmountable pain, must take regular breaks to rest...

The sun has now gone down, my daughter starts to shiver, and we're still 3 miles from the car. My wife and I both take off our shirts to keep the little one warm. We turn on the cell phone light to use as a flashlight to navigate through the dense forest...and we continue on...

There were times of hopelessness. There were times of weakness. There were times of fear. There was even a chance of giving up.

But at every turn of difficulty, we inspired one another to keep moving forward. "Just 2 more miles", we would say. "That's like 8 more laps around the track." "Just 1 more mile, we can do it!"

Cold, beaten, muddy, exhausted, and hungry...we start to cheer! "I can see the car! There's the car! We made it! We made it together! We didn't give up!"

There was such a powerful sense of unity, connection, and gratitude for each other, for nature, for life. We laid the little one in the car seat, turned on the heater, and made our 1 hour drive back to our hotel.

Safely, we crawled into bed and held each other tight.

This is not a journey we will soon forget...

...but we're looking forward to the next adventure, as well.

And we hope you'll join us for that one as well.

The Journey to Serene Lake

2017-05-14T00:53:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I took a hike up to Serene Lake, here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest...which was pretty much a reflection of my life...and I'd love to share it with you...

Just like in life...I was not fully prepared for this adventure.

I'm a huge fan of hiking, but since living in south Florida, it's the "salt life"...since the tallest "hill" in the area is the trash compost. Haha. Secondly, I only own one light weight jacket, which I failed to bring with me on this trip (for some unknown reason). I had given my stocking cap away to a homeless lady the day before...and my hiking "boots" were the ever useful Samba Classics! So, as you can see, preparedness was tossed out the window.

With that being said, I did pack a little food and some drinks in a backpack. I also stopped by the local Goodwill and picked up a new coat and hat.

The drive to get there was an hour long...a beautiful drive. Once I arrived at the starting point, it was already raining (though, I guess it never really stopped). I threw on my cool new lightweight jacket and warm stocking cap and set off on the trail...

It was beautiful!

The trees were covered in a green moss that created a type of magic. The forest was dense and I remember friends telling me "Don't leave the path. We may never find you again." There were several rolling brooks and a couple areas that were more difficult to climb than others. In total, I'd be climbing up 2000 feet and about 10 miles round trip. The highest point would be around 2521 feet. The ultimate goal was to reach the beautiful "Serene Lake" at the peak of the mountain. Along the way there's also the majestic glory of Bridal Veil Falls! Worth the trip all by itself!

I remember passing people coming down, as I was headed up. "How was it?", I'd ask. The answers were as expected, "Beautiful, amazing, awesome", and so on. There were a couple of girls that I met in the parking lot that headed off a little before I did, but in time, I caught up with them and we had the opportunity to share part of the road and adventure.

Keep in mind, it has not stopped raining and, in fact, seems to be getting heavier, the higher we climbed.

...And then sleet...

Yup, the rain turned to sleet for a little while, before deciding we'd had enough and gifted us with rain again. After an hour or so, we made it to Bridal Veil Falls...and it was far more beautiful than words can describe. I remember whispering to myself, in awe of this natural beauty. I took a picture of the two girls in front of the falls and then headed off saying, "I'll see you at the next set of falls!"...but, I didn't. That was the end of their journey before turning around...and the last I would see of them. From this point forward...I was back to being on my own again.

So, alone again, I started up the most difficult part of the trail. Scaling cliffs and crossing treacherous rapids...rain steadily getting heavier. There were at least 3 times were I stopped and second guessed my decision to continue. One time I even went back down the mountain, saying "Nope, no more, I have no idea where I am. I have no idea how much further I need to go. I'm soaked from head to toe. I'm exhausted. This is foolish of me."

But then, I would gather myself, believe in myself, and push on.

As I got closer to the top...SNOW! Yup, good ol snow. At this point I had to turn around, right? I mean, the path is gone...the snow is melting. At any point, I could step into a patch of snow that had softened from the rain and fall to my death...or into a river...or simply break a leg or something.
Believe me...I sat there at the precipice of my goal...thoroughly questioning my motives and weather conditions...but I did not turn around. There was no one around to help me if something went wrong...I was alone...not even cell phone service. I remember thinking to myself, "Do not give up...do not give up...do not give up."

Delicately walking through the snow, the obstacles continued to grow. I fell several times, caught myself, and got back up. At my strongest moment of despair, there was a sign..."Welcome to Serene Lake".

It was absolutely magical. I mean, that type of real magic. The kind that makes us believe in fairies, leprechauns, dragons. The type of magic the renews the soul, invigorates love, and gives a reminder of how beautiful life really is. The type of magic the allows us to see the connection in all things.
...but now it was time for the climb back down...as I was only halfway done with my journey. And I remember thinking, "Well, just let me get outta this snow, then the rest will be all downhill. Well, I'm outta the snow, but let me see the waterfalls, then I'll be closer to the car. Cool, made it past the waterfall, almost there." The point is, my gratitude grew for each part of the journey. And I'd never been happier to get into my car, strip down, and blast the heat!

So how does this relate to my life?

Well, let me put it simply. Life starts out beautiful. We will pass wonderful people in life. Some will just be a passing...and others will stay for a moment. There will always be obstacles to navigate through. But most of the time...we'll be on our own. It's up to us to believe in ourselves...to pick ourselves up...and navigate. I remember asking myself, "Am I willing to die for this?" And my answer was "YES!" Yes, I'm willing to die for life. Truly living, being brave, loving each breath, showing gratitude for every moment...this is life. After all the trials of the journey, toward the tail end, soaking wet from head to toe, realizing the only reason for clothes at this point...was to protect from the rocks and branches...I looked down to see the water flowing downhill...and I laughed..."Be like water.", I thought. Just flow with life...

Young Entrepreneur Changes The Tea Game!

2017-05-14T00:32:00.000-04:00

Meet Tony Gunn, the young entrepreneur who is changing the way we drink tea, changing the way we heal our bodies, and changing the way we conduct business.

Tony is, admittedly, the type of person who lives in the clouds. A dreamer...a "no box at all" thinker...a believer in love, unity, and oneness...a believer in the power that we each hold within ourselves. "Changing the world always starts with a loving thought", says Tony. "Many people believe in a life altering concept, but never have the courage to follow the urge. And others live in doubt, never believing in the power of hope and possibility." And this is where Tony lends his tinder hand.

Tony is an engineer by trade, and inspirational speaker by request, and the Founder of Tea of Life via passion. As a world traveler for over half a decade, he has had the beautiful opportunity to learn from cultures all over the world...and here is one of his more infamous quotes:

"I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel the world and see how many live. From 3^rd world to 1^st world, I’ve talked with the homeless, the cancer survivors, the war survivors, thieves, murderers, victims, the rich, the famous, the successful, the goal oriented, the achievers, the believers, the dreamers, the do’ers, the psychopaths, the schizophrenic, the hurt, the parentless, the childless, the god-less, the religious, the over religious, the passionate, the lovers, the patient, the kind-hearted………they are ALL teachers.

And what have I learned?

I’ve learned that I know very little. I have learned that opinions can and will change. I have learned that the crazies are often right. I have learned that the truth can often be hard to swallow. I have learned that our biggest demons are within ourselves. I have learned that each person lives their own life which is completely different from our own. I have learned to listen with my heart because that is the one thing that can’t lie. To feel the energy of someone rather than their appearance or circumstance. I have learned to unlearn everything I had learned. To let go of what had been programmed from such a young age. I have learned that the more I feel the more I realized how preconditioned to circumstance I was……."

With all this being said, how is Tony actually helping change the way we heal? How is he changing business? And what's with this whole tea thing?

There's a (mostly) forgotten magic to the way the earth can heal us. A vibration that can be tuned into. A path of natural healing that has been suppressed by western medicine. These secrets are being revealed through years of travel and research. Additionally, with every purchase at myteaoflife.com, a percentage goes to those in need. Partnering with such non profits as Give Kids The World, The Marine Mammal Center, The Boys and Girls Club, and The Museum of Discovery and Science, Tony realizes that business and love are great partners to each other.

Then he has the really crazy stories!

If you ever get the opportunity to sit with him, ask about the time him allowed a homeless person to stay with him in is hotel. Or the time he picked up a drugged up hitch hiker and took care of him. Ask him why he buys all his clothes from thrift stores. Or his experience as a "Fear Factor" contestant. Perhaps you'd be intrigued to hear about the time he went swimming with whale sharks. Whatever it is that tickles your fancy, there might be a story about it...

But, don't be surprised if you find yourself doing most of the talking...as Tony will want to learn all he can from you as well!

Well, this is where we ask you to "stay tuned". This blog is just the beginning! If you'd like to find out more, visit myteaoflife.com.

See you soon!