Justin Wright

Great Thinkers – Answering President Kennedy’s Challenge

Justin Wright — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 05:01:04 PDT

"Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person’s physical, emotional, and mental states." - Carol Welch

John F. Kennedy once observed, “We are under-exercised as a nation. We look, instead of play. We ride, instead of walk. Our existence deprives us of the minimum of physical activity essential for healthy living.”

It has been almost 50 years since this statement was made, but unfortunately it still holds true. With the advent of video games, even when we are not “looking,” playing has become an inactive activity. And with almost every American home having at least one vehicle, walking is almost unheard of.

While it is true that the number of gym memberships may be at an all time high, it is equally as true that a majority of gym memberships go unused. Although most of us have good intentions, we tend to put off exercise until tomorrow.

President Kennedy recognized, “The Greeks understood that mind and body must develop in harmonious proportions to produce a creative intelligence. And so did the most brilliant intelligence of our earliest days – Thomas Jefferson – when he said, not less than two hours a day should be devoted to exercise. If the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence, was Secretary of State, and twice President, could give it two hours, our children can give it ten or fifteen minutes.”

Thus, in an effort to motivate, inspire and challenge us to answer the plea of President Kennedy’s speech, I have compiled a list of quotes from great modern and historic thinkers:

“Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.”

Edward Smith-Stanley – English statesman, three times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

“The human body is made up of some four hundred muscles; evolved through centuries of physical activity. Unless these are used, they will deteriorate.”

Eugene Lyman Fisk – Author of books on healthy living

“And I believe that the best buy in public health today must be a combination of regular physical exercise and a healthy diet.”

Julie Bishop – Australian politician and the current Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of Australia

“Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.”

Plato – Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world

“Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person’s physical, emotional, and mental states.”

Carol Welch – Founder of BioSomatics Education, an empowering method that supports the body’s capacity to be posturally functional by overcoming neuromuscular conditions.

“A man’s health can be judged by which he takes two at a time – pills or stairs.”

Joan Welsh – Member of the Maine House of Representatives

“Exercise and temperance can preserve something of our early strength even in old age.”

Marcus Cicero – Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist

“What fits your busy schedule better, exercising one hour a day or being dead 24 hours a day?”

Randy Glasbergen – American cartoonist and humorous illustrator

“A bear, however hard he tries, grows tubby without exercise.”

A.A. Milne – English author, best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh

“We do not stop exercising because we grow old – we grow old because we stop exercising.”

Dr. Kenneth Cooper, MD, MPH – Founder and Chairman of Cooper Aerobics Center

“Nothing lifts me out of a bad mood better than a hard workout on my treadmill. It never fails. To us, exercise is nothing short of a miracle.”

Cher – Award-winning American pop singer-songwriter, actress, director and record producer

“To feel ‘fit as a fiddle’, you must tone down your middle.”

Author Unknown

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Author Bio: Cathryn Johnson is self proclaimed health-nut and a content writer for Online MBA Rankings who gives advice on the education, pursuing an online mba and living a healthy life. In her free time she enjoys travel, theater and having fun in the sun.

Photo: donjd2

Stop Making Excuses – Why There’s Never A “Right Time” To Get Started In Making Lifestyle Changes

Justin Wright — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 06:13:28 PDT

It's Time To Stop Making Excuses.

Why do so many people join the gym and go on a diet in January each year? Is it because they’ve all piled on plenty of weight over the Christmas period? To a degree the answer is yes. But of course this isn’t the whole story.

The people who go into a new fitness regime in the New Year are typically people who have been concerned about their figure for months. Maybe even years. But it’s the kick of making “New Years Resolutions” which provides the motivation to finally go out and do something about it.

Why didn’t they start getting in shape earlier in the year? Probably because they’re looking for the right time.

Attempting to achieve any major change in your life requires preparation and setting a time to really get started. Everyday life can be hectic and tiring and so we trundle along doing the same things week after week, month after month. Making a massive change to our everyday activities – even if it is going to significantly benefit us in the long run – requires considerable energy, time and focus.

Another example. I spent the last three years working in the Christmas gift industry. Whilst you always get a few very organized people who have finished buying their gifts by the beginning of November, most people are “too busy” to get started that early and instead have a mad week of panic-buying once December gets going. You’d be shocked how many people are still knocking on the door after we close on Christmas eve begging to be let in.

The fact is that all of us manage to “create” time to do our Christmas shopping, whether that is in October or a few days before Christmas. So if we can create that time when we really need to, why not create it earlier? People aren’t too busy, they just haven’t prioritized. They haven’t applied themselves. Christmas holidays appearing round the corner finally gives them the kick to find the time to do their shopping.

How many times do people tell you they want to give up smoking, they just need to “find the time”. I know someone who has been planning to give up smoking for the last two years but the time is “never right”.

The fact is that the time will never be right to start on a new journey and make changes to your life. All major journeys take time and effort. The key to making those changes is simply to set a date and to go for it.

If you’ve read The Four Hour Work Week and from there started to read a number of lifestyle design blogs and newsletters then this is really your wake up call. If you’re enjoying reading about the concepts, dreaming about what life *could* be like but you have yet to actually take your first practical step and start making changes to your lifestyle then *now* is the time.

There will never be a “perfect time”. Life will still get in the way. You’ll still get ill. Your computer will still break. You’ll get fed up with your job or fall out with your best friend. Life happens. But these challenges will crop up whether you start on your lifestyle design journey today or next year.

And frankly the sooner you get started, the sooner you will start to see results. The sooner you’ll start noticing the differences to your life and one day soon you’ll wake up and thank your lucky stars that you started when you did and have created a lifestyle full of freedom, passion, excitement and fulfillment.

If you’ve read this far then I want you to make yourself a promise. Make time this week to sit down and sketch out your ideal lifestyle. Make a formal plan of the changes you want to make. Use a pen and paper so your plans are written down. Then commit to getting started. There’s never an ideal time, so *make* this your ideal time.

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This guest post was written by Richard Adams. Richard blogs about his own journey into lifestyle design over at Lifestyle Design Unleashed.

Photo: Danielle Scott

Hiking The Old Fort King Trail

Justin Wright — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 08:35:01 PDT

Entrance to the Old Fort King Trail

After driving by the entrance to the Old Fort King Trail on our way to the Hillsborough River State Park, my girlfriend and I decided to head back to check it out.

The Old Fort King Trail is approximately 6.7 miles long and runs just south of the Hillsborough River State Park. It also runs into the John B. Sargeant Sr. Park which is right along the 301. It’s great for hiking and also looks like it would be fun to ride a bike on.

Judging by the lack of people we saw, I would assume this is not that popular of a hike in the summer. I have a feeling it’s due to the large quantity of flying creatures including wasps, bees, mosquitos and who knows what else. And don’t forget the massive amount of spiders dangling from the trees.

We also learned from our experience that the trail can definitely be wet during the rainy season. We ended up turning around on the trail since we didn’t want to walk through all the water. Instead, we ended up following some roads and eventually found a different trail.

Here’s the path we ended up taking:

Our Makeshift Hike Path

It actually turned out to be an awesome hike. We walked along the Dead River Road for what seemed like forever and saw some of the largest wasps ever. We then ran into the Dead River Youth Camp and found a nice trail along the river. The total hike came in around 7 miles since we had to repeat our path back to the car.

Photos From the Hike

Below is a collection of the best pictures I took during the hike. Don’t forget to click on them to view the better quality version:

My Favorite Photo Of The Hike

Scary Looking Water

A Velvet Ant (Wasp)

An Old Tractor

Standing Under Some Spanish Moss

Following An Old Road

Our Dog Leading The Way

What Appears To Be An Alligator Track

Our Dog Had A Blast

A Huge Grasshopper

Great Shot Of The Sky

I must say, the Old Fort King Trail was a fun hike. I was disappointed at first because I thought we would be walking along the road the whole time but once we got further in it turned out to be really cool.

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You can check out the rest of my pictures in the Old Fort King Trail photo gallery.

7 Ways to Implement GTD in Your Life

Justin Wright — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 06:45:48 PDT

Recording Tasks Externally Can Clear Your Mind And Boost Productivity

GTD (Getting Things Done) is a fantastic system designed by David Allen to help us organize ourselves and achieve a high level of productivity and success. There are now more than a hundred different applications and tools available, and a new one seems to pop up every other week.

So, where should you start if you’re looking for a solid way to implement GTD in your life?

Here’s a look at 7 different methods we seriously recommend you take a look at before making a decision:

1. Remember The Milk

An outstanding task list with unlimited contexts, projects, reminders, and calendar tasks. It syncs perfectly with Gmail, Google Calendar, Twitter, IM, and RSS. RTM is free, with a Pro account available for $25/year that features additional support and increased performance with the iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile.

2. Get It Done App

Considered by Apple a new and noteworthy app, Get It Done is based on Allen’s book to a great extent. If you don’t have an iPhone or an iPod, you can still access Get It Done through your browser. They are currently offering a 15 day free trial, and $39/year beyond that.

3. Nozbe

Nozbe is one of the first web-based GTD services which promises to improve productivity, help you collaborate and work on the run. They also boast an exceptional app for the iPhone and iPad, as well as integration with Evernote, Twitter, Jott, Google Calendar, and more. Nozbe offers a variety of paid plans with a 60 day risk free money back guarantee.

4. Things

Things has attracted a lot of attention this past year with rave reviews as it has brought GTD to the Mac in a major way. It is very powerful and strongly rooted in the principles of GTD for those who are familiar with the system. Things costs $49.95, and there are also special versions for the iPhone/iPod Touch at $9.99 and the iPad at $19.99.

5. OmniFocus

Made by The Omni Group, OmniFocus has been made to easily capture your thoughts to let you store, organize, and turn them into actionable to-do items throughout your day. It has been designed with the GTD system in mind, but it is flexible enough to work with any productivity system. OmniFocus features a 14 day free trial, and afterwards costs $79.95.

6. Vitalist

Heavily based on GTD principles, Vitalist is very easy to understand and use especially for those who are experienced with the GTD system. They have developed a wonderful way to manage your actions, projects, and contexts, all from within one application. Vitalist is free, with paid accounts available at $5 and $10 monthly for additional features.

7. Doit.im

Dot.im is a high quality, free online time and task management system that can be used on your desktop, iPhone and Android. It features a great user interface, allowing you to easily add new tasks, review your inbox, organize your existing tasks, and sort based on groups. It also features various syncing capabilities to keep your information in order.

These are 7 of the most popular and latest approaches that have helped countless amounts of people implement GTD in their life. Give at least one of them a chance and hopefully you will find the same positive results.

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When she’s not getting things done, Louise Baker writes about online schools for Zen College Life. Her most recent article ranks the best online colleges.

Photo: gideonstrauss

Hiking In Hillsborough River State Park

Justin Wright — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 06:50:51 PDT

Crossing A Suspension Bridge in Hillsborough River State Park

One of the best adventures I’ve had here in Florida happens to be hiking through the Hillsborough River State Park. The park is one of the oldest parks in the state of Florida and features hiking, canoeing, camping, and kayaking. Best of all, it’s located less than an hour outside of Tampa.

When it comes to hiking, the park has four different trails that you can choose from with a total of around 7 miles of trails. We opted to hike each of the trails and managed to complete the trip in around 3 hours. There are a few primitive camping spots which would make for a great backpacking trip. They also have a regular campground for those who can’t do without electricity.

When hiking through the park, many of the trails follow the the Hillsborough River which is an awesome thing to see. There are a few rapids in the river as well as a couple suspension bridges that pass over it. We saw a few alligator signs along the way but didn’t happen to bump into any of them.

Instead, one of the only things we saw on the hike was an abundance of these:

A Florida Garden Spider Up Close

These spiders were literally everywhere and we constantly had to stop and duck below the webs that were crossing the trail. Some of the spiders were gigantic! Unfortunately, we had no idea if they were venomous or not until after we got home so we approached them with caution. Once we got home, we were able to find out they are harmless.

If you’re terrified of spiders, you might want to hold off on this hike.

Pictures From the Hike

Here’s a few of my best shots from the hike through Hillsborough River State Park:

A Black and White Shot of a Florida Spider

A Few Rapids in the Hillsborough River

Standing Next to A Huge Tree Covered in Moss

Take Nothing But Pictures, Leave Nothing But Footprints

A Look Downstream

A Cool Florida Butterfly

Hiking Through Palm Trees

A Sun Beam Shining Through the Trees

I highly recommend checking out the Hillsborough River State Park, especially if you live near the Tampa area. It’s a great place to go on a weekday since we were one of the only groups of hikers out there. For more information on the hike, you can check out the official website.

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See more photos in the Hillsborough River State Park photo gallery.

Should You Charge For Your Product?

Justin Wright — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 06:36:48 PDT

I received an interesting question the other day in regards to charging vs. giving away a product. Someone was struggling to decide if they wanted to give their product away or charge for it and was wondering if I could give them some advice.

I must say, it’s a difficult decision to make. I’ve had to make this decision a few times and I always struggle with the answer. Making money is always a huge step, but so is generating a buzz for free. For the most part, it really comes down to the product at hand and your business model.

Here’s a look at the two options and the advantages/disadvantages to each:

The Case for Charging

Obviously charging will be preferred for most items. It gives you the ability to earn income from your products (and services). Most importantly, it gives your customers (or readers) a way to pay you. This is an important step because without charging, you can’t run an effective business.

The important thing is to not feel guilty about charging for something, especially if it required you to do a lot of hard work. It’s true that some people might be unhappy with you charging, but the truth is the majority of people will appreciate your efforts and pay you accordingly. If it didn’t require a lot of work and you can’t fight the guilty feeling, perhaps the product should be given away free of of charge?

The real challenge is finding an effective pricing strategy that works for you. This usually requires a bit of trial and error to get right, but once you establish a good structure it becomes much easier. Don’t be afraid to test different rates and prices, especially if you are just launching a new product or service.

The Case for Giving It Away

Giving things away for free is a great way to build your credibility. It’s also a great way to get your name out there and attract business. To this day, one of the best methods I have used to attract new clients is through free video tutorials. At least once a week I receive a new lead from someone who saw a tutorial I created and would like further help on something more specific.

Another great example is Change Your Life, a free ebook I created awhile back about how I made a plan to quit my job. It’s short, but to the point and I’ve received a lot of great feedback on it. When I created that book, I had no intentions of making any money off of it.

Giving away free items is very effective at building your readership and client base. It’s also a great way to get noticed, especially if you’re amongst a large crowd or busy field. This is especially true in the digital age where there is so much free information available.

The Perfect Combination

Keep in mind, that at some point you do need to charge for a product/service in order to expand your business. This is where the combination product can be very valuable. In other words, you can combine both a free product and a paid product into a similar product/service.

One example would be offering a free version of something with an option to upgrade to a paid premium service. This not only offers the freebie users something, but it also lets the people that want to pay you do just that.

Another example is creating a free product designed to not only benefit the customer, but also to convince them to upgrade to a larger service or product. Yes, this can sometimes be considered sleazy but it is an effective marketing strategy.

Last but not least, you can also find ways of monetizing a product without passing the cost on to your customers. A great example would be launching a highly successful ebook. Instead of charging for it, you could instead contact a few potential advertisers and offer them an ad spot somewhere in the book.

You could then use your stats to your advantage and sell them an advertisement based on the amount of people that download and read your book. This would earn you some money, while still keeping the book free to your customers (though you would have to test this out to see if it’s actually effective).

The Winner Is Both

As you can see, both options have their advantages and disadvantages. I personally think that offering both free and paid products/services is the best business model. Combining the two is a great way to build an effective business because the free items bring in customers and then you can monetize your business with the paid products/services.

What’s your take?

Photo: Kalandrakas

Life After the Cubicle: How To Escape Your Job And Work From Anywhere

Justin Wright — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 11:23:48 PDT

It has been almost two years since I quit my office job and escaped the cube farm. I must say, they were two of the greatest years of my life. Not only have I learned a ton about business and life in general, but I’ve also been lucky enough to live the lifestyle of a digital nomad and experience a bunch of new places.

If you are unfamiliar with the lifestyle, check out my post – What Is A Digital Nomad? It covers some of the basics about being location independent and will give you an idea of what I’m talking about.

More or less, it’s all about using the power of the web to make a living. Whether it’s through freelancing, internet marketing, blogging, or running an online business. The possibilities are literally endless.

With that said, I would now like to introduce to you a book that I have been working on for what seems like forever. Life After the Cubicle is guide on how to use the web to earn income, as well as how to escape your current job situation.

What Inspired Me To Write The Book?

Believe it or not, my main inspiration for this book were all of the comments I’ve received on this post – Office Jobs: The Tipping Point. It still amazes me how many people search for things like “I hate office jobs” and manage to find that post and leave some feedback. It’s proof that a lot of people feel the same way I did when I hit my tipping point.

This book is my attempt at helping anyone who feels that way about their job. I want to get you started in the right direction and open your mind to what’s possible using the internet. I want you to take back your freedom and start living.

A Brief Book Overview

First off, then me make it clear that this book is NOT about how to get rich quick, nor is it about making ridiculous amounts of money on autopilot without doing any work (though I do cover passive income).

If that were the case, I would of filled this post up with pictures of my exotic sports cars. Funny thing is, I don’t even have a car – though I suppose I could have included a picture of myself kneeling in front of my bicycle.

Anyways, the book starts out with some of the basics regarding the digital nomad lifestyle. I answer some of the common questions I receive from people, as well as give you some information on why the time is now and why making a million is not the answer.

From there, I dig into the techniques that I have personally used to make money using the internet. Everything I share with you in something that I have personal experience with. I felt that I should not include anything that I haven’t done myself.

Last but not least, I then cover the escape route and how you can make the transition out of your current job as easy as possible. Some of the things covered including building a nest egg, looking at your benefits (health insurance, etc.), and giving that awesome two-week notice.

A Few Bonus Items

If you decide to check out my book, you will also get some great bonus material to help you get started in the right direction. I’ve included two bonus guides, one on how to use WordPress (so you can start your own blog), as well as one on how to simplify your life. Trust me, simplifying can make your life feel so much better.

Last but least, I will also include five audio consulting sessions that cover some great topics like minimalism, blogging, and finding clients for your business or freelancing career.

My Personal Guarantee

I know how frustrating it can be to purchase something that doesn’t work. I’ve purchased tons of products over the years that either broke, didn’t work, or promised the world but didn’t deliver.

Because of those bad experiences, I want to offer you a personal guarantee on my product. If you purchase my guide on how to become location independent, read it, and give some of the techniques I mention an honest-attempt, I do not want to keep your money if you do not see any results.

All you have to do is shoot me an email within 30 days of purchasing the product and I will refund your money…it’s that simple.

Ready To Get Started?

If you’re ready to escape your job and take back your freedom, this book is just for you. Besides giving you my personal guarantee, I am also offering the whole package for only $27.

If you would like more information about the book, hop on over to Life After the Cubicle for a full overview. You can also use the add to cart button below to get started right way.

Back From My Blogging Sabbatical

Justin Wright — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 13:33:41 PDT

If you check this blog often, you probably noticed that I haven’t posted in well over a month. That’s the longest break I’ve taken from blogging since I started this blog in May of 2007. The goods news is I’m officially back from my sabbatical and have a bunch of ideas for upcoming blog posts.

Why The Break?

For the most part, I just needed to spend some time away from my blog. I also disappeared from Twitter and Facebook, which improved my productivity more than you could ever imagine. I realized how much time I spent on those sites and the very little return I saw from them.

During the sabbatical, I managed to take a few trips including a super long drive to Wisconsin and back. Making that drive by myself ended up being far more difficult than I anticipated. I made it there just fine with only a few hours of sleep at a rest stop, but the lack of sleep caught up with me when it was time to make the drive back. I ended up having to crash at a hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, a city I was not impressed with.

My girlfriend and I also went and checked out Jacksonville and Orlando. Jacksonville Beach was pretty cool, but I much prefer the beaches on the Gulf Coast, since the water and sand are much nicer looking. However, the Gulf is currently the same temperature as the air (possibly warmer?), which makes it feel a lot like a hot tub.

Besides traveling, I also grew the longest beard I have had to date. I’ll most likely be blogging about once it gets to the length I’m shooting for and will compare it to my previous mustache experience. So far, I’m liking it a lot more than the mustache, since I feel less creepy. However, that could easily change if I don’t trim it soon.

Last but not least…

I also managed to finish the ebook I’ve been working on for over a year! A couple of you have already read it and I am now putting the finishing touches on it.

What’s it about? It’s all about ditching the cubicle and using the power of the internet to make a living. Don’t worry, it’s nothing like the “get rich quick” schemes or the “make $10,000 on autopilot” books. Instead, it’s a practical guide based on everything I’ve tried, learned, and experienced on my own journey from a cubicle slave to a digital nomad.

I’ll be posting more details once I have it finalized, so stay tuned for updates!

(Photo: andreweick)

Experimenting With Car-Free Living

Justin Wright — Tue, 04 May 2010 09:35:22 PDT

It has been quiet around here lately and with good reason: Not only have I been working on a new product (more to come in the upcoming week), but I’ve also been busy biking all over town. Ever since Earth Day, my girlfriend and I have been living car-free. It has been a goal we’ve had for a while and I must say we’re doing pretty good so far.

Our goal is to keep her car parked as much as possible (I don’t own a car myself). We’re still thinking about making the switch to a true car-free life but we want to give it a trial run before we make any major decisions.

The only thing we are worried about is losing the ability to take road trips. However, we’ve realized that we can easily rent a car whenever we want to go on a trip and still spend less each year (insurance and maintenance are expensive).

It Has Been Great So Far

It has been just under two weeks since we started the experiment and we’ve already realize that it is much easier to live without a car than we anticipated. St. Petersburg happens to be very bike friendly and we have everything we need within a few miles of our apartment. We’ve already made a few trips to the grocery store without any problems. I even managed to throw a 10 pound bag of ice in my bike basket and ride home without it melting.

Check out the awesome bike rack I rigged up using a bike rack, a cheap plastic crate from Lowes, and some ratchet straps:

The whole setup costs roughly 40 bucks and has been a life-saver. It holds two canvas grocery bags without any problems and can hold around 30 pounds.

The bus system has also helped tremendously and costs far less than putting gas in the car. Over the past few weekends we’ve been hopping on the bus and taking it to the beach. Not only does it save us the hassle of parking, but we can also enjoy a few drinks at the beach bars without having to worry about driving.

***
We hope to keep this experiment going for as long as possible. I doubt I can make it a few years like some people have managed to do, but every little bit helps. I’m really enjoying the exercise and the idea of not having to drive (I hate it).

Moon Palace Resort Review – Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Justin Wright — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 08:53:45 PDT

On my recent trip down to the Dominican Republic, I was lucky enough stay at an awesome resort that far exceeded my expectations. The Moon Palace Casino, Golf, and Spa Resort is an all-inclusive resort with tons of amenities you won’t find at a lot of other hotels.

Since I enjoyed my stay so much, I wanted to do an in-depth look at the resort for anyone thinking about visiting. Keep in mind I was not paid to write this review, this is solely based on my stay and what I thought of the resort.

The Service

Since the service was so good at the resort, I figured it had to be the first thing I mentioned. Everyone was really helpful and constantly went out of their way to make our stay as enjoyable as possible. It all started with the bellboy who gave us an awesome tour of the place on the way to our room.

As soon as we opened the door for the first time, we were greeted with a bottle of champagne, red wine, and fruit platter below:

It was an awesome way to start out the vacation and unwind from the plane flights.

The Food

It’s true that the beach is gorgeous in Punta Cana, but one of the best things about this resort is the food. There are more than 10 different restaurants and delis to choose from while staying there. Since the whole resort is all-inclusive, you can hit up any of the restaurants and order anything you wish, including bottles of wine, desserts, you name it.

A few of our favorite restaurants included:

Samba – Brazilian A La Carte

Samba was the first restaurant we hit up during our stay and we were amazed by how cool the building is. It’s a huge cabana that overlooks the water and lets you enjoy the fresh air as the breeze comes in. The food was also amazing, featuring different types of meats including beef, port, and seafood.

Tao – Japanese / Tepanyaki

I haven’t tried Japanese food much but I was really impressed with the food at Tao. The chef cooks the food right in front of you and puts on a cool show. The video above shows the chef lighting some of the food on fire right in front of me.

Marina Grill – Breakfast / Lunch Buffet

As you can see in the picture, the view from Marina Grill is what made it a nice place to grab breakfast and lunch. They offered a variety of different foods including french toast, waffles, fresh fruit, and tons of other stuff.

Here’s what I managed to stuff down for breakfast (I know, it’s not all natural foods):

There is also an italian restaurant, a pizza place, and a Mexican grill. Not to mention a few coffee and sweets places (delicious).

The Drinks

Just like the food, the drinks were another major perk to this resort. Having a variety of pool bars, cabanas, and restaurants all serving free drinks was mind-blowing. I must say it feels weird ordering a bottle of wine and not having to pay for it once you are finished.

The Pool Bars

The pool bars were by far my favorite place to order (and consume) drinks. Sitting on a stool in the pool beats sitting at an inside bar any day. The staff was also a blast and played a variety of different songs, mostly being awesome spanish songs I didn’t understand but loved anyway. Now I’m listening to them here at home (you’ll get hooked too trust me).

Drink Of The Day

Another cool thing was the “Drink of the Day.” Each day the bars featured some random tropical concoction I’ve never heard of before. A few of them were fails but a couple were delicious. My favorite happened to be a mix of orange juice, vodka, and watermelon liquor (pictured above).

Entertainment

When it comes to entertainment, there are plenty of things to do at the Moon Palace Resort. The obvious winner is the beach. There are plenty of cabanas to sit under and enjoy the ocean. The staff would also take your food and drink orders and bring them right out to the beach.

Besides the beach, the resort also has more than ten pools. Four of them have pool bars and a few also overlook the ocean. Not a bad place to spend the day.

Hate swimming? There is also a golf course, tennis courts, bike rentals, miniature golf, a rock-climbing wall, and table tennis. If that’s not enough, they even have an awesome disco featuring a DJ, disco lights, and tons of booze to get you out on the dance floor.

The Theatre

To our surprise, the Moon Palace Resort also has it’s own amphitheater featuring nightly shows. I must say, I wasn’t expecting much when we first checked it out, but then I realized you could order drinks right from your seat…awesome.

The first show we checked out was a kick-ass Michael Jackson impersonator, which you can see in this video:

We also checked out a magic show, which turned out to be better than expected. The only drawback to the show was being selected to participate in it. Here’s a video of me up on the stage performing some bad-ass magic trick:

An Amazing Resort

Overall, the Moon Palace Resort in Punta Cana was an awesome place to spend a few days relaxing. Not only was the room nice (jacuzzi and all), but the resort was awesome. It even has a shuttle that takes you around the resort since it’s so large.

It’s a great place to relax, enjoy some delicious food and drinks, and not have to worry about money since everything is paid in advance. I would highly recommend checking it out if you are planning a trip to the Dominican Republic.

For even more photos from my stay, check out the Moon Palace Resort gallery.