yes everyone, i would jump on any flight to anywhere in the world to be able to eat food like this. there are certain things in Hawaii we can’t eat, and this fresh sashimi assortment from Wakayama is just one of them…

Americans call it baby sardines. Japanese call it shirasu. the best in the world produced by Yamari.

and a masterpiece from the Master at En…

coming back to Wakayama had been a while. almost a year to be exact. so happy to see my second family so healthy and happy. we talked, we argued, we laughed, and we just did normal things families would do. but in the end, we grow much closer to each other and moments like this makes me realize the importance of life… thank you to the Kimura-san family…

woke up at 4am and watched the sunrise over what’s called “The Land of the Rising Sun.”

ate the sweetest fruits you can ever imagine.

and freshest fish you can ever imagine too.

thank you Kimura-san and Atsuko-san for always keeping me healthy and happy. and thank you also for all the precious advice and support over all these years. i always learn from you guys how important family is. and i’m very thankful for that…

had a blast surfing our last day of Boot Camp with Matsui-san. waves, weather, and everything so good! can you believe this is only her 3rd time surfing???

we can all learn from Matsui-san that confidence is everything. if you can complete big obstacles in your life like the Ironman, you can do anything.

and surfing will bring out the inner stoke in you. a stoke only a surfer will experience.

last wave for Boot Camp. i have to say that this soldier did fantastic!

good luck in your next Ironman in Malaysia! and see you back in Hawaii for more surfing and smiling…

a happy pho ending… thank you for the wonderful time!

i got home at 11:30am, unloaded the boards, grab my bags that were still unpacked, and tried to get a flight out of Hawaii as fast as possible.

by 1:45pm, i was sitting in a seat that was open for me. felt so good to finally fly!

leaving Hawaii thinking about all the fun i will have on this trip. just going with the flow again and making sure i enjoy each and every moment.

sat back, ate lunch, and watched 3 movies. so relaxing…

the flight attendant asked me “would you like ice cream? we have hot fudge, caramel, nuts, wafer, and whip cream. which would you like?” i said “everything please!”

8.5 hours of peace. something i really like after some hot summer days. i’m so happy to be able to travel again. it’s been 4 months of heat, canceled flights, busy schedule, and bad timing. the long wait is over!!!

been doing this for many years now. and in those many years, i can feel my body so cleansed by drinking kombucha every single morning when i wake up. i have 3 jars so this will last me 3 weeks. and at $5 a bottle at some places, you can figure out how much money i’m saving. and plus it’s as natural as it gets…

i use simple black tea and cane sugar. i don’t really care for the fruity kind of kombucha. simple is better…

this is the key to making kombucha. this is called the Scoby. it’s like a mushroom that ferments the tea over time. and this thing even grows and grows.

put the tea in the jars, add in the scoby, and wait 3 weeks.

then bottle it up and put it in the refrigerator. each and every morning, i take my first sip and i’m wide awake ready for the amazing day ahead…