took a walk to the 9/11 memorial. a place i’ve always wanted to visit. and walking there, i thought about that day back in 9/11/01. a day i will never forget.

getting close to where once the twin towers of the world trade center stood, i got chicken skin. to see a new one built was great, but to imagine what happened that day 14 years ago brought chills to my spine. 2 airplanes crashing into those buildings? i still can’t believe it.

new york rebuilt! this new world trade center stands strong and tall. so tall that i couldn’t fit into the photo.

there are 2 monuments at the very same place the towers once stood. looking inside brings back all those memories from that day.

so good to see a memorial for the people who lost their lives. the people that should never be forgotten.

i bought my ticket for the museum. the feeling i had was the same feeling i had before i walked into the atom bomb museum in hiroshima. too hard to explain.

the stories and displays in that huge museum brought silence. there where hundreds of people in the museum but not one word spoken. just blank looks on everyones faces.

our heroes where the first responders. the heroes that put their lives on the line every single day of the year. i spent 2 hours in there with the craziest emotions. sitting in my bed watching the news back in hawaii on that day was shocking. but to imagine what happened here in new york in unimaginable. the loud bangs, the noise, the smell, the smoke, and most of all, the terror. as i left the museum, all i could do is pray that nothing like this will ever happen again.

rode the lonely subway back into the city. another time to think how fortunate i am to be living. another time to be grateful for my family and friends. and another time to push myself to live life to the fullest.

@ SFO

when ever i run into a pod of wild dolphins, i’m pretty stoked. not the pods on the west side that tour boats chase 365 days a year, but wild pods right out near diamond head that don’t get disturbed often. you can tell how curios they are by looking into their eyes. such amazing creatures.

and when i can share my experiences to the younger generation, that makes it all better. i teach kids about nature. i teach them not to disturb it, not to damage it, and not to destroy it. just see it, feel it, and absorb every minute of it.

the world i love most. can’t beat it.

i’ve been teaching this young lady how to surf, dive, and survive for the past 13 years. it’s so rewarding to see her grow into the little mermaid she’s become.

one last look of the hundreds of dolphins that swam with us. a national geographic day that a normal kid could never learn in school.

when i first rode this 11’0 longboard, i tried to turn and fell off. just so big and bulky. but after feeling it out, i realized that there is a small sweet spot. and if you stand in that small sweet spot, the board turns into magic. so magic that i can even get barreled!

and i can even stand up on it and do yoga. haha.