well, the holidays are over. christmas and now new years! happened so fast. Hiyori-chan at the honolulu city lights.

and check out this beautiful photo of the first sunrise of 2014 at Shirahama Beach in ishinomaki. photo taken by Hiyori-chan’s uncle.

and another sunrise from japan sent by Yumi-chan. the land of the rising sun.

this is where our sun came up this morning. right over the beautiful lights of honolulu, hawaii.

want to wish my brother a happy new year in cambodia. here is his 1st graders sending out their happy new year greeting card. so cute!

it felt like summer today. so hot and so good! fun waves for us and not too crowded at all.

so happy to get Hiyori-chan on a 9’0 longboard today. after this wave, i let her try a short board and guess what?

first wave perfect! now Hiyori-chan is now an official short boarder! hopefully she can go back to japan and surf ishinomaki with aunty Ryoko-san. it’s unbelievable how fast she learned how to surf. good balance, good style, and good riding. Go-Hiyori-chan!

Perfect Hot Summer Weather! Surf/Dive/Play!

Happy New Year 2014 again! today is a day to relax, enjoy family and friends, eat good food, and take naps. i fell asleep at 9pm last night. wanted to get up early and start my 2014 the right way. and the right way for the past 8 years has been in the ocean. just watching the first sunrise of the year is inspiring for me. it’s a time to welcome new things, new waves, new experiences, new fortune, new friends, and a new outlook on life. 2013 is done, i had a great year, but there is no looking back for me. i only see the future and this year will be a better one for myself and the people around me. i can just feel it!

there is no other place i’d rather be than in the ocean. surfing, diving, or just driving around on my boat, i love the feeling of just being in a place where nothing bothers me. that’s why i knew where i would be early this morning.
as for my 2014 resolutions, i have many. one is to give more than i receive. towards the end of 2013, i started doing more things for more people, helping others, and giving things to people that appreciate it. it’s a great feeling and actually kind of addictive. i know what i need in my life, and i know what i don’t need in my life. going to live a lot more simple, a lot more appreciative, and a lot more happy. when people around me are happy, i am happy. so the more people i make happy, the more i will be happy. pretty simple thinking.
more resolutions coming for now but i’m going back to the ocean. have a beautiful first day of the year!