Whoa!

Over two months on, and I'm finally back.  Here's the run-down.

1) Natsuko's green card has been delayed.  More docs to submit.  Frustrating!  I was doing okay when I thought she'd be in NYC by year end, but with this delay, everything got a lot harder.

2) I'm stoked to have re-joined my old company!  In November, I joined a new team in my previous company, which has been awesome (and the reason I've been too busy to blog).  It's great to be back :)

3) Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!  Had a nice Christmas with family.

4) Kona (over 2 months ago) was awesome!  Sebastian Kienle took the title for the men and Mirinda Carfrae ran down a 14:30 deficit off the bike to take the women's race.  A surprise on the men's side was Ben Hoffman of the US taking second, which is the best finish by an American in some time.  Less of a surprise, Daniela Ryf, who I shouted out before the race, came home 2nd woman after leading much of the race.  Watch out for her in years to come.

Below is a cool video of highlights from the week and race.

5) Finally, I didn't hit any of the goals I set earlier this year (READ HERE).  Not good.  But, this lack of success already drove me to sign up for a few races in 2015.  Full goals to come.

Project Home: Update 5

Okay, it's been a while.  I know.  I was hoping to wait for a job offer, and while there's been a bunch of great interviews and a few down to the wire decisions, no offers yet.  But, I've got one good opportunity going, and a lot of people with their eyes and ears to the ground, so it's only a matter of time (hopefully not much more time!).

downtown Manhattan from Jersey City

Meanwhile, I've been the recipient of immeasurable amounts of support and goodwill from family and friends.  A big shout out to Natsuko and my fam for keeping it positive and to friends for letting me crash and helping me network.

Other than job hunting, I've been working out 6 days a week and re-acquainting myself with the area.

NYC High Line - An old, above-ground railway line on the west-side of Manhattan that used to transport goods to businesses but was made obsolete by truck deliveries.  The line fell apart and has since been redone into a great public, outdoor space.

NFL - Checked out my first NFL game.  Got to see Raiders vs. Jets, and unfortunately, the Raiders lost.  But, it was a great atmosphere and brilliant weather!

Finally, random funny video.  Click HERE and enjoy!

Project Home: Update 4

Looking for our next home, somewhere to settle for a while, I had a busy couple of weeks in San Francisco.  I've been applying to jobs, meeting recruiters, making new contacts and catching-up with friends.

Golden Gate Bridge

Lombard St., crookedest street in the world

Alcatraz, def a bucket list tri!

Overall, the trip was productive, and I hopefully have a couple interviews coming out of it.  But, having to head to NYC after only two weeks in SF is a bit soon.  The more I think about it, a month would have been ideal, but that's not how it worked out.

Anyway, next week is a high probability opportunity with my previous bank.  My boss from London set me up with the interview, so I'm prepping hard and getting ready to impress.  Actually, the more I think about this opportunity and being back in NYC, close to family and friends, the more excited I get.  Also, Natsuko has been watching Gossip Girl, so I think she's ready for the big apple!

Up to this point, I've been REACTING to everything and just chasing opportunities.  But, no more.  After the upcoming interview and meeting some recruiters in NYC, Natsuko and I will choose east or west coast, and I'll focus only on that area.  It's just too distracting to try the back and forth.

trails at the Claremont Canyon Conservancy

beautiful

As for working out, it's been sporadic since leaving Hawai'i.  No swimming, but got some trails in!  NYC will see my first Cross Fit session.  Stoked!

Hawai'i: Update 3

I truly believed this was going to be a much different update, but that's not the reality.  The reality is that we're not moving to Hawai'i.  I didn't get the job.

Shocked, let down and disappointed would be the best way to describe my feelings.  The longer I spent here, the more I saw how the good outweighed the bad, and how we could really settle here.  Yes, there are other jobs, and I've applied to a few, but I have a couple of great opportunities elsewhere, and while Hawai'i is our first choice, it's not a 'make it work at any cost' choice.

I drowned my sorrows by going for a swim.  In fact, it turned out to be one of the best swims yet, just under 3k in 40mins at a moderate effort.  That's a 1:23 per 100m or 53min for the 3.8k of an iron-distance swim.  That put a smile on my face :)

With any failure, there is opportunity to learn and improve.  So, I'll go back over my preparation and make sure it's better for the next set of interviews.  In the schedule are interviews for jobs in San Fran and NYC.  I can't guarantee I'll get one of those jobs, but I can guarantee that I'll be better prepared.

As Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude says, "Every adversity has the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit."  So, we move on in search of greater opportunities.

Hawai'i: Update 2

30/30/30 Challenge

Swim 20

Bike 4

Run 30+

Getting straight to it, I'm having my first experience with "island time."  It's been two and a half weeks since my interview, so I followed up and no decision yet.  So, I'm waiting patiently (patience is a virtue!) and hoping to hear next week.  Keep you posted.

Meanwhile, I've come across a very good, high probability opportunity in NYC.  While it's not Hawai'i, there are obviously pluses and minuses to both places.  While Hawai'i remains our first choice, if the current situation drags into August, we may have to consider other options.

Other than that, a couple of recommendations if you like looking at awesome photos.  Check out a new buddy of mine, Manuel Gonzalez, on Instagram at 'gonzolenz'.  He takes amazing ocean, beach and water sports pics, and I think gets a beating from the waves while he does it.  You should also go to UnrealHawaii.com for great hiking, beach and generally incredible pics with some short, interesting dialog.

outdoor space, Art After Dark
pic from honolulumuesum.org

Finally, a few new Honolulu outings.  On Friday night, I hit Art After Dark which is an event with art, music, drinks and some activities at the Honolulu Museum of Art on the last Friday of every month from 18.00 - 21.00.  The museum has lots of open air, outdoor space to hang out, chat with friends and meet people, but you can also check out the art inside.  It was definitely cool, and if you like dressing up, which doesn't seem to happen on a daily basis here, put on your Friday night best and head on over.  If you do go, it's $10 at the door and you'll need your ID.

pic from obrhi.com

Because I went to the museum, I missed Eat the Street, a gathering of local food trucks also on the last Friday of every month.  Usually there's a different theme and it all takes place at 555 South Street, from 16.00 - 21.00.  So, if we end up living here, I think we'll try grabbing some food from a truck around 17 or 18.00 and then heading over to the museum.  Fingers crossed!

pic from frolichawaii.com

The Latest

30/30/30 Challenge
Swim 18
Bike 4
Run 30+

Feeling the Hawai'i vibe, it's Sunday, and I'm just chillin out.  Over the three weeks I've been here, the vibe has really won me over, and I feel like a high pressure finance job combined with this laid back culture outside the office is perfect for us, not to mention the year-round, outdoor training :)

That brings me to the job.  It's been two weeks since my last interview, and I'm waiting to hear a decision.  I'm planning to follow-up tomorrow to see where we stand.  Will keep you posted.

In the meantime, I've picked up a few other opportunities that I'm talking to people about (both in Hawai'i and on the US mainland) and made some time to check out the local scene like the Honolulu Night Market.

pic from www.streetgrindz.com

The Honolulu Night Market is a cool place to hang out and check out local designers, artists, musicians,  and grab some local grub from the food trucks.  If you find yourself in Honolulu on the third Saturday of any month, head down to 449 Cooke Street for this open air hang out.  Being 31, the vibe is a bit younger, but I didn't feel out of place.

lots to do!

good entertainment

Other than my life, there's tons going on around the sporting world.

First, a shout out to my buddy, Nikos, who won his age-group in the sprint race at the New Jersey State Triathlon this weekend!  Superbly done!  He took first in his group and finished top 10 out of 1,600 people.  Excellent!

Second, sticking with triathlon, the fastest iron-distance event, Challenge Roth, took place on Sunday in Roth, Germany.  Known for the huge crowds, 200,000+ spectators, Tour de France like support on some of the climbs and very fast times (recent years have required a sub-8hr finish for the overall win), it's considered one of the most important iron-distance races around, and is definitely on my bucket list.  Click to read about the MEN'S and WOMEN'S races.

Speaking of the Tour de France, it's going on right now!  Through about 15 stages, Vincenzo Nibali, Italy, from the Astana team is wearing the yellow jersey.  There have been a number of notables crashing out including Mark Cavendish and Alberto Contador.

Also, the Badwater Ultra-marathon, 135mi across Death Valley in the USA, was recently held.  And, as if 135mi/ 217k with 17,000ft/ 518m of climbing through some of the harshest conditions on earth isn't enough, acclaimed ultra-runner, Lisa Smith-Batchen, took on and completed the "quad," which is four crossings back-to-back-to-back!  She took this on in the name of Badwater4Goodwater, a charity she created to help increase the availability of clean water around the world.  Read more about her amazing feat HERE.

All this, not to mention all of the Ironman races including the European Championships which saw some great performances and shorter distance ITU Series where the Brownlees are getting back on track and American, Gwen Jorgensen took her fourth victory in a row!  All great stuff!