Keir Alexa
September 14, 2015
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Learning Lessons of Burning Man

Learning Lessons of Burning Man https://dev.keiralexa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Keir-Alexa-Burning-Man-Travel-1.jpeg 1089 854 Keir Alexa Keir Alexa https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/da7306e6338c40e040f29ddbda64472f?s=96&d=mm&r=g September 14, 2015 September 2, 2016

This year’s Burning Man was such an amazing experience, and, even though I’m back home, I am still reliving those special learning moments.

These are 7 lessons that I brought home from the playa.

1. Live in the moment.
You never know what experience is going to be in your path. You have to be willing to put yourself out there, let go and jump into things . Don’t over think! Just go for it! Practice living in the moment, just be there. The past is gone, the future is uncertain—all we have is right now, and it is truly enough.

2. We all have something to give.
One morning, while gazing up at the sun rise, I glanced around at people dancing to Robot Heart’s tunes. I felt my heart open up. I looked at all the beautiful art around me. I looked at all the art cars surrounding the dance venue. I thought about all the love and creativity people put into them. Everyone contributes their artwork to make Burning Man special. Focusing on what we have to give, without expecting anything in return, really has a major impact on people’s behavior. They stop competing and start sharing. That’s Radical Generosity, a hallmark principal of Burning Man. And you know what? It feels really good to give and to be of service to others.

Burning Man made me contemplate an important question: What do I want to contribute to this world? How can I give back? It made me realize I want to build a company that helps others and contributes in a positive way. I switched the focus of my education because of the lessons I learned at Burning Man last year.

3. Turn your phone off, and stop being so attached to technology.
Yes, I am thankful we have our technology, but sometimes we need to put it away and just enjoy life. I find myself wasting time searching the web, checking Facebook and Instagram. Every where I go I see people just staring at their cellphones. In elevators people don’t even make eye contact, they just look down at their phones. It’s nice to be more aware of our surroundings, putting away our phone and, instead, interacting with the people around us. We miss so much when our eyes are glued to a phone screen. It’s a big, beautiful world out there and I want to remember to appreciate it.

4. Think about the impact you make.
Many people, every day, are taking the impact they have on their space seriously. Burning Man is a microcosm for this lesson. Our camp had everyone sign up for MOOP (Material Out Of Place) duty. I took 20-30 minutes daily cleaning up trash that I saw on the ground around camp. There were times when I was out on the playa and saw trash. Immediately it was picked up, put in my backpack, and thrown away as soon as I saw a trash can. Become aware of what’s going on around you.

There is an army of volunteers who clean up trash, not only during the event, but even after the party is over. These are the people who make Burning Man a truly leave-no-trace event. They comb the desert, walking side by side, searching for every scrap that doesn’t belong there. Because of them, Burning Man is allowed to continue year after year.

5. Be less judgmental.
Many different nationalities and life styles are represented at Burning Man. There are successful businessmen, other professionals, families with children, artists, hippies, etc! Everyone comes from a different background but when you think about it, in some ways we all are connected. We all share the same emotions and the same expressions. Make friends with people based on the content of their character. We are all here sharing this world together. By having a little more patience for each other, we can all be a lot happier.

6. Roll with the punches!
There is much going on and there are many elements of Burning Man that will test you. Dust storms that are so strong that you can’t see anything around you. There is extreme heat during the day and freezing cold at night. But, instead of complaining, explore! Look at the art as you walk back to your camp. There are so many things going on that are out of our control it’s good to learn to just roll with them. I’m trying to keep this attitude all the time. I remind myself when traffic backs up for miles on the freeway, or any other time when life throws me a curveball. Getting mad or frustrated won’t change the situation. Maybe I can use those few extra minutes to just appreciate whatever is around me. You don’t have to be at Burning Man to enjoy a blue sky, but it’s only when you allow yourself to be flexible that you remember to look up.

7. Take time to breathe.
It may be a bit corny, but there were so many moments at Burning Man that took my breath away. Sometimes I would just sit down on the playa and look up at the sun and just breathe, paying attention to my breathing and not anything else around. I now try and do this every day and I’ve noticed a difference in my everyday life. It sounds simple, we don’t even think to breathe. It is so automatic that we forget we’re even doing it. But take away air for a few seconds, and suddenly we remember just how important it is! When I practice just being aware of my breath, I remember that there are a lot of other things in life that I need to appreciate, not just breathing, and that sense of gratitude leaves me feeling much more at peace.

Keir Alexa
September 10, 2015
3 Comments

12 Incredible Things To Do on Necker Island

12 Incredible Things To Do on Necker Island https://dev.keiralexa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Necker-Island-Adventure-Travel-Blog-Beach.jpeg 1024 683 Keir Alexa Keir Alexa https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/da7306e6338c40e040f29ddbda64472f?s=96&d=mm&r=g September 10, 2015 November 3, 2016

Necker Island is not only breathtakingly beautiful but there is an array of fun activities to take part in. Here is a list of my favorite things to do on Necker Island!

12 Things To Do on Necker Island

1. Feed the Lemurs

2. Sail on a Hobie Cat to other islands

3. Indulge in a spa treatment overlooking the sea

4. Inner-tubing

5. Zip-line to Turtle Beach

6. Dress up in costumes

7. Kite surf

8. Visit the flamingos

9. Eat delicious food

10. Dive on the Necker Nymph

11. Take tennis lessons

12. Relax and read a book

Which activity would you like to do?

Keir Alexa
August 20, 2015
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Burning Man Virgin Guide

Burning Man Virgin Guide https://dev.keiralexa.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/BMEGO.jpg 3648 1846 Keir Alexa Keir Alexa https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/da7306e6338c40e040f29ddbda64472f?s=96&d=mm&r=g August 20, 2015 November 19, 2015

Burning Man is just around the corner! Several “virgins” are asking for advice on their trip to Burning Man. This is only my fourth year attending Burning Man, so I am definitely not an expert. However my boyfriend has been going 11 years and I have learned quickly from him. I hope I can provide some helpful tips to any newcomers that are coming this year.

A lot of the people that talk to me about Burning Man truly do not understand the depth of the philosophy.

This is not just a party. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to just wing it like other festivals such as Coachella. There may be the few people that will manage to wing it and have a blast. However, it’s important to be prepared to have the best possible experience.

Planning is essential, not just being prepared mentally and physically but, for some spiritually.

Burning Man is a magical fantasy world that makes you feel like you are dreaming. You can feel as if you left earth and are on a different planet. Out of all the experiences and places I have to been to in the world, I hold Burning Man is one of the most life changing experiences, utterly mind blowing.

The most important thing to do before you even decided to go to Burning Man is simply read through the website. Make sure you read the 10 principles of Burning Man and be willing to abide by them completely. There are tons of tips for beginners. Learn the history by watching a documentary called SPARK

Here are some other tips:

1. Burning Man is a Leave No Trace event- Never throw your trash, not even glitter, on the ground and if you ever see any trash make sure to pick it up and throw it away. Take some time during your trip whether it is 30 mins here and there to walk around cleaning up MOOP (Matter out of place). Basically, be mindful of how your actions impact the environment.

2. Sleeping arrangements- There are many different options depending on your budget as well as how adventurous you want to be. You can either decide to sleep in a tent or rent an RV. Some Burners sleep in their cars or even at center camp. I personally like to sleep in an RV with a hot shower, air conditioning and a comfy bed.

3. Transportation around the playa- make sure you bring a bicycle so you can get around. Most people don’t realize this, according to the site, Burning Man covers 5 square miles . It is really, really big! You should definitely decorate your bike because you can imagine if 60,000 people attend Burning Man then there are a lot of bikes. Decorating your bike will help you spot yours easily. Also, make sure to write your name and camp location on the bike incase you misplace it and someone else finds it.

4. Survival gear- You need to bring a camelback to the playa and carry it around with you wherever you go. It is really hot out there so you need to constantly be drinking water to stay hydrated. Inside your camelback you should keep an array of supplies including:

· Goggles for sand storms
· Dust masks
· Toilet paper-single ply for the portable potties
· Small flashlight for night
· Energy snacks/ protein bars
· Sunscreen
· Chap stick
· Hand sanitizer
· Lotion
· Lights for your bike
· Water-each person needs to account for 1.5 gallons of water per day for drinking
· Mini First Aid kit

5. Your body- One of the best things about Burning Man is the fact that you get to dress up in costumes or if you want, not wear anything at all! During the day I like to wear minimal clothing because it is really sunny, hot and sweaty. At night, it gets so cold that you feel like you are in the mountains during the winter so its important to bring warm clothing such as leggings and a big faux fur jacket. It is also very crucial that you light yourself up at night by either wearing a light up outfit, or glow sticks. You can easily purchase light up gear on Amazon HERE.

If you have any other questions on Burning Man, please feel free to email me or if I forgot something you can add it to the comments below! I hope to see you on the playa!!!

Keir Alexa
August 11, 2015
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My Ibiza Essentials

My Ibiza Essentials https://dev.keiralexa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Ibiza-Travel-Essentials.jpeg 1024 683 Keir Alexa Keir Alexa https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/da7306e6338c40e040f29ddbda64472f?s=96&d=mm&r=g August 11, 2015 January 29, 2017

Ibiza clubbing season is in full throttle right now! Every year, it kicks off the beginning of May and ends in late September. I landed here on Wednesday saying I was going to take it easy but ended up dancing the night away in through four different clubs. We started off the night by having some delicious, fresh sushi at the popular hotel where we are staying at called the Ibiza Gran. Afterwards, we went to Ushuaia beach club, Pacha, Paris Hilton’s Foam and Diamonds Party, and to top of the night we ended up at DC10. Ibiza is a non stop, won’t stop, party town full of the best house beats any city has to offer! During my epic adventure here, there are a few key essentials that keep me going! If you are going to Ibiza, I highly recommend that you come prepared!
Overall, Ibiza is rather laid back so you can pretty much dress however you like. During the day you can wear a bikini with a cover-up or short works great. At night, if you plan on going to dinner then I would suggest getting a little more dressed up with a nice dress and heels. When you hit the clubs, definitely, take off your heels and put on comfortable tennis shoes.
Some of my Ibiza essentials include:

1. Small purse-something that can go over your shoulder so you can keep it on you while you are dancing.

2. Pocket camera-easy to bring anywhere and can fit inside your small purse. My two favorites are the Canon G16 and Sony RX100.

3. Sunglasses- perfect for day parties or even to wear at the night clubs (Ibiza may be the only place it is okay/cool to wear your sunglasses at night.)

4. Hand Sanitizer- keeps your hands clean.

5. Jing Herbs Restore the Liver supplements- cleanses the liver from drinking alcohol.

6. Chloroxygen- helps build red blood cells as well as staying hydrated.

7. Magnesium- great to take at night to ensure a restful sleep.

8. Ultima Replenisher- an electrolyte powder that helps replenish missing electrolytes.

9. Bathing suit- must need for laying out by the pool, day parties, or taking a boat trip to Formentera for lunch.

10. Converse- comfortable to dance the night away in. If you look at the photo you can see that my Converse are trashed. Wearing tennis shoes is a great way to protect your feet while you are on the dance floor.

11. Dr Schulze’s Cold & Flu Shot- the best herbal formula to avoid getting sick while still partying like a rock star.

12. Zpack – if all else fails, have a Zpack handy and ready to go.

Another great item to bring are hand fans. It can get really hot during the day as well as in the clubs so a hand fan definitely helps cool you down. I also recommend getting IV fluids from VITASQUAD. “Vitasquad is a mobile service that uses intravenous nutritional therapy to deliver vitamins directly into the bloodstream.” It is amazing and helps keep your body healthy and hydrated.

Keir Alexa
August 10, 2015
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Free Fallin: 8 Minutes in Zero Gravity

Free Fallin: 8 Minutes in Zero Gravity https://dev.keiralexa.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Z2.jpg 5760 3840 Keir Alexa Keir Alexa https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/da7306e6338c40e040f29ddbda64472f?s=96&d=mm&r=g August 10, 2015 September 27, 2016

Have you ever wondered how movies that take place in outer space, like the classic Apollo 13, are filmed? How do they simulate floating around on zero gravity? And be honest, you’ve always wanted to see what feeling weightless is like, but you didn’t really want to go through the 10 years of astronaut training. Well, good news! The G-Force-One is the first commercial plane that offers passengers the ultimate weightless experience as if you were in space.

The technique of creating a nearly gravity-free experience was started by NASA in order to help astronauts get used to what being weightless feels like, as well as what it feels like to accelerate beyond Earth’s normal gravity. It works fairly simple: A specialized 727 jet called the G-FORCE ONE takes you up to about 24,000 feet and then begins to do aerobatic maneuvers called parabolas. A parabola is achieved by increasing the aircraft to a 45-degree angle to reach an altitude of 34,000 feet. Then, the plane dives down and this is where you get experience 30 seconds of weightlessness.

For the initial takeoff, you’re sitting in regular seats, and feels a lot like the first part of any good rollercoaster—you’re leaning back in your chair full of anticipation, wondering what weightlessness is going to feel like. Once you reach the FAA designated airspace that is approximately 100 miles long and ten miles wide, you head to the back of the plane which is called the “Play Area.” That’s because it is where you get to play like astronauts do. The whole area has padding, which makes it a little more comfortable when your body is being tossed around like a rag doll.

When the plane goes into its first parabola, a crewmember starts by yelling “Martian gravity!” which is 1/3 your weight on Earth. Then you go into “Lunar gravity” which is 1/6 your weight. During this time you can do one-finger push-ups and feel like a macho man.

Then, the fourth parabola, you go into complete zero gravity!!!!!

The people that work there are really informative, and the experience really does make you feel like going to space, even down to the cool blue jumpsuits you wear. The plane only has a couple of windows, which is great because then you really can get into the sense that you’re on a space shuttle and not an airplane.

You can do somersaults, let yourself just float, or pretend you are Superwoman (or Superman)!

But once the thirty seconds are up, you flop on the floor…and wait for the next climb and drop into zero gravity.

All in all, they do this 15 times, so you get to experience 8 whole minutes of weightlessness, giving you lots of time to play around and get used to the feeling of being in space.

The Zero G experience is one of those once-in-a-lifetime, amazing experiences that I’ll never forget. I could not stop laughing and smiling the whole time. I felt like a little kid going to Disneyland for the first time!

PRICE AND WHAT YOU GET: “$4,950 + 5% tax: Weightless flight to include 15 parabolic maneuvers creating 20-30 seconds of weightlessness each. Includes ZERO-G merchandise, pre and post flight catering, professional photos of ZERO-G Experience^®, video of weightless experience and certificate of weightless completion.”

Keir Alexa
August 8, 2015
2 Comments

Sparkling St. Barths

Sparkling St. Barths https://dev.keiralexa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/St-Barths-Keir-Alexa-Travel-Blog-Fashion-White-Pants-Beach-Style.jpeg 1024 682 Keir Alexa Keir Alexa https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/da7306e6338c40e040f29ddbda64472f?s=96&d=mm&r=g August 8, 2015 June 16, 2016

A sparkling jewel among the already considerable beauty of tropical islands, St. Barthelemy is synonymous with leisure and luxury. Uncrowded by the typical Caribbean tourist, St. Barts caters to the luxury traveler who loves fine dining and fine diving.

Starting from St. Martin island, we flew in a small chartered plane and circled over St. Barts for a moment, enough time to see brilliant white sand beaches circled by a sapphire ocean, before landing at the island’s tiny airport. The short, mountaintop runway will rattle all but the most experienced of world-travelers.

Our Arrow Marine Villa, located on Mount Jean’s private estate, had a spectacular view of the lush Margiot Bay.

Views from our bedroom

The living room

After settling in, we went to dinner at one of St Barth’s most popular restaurants

called Le Ti. After a delicious dinner and of course one too many drinks, people dress up in costumes and dance on tables.

Our days were spent walking around the elite shopping areas of Gustavia and visiting the island’s many beaches.

Flower-strewn Cemetery

After a superb lunch at Eden Rock, we checked out Nikki Beach, and found that it’s a party unto itself, complete with champagne showers raining down every few minutes thanks to the raucous revelers.

You can check out the best times to visit St. Barths HERE

Keir Alexa
July 30, 2015
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An Ocean Journey with Whale Sharks and WildAid

An Ocean Journey with Whale Sharks and WildAid https://dev.keiralexa.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Cover-photo-.jpg 3729 1955 Keir Alexa Keir Alexa https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/da7306e6338c40e040f29ddbda64472f?s=96&d=mm&r=g July 30, 2015 November 20, 2015

It is 5 a.m when I awake on Isla Mujeres, a tiny island off the coast of Cancun. I am on a WildAid Expedition with my boyfriend and his family. We board a 32-foot fishing boat at 6 a.m. and head two hours out to sea, searching for the world’s largest gathering of whale sharks. Every year, between 300-500 whale sharks congregate in this area around the full moon during the third week in July.

My adrenaline overwhelms me as the boat is surrounded by these beautiful sharks that are circling around the boat. They grow from 30-60 feet in length and weigh up to 30-40 tons. I should point out here that although I like to scuba dive, I am scared to death to jump into the water with just my mask and fins.

In order to protect the whale sharks, only three people are allowed in the water at a time. Two groups of people go ahead of me, but I can feel my heart pounding in my chest as my turn gets closer and closer. Our guide is world-renowned photographer Jim Abernethy.

Jim looks deep into my eyes and says, “Keir, you have to trust me. You will be okay. Take deep breaths and remember: your suit is buoyant and so are you. Trust me. Now jump!”

In life, you’ll never regret what you did as much as what you didn’t do. I decide to trust him–and I jump into the water.

Jim is holding my hand and I feel safe as we swim…and suddenly, I am eye to eye with my first whale shark! Thirty five feet long, light gray with white dappled spots, it is like swimming alongside a school bus.

I swim to the side to get out of the way, and as I turn, another whale shark, and another, and another… around 300 whales sharks, swimming quietly in the ocean. All I can hear is the meditative sound of my breath through my snorkel, in and out, in and out.

The whole experience is hypnotic and humbling beyond words. To be swimming alongside sharks that are so large they practically don’t even know you’re there helps you realize just how important and connected all living things are. In the water, we see manta rays and sailfish in addition to all the sharks.

In the evenings back on Isla Mujeres, the WildAid team, teaches us about their preservation work. . . .

As well as provides us with delicious dinners every night.

Some facts I learned while on this WildAid expedition, are that every year:

* 73 million Sharks are killed for shark fin soup

* 35,000 Elephants are killed for their ivory

* 150 Tigers are killed for their body parts

* In 2012, 660 rhinos were killed for their horns

The illegal wildlife trade is estimated to be worth over $10 billion (USD) per year and has drastically reduced many wildlife populations around the world. Many species, including sharks, tigers, rhinos, and elephants, have existed on our planet for millions of years and sit at the top of their food chains with no natural predators, except humans. The devastation caused by killing sharks is far greater than one could imagine. Sharks have helped maintain the balance of marine life in our oceans for the past 400 years. Research demonstrates that massive depletion of sharks is having cascading effects throughout our oceans. An estimated 1/3 of open-ocean shark species are currently threatened with extinction, with certain populations experiencing a 99% population decline.

Since 2000, WildAId’s Shark Conservation Program has successfully elevated the international profile of sharks and has highlighted the importance of global shark conservation, including achievement of finning legislation in the European Union, victories in key US states and UN resolution addressing shark finning problem. Their motto is “When the buying stops, the killing stops too!”. You can learn more about this amazing organization and the important work they do at www.wildaid.org.

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