When this canyon was first discovered, herds of prong-horned antelope roamed the area.
Photo by Stephanie Couture
Can't forget about Lake Powell down the street!
Photo by Clinton Melander
Moraine Lake, Canada // Surreal Place #6
This glacially-fed lake in Banff National Park reaches its highest point in late June, during which time the flour-filled water turns turquoise blue.
Photo by Paul Goodwill
A Tribute To Discomfort
Being Alive
"I don't believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive."
- Joseph Campbell
Photo by Max Rive
Let Your Dreams Awaken You
More funding from the I Do It For Her foundation just came in for the Dream Enablers initiative so apply now! We'll provide the winner with funding and encouragement as they pursue their wildest dreams. This is also how we find our next video subjects as you saw with our latest film "Follow Your Fears" so take a moment to share your story.
Marble Caves, Chile // SURREAL PLACE #5
Glacier movements 6,200 years ago caused the water level of the Lake to drop, allowing waves to shape these caves into the site we see today.
Photo by Raul Urzua de la Sotta
Photo by Raul Urzua de la Sotta
Photo by Raul Urzua de la Sotta
End Of The World Swing // Surreal Place #4
This treehouse swing in Ecuador allows visitors to thrust themselves over the deep valley below (no seat belts or harnesses available).
Photo by Sean Hacker Teper
#5 Right After You Did Something You Were Terrified Of
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Epic Moment #5
Whether it’s jumping off a cliff, asking someone out or starting a new career; the act of doing something you’re afraid of is invigorating.
Fear does a great job of creating what appears to be a death gap between where you stand and where you want to be. If you can muster up the courage to take the leap and allow your cherished desires to be in line with your actions, you’ll be rewarded with an incomparable satisfaction.
Photo by Noell S. Oszvald
Our Finest Impulses
“Every day we slaughter our finest impulses. That is why we get a heartache when we read those lines written by the hand of a master and recognize them as our own, as the tender shoots which we stifled because we lacked the faith to believe in our own powers.”
- Henry Miller
New At The Shop
Finally re-stocked and added a bunch of new items at our shop. As always purchasing an item enters you to win and Unbound Experience. Congrats to our last winner Zoheb Davar!
Victoria Falls, Africa // Surreal Place #3
Devil's Pool is a natural rock pool on the edge of Victoria Falls, a 350 foot waterfall.
Photo by Fritz Stugren
Photo by Fritz Stugren
Photo by Fritz Stugren
Photo by Karine Aigner
Sea of Stars, Maldives // Surreal Place #2
It turns out that putting a certain type of plankton under stress results in one of the most stress-relieving sights on the planet, their resultant blue glow creating astral patterns on sea shores.
Photo by Doug Perinne
Photo by Will Ho
Salar De Uyuni, Bolivia // Surreal Place #1
We're starting a list of the most surreal places on earth!
#1 is Salar De Uyuni, the world’s largest natural mirror. It's estimated to contain around 10 billion tons of salt.
Photo by Guy Nesher
Photo by Nicolas Aravena
Photo by Tomohiro Nakatate
#4 Getting Your First Paycheck Doing What You Love
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Epic Moment #4
You’ve probably heard the quote “Do what you love and the money will follow”. It was created with good intentions but it’s not quite true. “Do what you love and fulfilment will follow” is more accurate but fulfilment is not going to put food on the table.
So we all share the same struggle — how to make a living off our passion and avoid getting trapped in a numbing existence of uninspiring, unremarkable work. It’s the ultimate challenge and I think that’s a good thing, if it were easy then achieving it wouldn’t be an epic moment.
Just to be clear, I don’t think the 9-5 is all bad. Sometimes it serves as a nice break from the anxiety that constantly pushing yourself can bring. But it’s a lifestyle that is often used as a hiding place from the responsibility of pursuing our true calling.
It’s not easy to settle for less when you know you’re capable of more. To be bored out of your mind waiting for the weekend to come. To say to yourself, “that’s life” and carry on.
With time, the comfort that a secure paycheck brings begins to wear away. As its role in inhibiting our development becomes more and more apparent, staying put becomes increasingly difficult. Some are lucky enough to hit a point where leaving becomes easier than staying and that’s when the adventure begins.
If you choose to accept the ultimate challenge then you’ll have to make sacrifices, you’ll fail often and you’ll miss the security of that guaranteed paycheck. Oh ya and everytime you go outside it will be cold and raining.
Yes, it’s a struggle but it’s a beautiful struggle.
One where you wake up excited, motivated and content knowing that you’re giving this life everything you have. One where you often stop and think, “Wait, this is seriously my job?!” You can barely tell the difference between work and play. And no matter how hard your day was, you go to sleep with the undying belief that there is a way and you will find it.
Until one day the rain suddenly stops and you walk outside on a beautiful sunny day. You open your mailbox to find your first paycheck doing the work that you love. In that moment you realize how crucial cold winters are. Without them you can’t fully appreciate the blissful summers.
Inspired by Amber Rae.
But still terrifying.
#3 When The Plane Door Opens On Your First Skydive
Photo by Justin Martinez
Our New Short Documentary
A couple days ago I released our new short documentary "Follow Your Fears" and since then it's been featured on dozens of blogs, licensed by GoPro, nominated for short of the week and Vimeo staff picks.
Creating it was a beautiful struggle filled with many unexpected hurdles but the experience is certainly one I'll never forget. Thank you Brad O'Neal for pouring your heart out without hesitation and putting everything on the line to make this happen.
It all started when Brad applied to our Dream Enablers program saying »
I am currently building a ramp in an attempt to be the first person to jump a motorcycle high enough to base jump from. This has been my dream since I was 12 yrs old, when I thought of the idea. Now at 26 yrs I'm still working on it and hopefully 2014 is my year! Actually the ramp is halfway built and sitting in my driveway lol. Just need outside support and this could be done in march this year.
He did wind up completing the jump in March and walked away safe and sound. Witnessing this process has been an important reminder that obstacles don't exist to stop you, just to test how bad you want it.
- Yali
Purchase poster here // Designed by Harsya Ibrahim
#2 Finding Out That You’re More Capable Than You Thought
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Epic Moment #2
Once in a while we try doing something that we’re not sure we can pull off. It’s risky, it’s wild, it’s a bit foolish and the outcome is uncertain. But something tells us, “I think I got this” and we run with that optimistic notion, well aware that it’s short lived.
We somehow manage to make it happen and walk away unharmed, holding our heads a little higher than before. There is no better feeling than finding a big chunk of hidden potential.
Comment below to suggest an epic moment!
Photo by Stu Gibson
#1 Hiking Above The Clouds
We're starting a list of the most epic moments you can experience in life. Comment below to suggest some!
Source: mikylaschuster.tumblr.com
First Step
Dig deep and you’ll see your path but you’ll never be able to see where it leads. That’s what makes the first step so exciting.
Photo by Chris Burkard Photography
