The Hurricane Turn

As soon as we arrived at the Talkeetna train station, my son's eyes lit up with excitement. We showed our tickets and climbed aboard The Hurricane Turn train - the last flag-stop train in the United States.

The train was surprisingly empty, which made it easier for us to find a seat and settle in for the 7+ hour journey. The conductor, who welcomed us on board, gave us a brief history of the train and its route as we rode along.

Throughout the day, we stopped at various scenic spots - including rivers, streams, an abandoned hotel and an art gallery - all accessible via the train tracks. The train would pause for a few minutes at each stop, allowing passengers to get down and take pictures of the breathtaking views.

One fellow passenger was reliving her trip from 25 years ago to visit a cabin her husband had stayed in during a hunting and fishing trip. To our surprise, she was able to locate it along the tracks!

The most striking feature of the train was its Adventure Car - a beautiful car with all-glass windows that provided panoramic views of the Alaskan backcountry.

Although it was a long day on the train, filled with sights and stories, we were glad we took The Hurricane Turn ride. We're already considering trying out the winter version of this unforgettable journey in the near future.

Alaska on Film: Kodak Gold 200 with Leica MP

Continuing with my film series and my need to experiment with different film stock - I bought a bunch of rolls of Kodak 200 given the price range and the ease of availability.

As much as I appreciate the vibrant hues in some of the shots, I have to admit that this particular film stock falls short in certain scenarios. The brightness and saturation often come out dull and lackluster, unless there is an abundance of natural light.

The Kodak Gold 200 film gives off a warm, vintage vibe with its slightly yellow and grainy appearance. It evokes a sense of nostalgia and adds to the vintage aesthetic of the photos. Below are a few samples from the Kodak Gold 200 - all shot with the Leica MP.

50 Hours on Airplanes

It’s that time in my family - where people start getting married and move on to the next stage of their lives. 

In March, one of my cousins was getting married in India. She lives in Singapore and flew there a week before the wedding. Her younger sister, was flying from Singapore on the same day that I was scheduled to land from New York. 

In the interest of making the week as memorable as possible, I decided to do something crazy - swap my tickets that took me from New York to Abu Dhabi to Mumbai - a mere 16 hours on a plane to a ticket that had me flying from New York to San Fransisco to Tokyo to Hong Kong to Singapore and then finally to India - a trip that kept me in transit for nearly 50 hours, just so that I could surprise her on board. 

Here’s the thing - I loved every second of it. 

I’ve been flying for well over 25 years. Flights between New York to Los Angeles are second nature and 14 hour flights feel extremely familiar. 

It helps to know the ins and outs of airline operations. It helps flying in first-class. It helps being comfortable in unknown surroundings. 

Commercial aviation has become incredibly comfortable and for someone who still glares out the window for every take off and landing, it remains one of the very few places that is awe inspiring. 

Climb on. 

For This

I'm sitting on an Airbus A380, operated by Emirates, the world's largest operator of these jumbo jets. I'm sitting in a first-class suite which features showers on board and a bar. I'm sipping a glass of Dom Perignon and later on, I'll be drinking Hennessey Paradis, the most expensive liquor in the sky.

I lean back, get ready for the jet to thrust into the air and take me home. I catch myself in the mirror in my suite and I have a huge smile on my face.

This is it. This is my life.

At some point in my past, I made 2 decisions. The first one forced me to walk away from everything. The second decision was to give up a very well paying job to build my companies.

These decisions meant not to accept small victories or instant gratification. But to fight for the things worth chasing. To commit all the way or to not bother at all. I made a decision to live life my way. And that's what I've done on this trip.

I produced my first video in a long time:

I captured stunning sunrises: 

And capped my days with jaw dropping sunsets:

I flew on the world's first commercial airline to offer an apartment:

And as this trip comes to an end, I'm excited to get back to the grind. There are a few large hurdles I need to cross amongst our group of companies. But, if the past is any indication - there's a way.

Nothing worth having is easy. Nothing easy is worth keeping. Every good thing in life takes 3 things: time, patience and perseverance.

And those that want it badly enough are the ones that get it.

Live well. Be well. Chase your dreams. And be strong enough to make them reality.