This Ugly Backpack Has Been Around

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That's the same ugly backpack I started my journeys with in the fall of 2006. It has been around the world a few times since then. To tell the truth, I don't always take it on my travels these days (appropriate baggage is key), but when I get home I always add the patch from any new country I've visited. The bag keeps getting uglier, but it also gets more interesting as this patchwork quilt of nations grows. I hope one day to run out of space and have to put patches on top of patches. How's that for life goals?

I realize it's been a very long time (12 years?) since I've done an actual travel blog here, but I want to catch you all up on everything!!!

Right now, I am in Mombasa, Kenya. I am staying with my in-laws in Mshomoroni and working everyday at the Rastafari Community Development Office that I co-founded. My wife and sons went home on Friday after a lovely two-week family vacation in Dar es Salaam during which we celebrated our niece's wedding (Sai Kenya, look her up, she's a music star in Kenya now and well worthy of the praise) and visited Zanzibar. Fitting, isn't it? It looks like the last time I updated this travelblog was after our previous visit to Dar and Zanzibar in 2010.

Here's my quick update for now, but I'll be back with more soon:

- I am a fitness coach with local and remote coaching services for exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle (coaching the whole person). My services and philosophy are described on my website: smartfitandclean.com

- I am also a filmmaker with a background in TV, commercial, corporate, and indie film. I now make documentary films about causes that I care about. nicholasjohnnakis.com is basically my digital resume as a Director, Producer, and Writer.

- My first film, True Born African, tells the story of Winston "Flames" Jarrett, the ska, rocksteady, and reggae pioneer of Alton Ellis & the Flames and Winston Jarrett & The Righteous Flames. The film is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video, as well as DVD. truebornafrican.com has more info & trailers from the film.

- My second film, Reach For The Rings, is about the sport of Functional Fitness striving to get into the Olympic Games. This film tells the story of the 2019 World Championships in Sweden and the USA team's attempt to sweep the podiums. Crucially, this is the only documentary on the sport to actually explain what the elements and scoring of the sport look like so that a new audience can understand the sport of fitness. It's available to view basically everywhere, as well as DVD & Blu-Ray. More info at functionalfitnessfilms.com

- I'm on Instagram, @nicnakis, where I post a lot of health & fitness tips

- I have a follow-up fitness documentary in the works, Reach For The Rings 2, and I am planning more films on Reggae music and Rastafari. This is why I've started a Patreon page to support these independent film efforts. I post a lot of work-in-progress and bonus content from my films there.

- Lastly, I also have a personal blog at nicnakis.com, where I am planning to expand the site to showcase some of my art and other projects such as the Rastafari Community Development Office I started in Mombasa, Kenya in cooperation with Ras Franklin, fulfilling the vision of our elder Ras Simba.

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