Special thank you to my girl, JOAN JETSETTER for the amazing article. Be sure to check out her website and follow her travels....
I ADORE ANDORRA
Have you ever been to Andorra? No wait, the real question should be, Have you ever heard of Andorra? Landlocked between Spain and France, Andorra is one of the smallest countries in Europe. It has no airports, no seaports, no train stations, and the only way to get to Andorra is by using a motor vehicle or foot. Fun fact: the closest train station to Andorra is in France and its only 2 kilometers away from the border (now you know!!!).
Andorra is a mountainous country filled with ski resorts. However, I came during the summer, so my trip to Andorra wasn't about the powdery snow, it was about HIKING.
I hiked all the way up 7,878 feet (or 2,400 meters) to the top where I could see the entire country of France. I was proud of my hike because black people don't like really hiking... Well, at least the black people I know.
Whatever the stereotype... I came, I saw, I hiked. And so should you. It's incredible.
www.philtheculture.com
LUNCH WITH A VIEW...
When you think of some of the best things about travel, the list doesn't stop... food, people, adventure, history, the sites, and the CULTURE...
When traveling, and two or more of the things above happen, it's a very memorable moment. In a lot of cases, unforgettable. So what do you do? You do what any tourist would do in the 21st century, you document it with facebook, instagram, or you snapchat!
Let's talk about some of the things people like to take pictures of. Off the top of my head, people go crazy over beaches. Nothing is more calming than perfect blue skies and the matching ocean blue. We've all seen the pictures and felt the effects of these pictures have on our everyday psyche. Makes you wanna pack up and go.
However, in my opinion, some of the most magical views are the ones taken closer to GOD. These are the mountain range pictures packed with beauty and wonder. To see such a heavenly view live and in person is tough to explain, it's just something you need to experience. These kind of views are the ones that make you wanna rethink life and your leisure activities because it's THAT AMAZING.
This brings me to: "LUNCH WITH A VIEW" :
I once had "LUNCH WITH A VIEW" and I could never stop thinking about it. I was skiing in the alps mountain for hours and my friend and I can across a restaurant sitting on top of a mountain with an even better view of another mountain. Enough talk ...take a look for yourself... Eating french fries in France!
One other time I enjoyed "LUNCH WITH A VIEW" was in Morocco. Have you ever tried Tagine? It's a traditional meal and I ate in front of Morocco's largest waterfall - Ouzoud Falls.
To me, this is all about Philing The Culture. When your favorite Phil The Culture moment combines with another, it's a great time to document. These pictures are what Philing The Culture is all about. Two great travel moments rolled in ONE ... This is, LUNCH WITH A VIEW!
21 COUNTRIES AND 100 CULTURES
In 2016 I became a snap-traveler. Whats a snap-travler you ask? Well, you can watch THIS VIDEO or you can check my earlier blog posts. Becoming a snap traveler I was able use snapchat through 21 countries. Well, 23 if you count Palestine and Catalonia.
So many different cultures put a smile on my face. Hopefully this video does the same for you...If you follow me on Snapchat thanks for all the love. Be on the look out for Individual videos for most of the countries I've traveled this is just a recap. Soooo... sit back and phil the culture with me .
So in 2016 i became a snap-traveler SNAP CHATTING 21countries. Well 23 if you count Palestine & Catalonia. So many different cultures put a smile on my face. Hopefully this video does the same...If you follow me on snapchat thanks for all the love and i snapchat love you!
#3 RULE OF TRAVELING FROM MY TRAVELERS HANDBOOK...
Austria, home of Amadeus, Arnold, Adolf and the Alps. That's alot of "a´s." As usual, when I arrived in I had no expectations ... SIDE NOTE ... When traveling, by having certain expectations you can set yourself up for failure. Its the number three rule in my travelers hand book.
#3: have NO Expectations...
If you want other rules, let me know!
The city of Innsbruck Austria was so much fun. They welcomed me with open arms. Have you ever had Kaiserschmarrn? Its an Austrian cuisine to die for. So come join me as i check out the homeland of Mozart and "Phil the Culture" of Austria!
MARCH MADNESS!
Its that time of year again! Basketball fans around the land are gearing up to see some great college basketball games and what comes with great basketball games ... great shots ... speaking of great shots ... I have a segment on my Snapchat called SHOT OF THE DAY. And since I'm a snap traveler I incorporate that shot almost every where I go.
So, sit back relax and enjoy the big dance ... along with my shot of the day in different countries. Oh and if you're not following me on Snapchat, please do! ---> PHILWAUKEE
In honor of March Madness i made a compilation video of my snap chat shots from all over the world. Snapping my way through different countries...SHOT OF THE DAY
What's Going On?
As a youngster Watching College basketball, I knew that someday it could be my reality.... Eventually playing college basketball was just that. Back then, watching TV showed me what the world could be and had in store for me. TV was an outlet into new possibilities. I imagine that entertainment for kids still has the same affect, whether it be the internet, TV, film, etc...
So, I say all that to say this... Imagine the fear in young black males lives when they watch TV and see what's going on. I don't have any answers but I'm part of the equation that's in this problem. Through my travels, I went to Chicago and filmed a blacklivesmatter rally...
Thru the eyes of Snapchat i had the pleasure to march with the black lives matter movement in Chicago this July. As a black man I seen all the protest from my computer in Europe. So to actually be involved in a peaceful protest was a great way to express the frustration of whats going on in America.
A QUICK UPDATE and BRANDS!
What's up everyone. Just dropping this update because I've missed everyone. I'm currently back in Denmark planning my next trips and also looking to connect with new brands so I can continue to PHIL THE CULTURE!
Get ready for a couple new videos coming to the blog this week. If anyone wants to connect don't forget to hit me up. If you have any thoughts on brands I can connect with YOU BETTER HIT ME UP.
See you soon...
Philwaukee
ICELAND ADVENTURES
Thank you, WOW AIR!
Thanks to WOWAIR I explored Iceland and it was great. From the blue lagoon till the beautiful church in Reykjavik...Iceland has it all ... However the best part was snowmobiling on top of a glacier. One word......AMAZING
ICELAND'S best WATERFALL
So Thee snaptravelers took a trip to see one of Iceland's most beautiful and without a doubt Iceland's most popular waterfall. Gullfoss which is translated to Golden waterfalls ....Awesome and the aerial footage was taken by @RealAdamrose thanks buddy!
BREAKING the ICE in ICELAND
So I was in ICELAND to snap for #WOWAIR ...So on my 1st day in Iceland i had to break the ICE with the Icelandic people and make them SMILE. shot of the day ....SOTD
SnapTraveler Reminder!
In case some of you guys forgot (you better not have!) I'm a SnapTraveler with Wow Airlines. They just released a great video of us 4 travelers meeting and exploring Iceland. I can't wait to get back on the road...
Be sure to follow me on snapchat: PHILWAUKEE ... If you haven't already go follow follow WOW AIRLINES on snapchat: WOW-AIR ... Now watch the great video...
We just hired 4 people to travel the world and #snapchat all summer! (Snapchat: WOW-AIR) Meet the SnapTravelers as we recap their trip to Iceland 2 weeks ago... Dave, Naila, Adam and Phil were picked from tens of thousands of applicants to travel across the world for free and share their journeys with our friends on Snapchat this summer It all begins tomorrow as Dave Keystone takes on Barcelona!
I'm a lucky guy. Thanks, Wow Airlines...
WOW air was looking for 4 creative, fun and interesting people to travel across the world for FREE and share their journey with our friends on Snapchat this summer... I Applied and WON. However go check out the link they can tell you better than i can http://snaptraveler.wowair.com
I'm happy to say that I'm a #SnapTraveler with WOW AIRLINES. Be sure to check out their snapchat page: Wow-Air so you can follow as I traveler to different locations.
Also, follow me on Snapchat (Philwaukee) or on Youtube, which, by the way - subscribe on YouTube! I'll be posting more often on Snapchat...
What Defines YOU...
For the pass 20 years I've identified myself as a basketball player (pretty much as long as Kobe has been a Laker) however that all came to a sudden end a few weeks ago. The doctor shut down my comeback faster than a trump rally in Chicago.
To make a long story short, last season I tore my patella tendon. In my head I scheduled a great and glorious come back. However, because this was my second knee surgery in 3 seasons the expectations in my head didn’t meet reality. The doctors sat me down and told me I was done playing.
Glorious comeback… over.
I know what you’re thinking: you can’t just give up. True. Very true. That’s something I think about, but if I keep playing I’ll be doing serious harm to my body. Not just aches and pains kind of serious, but crooked knees, crooked back, can’t walk kind of serious harm to my body. Father time is unmatched, every body gets worn down, whether you play a sport or not, and now I’ll have to hang up my basketball shoes ASAP.
Which brings me to a moment in my mind: I can clearly remember buying my first pair of basketball shoes. It made me feel excited and optimistic. It made me feel ready for whatever becoming a basketball player was all about. I’ll never forget that feeling.
Fast forward back to today - Hanging up these shoes my feeling are totally opposite. I’m still trying to work through how I feel. The main thing I feel is fear . I’ve competitively played basketball for nearly my entire life. Truthfully, I don't know how to not be a basketball player. For 20 years basketball has given my life structure. I defined myself as a basketball player.
Shakespeare once said ... "To be...or not to be?...That is the question.” No, the question is..."What defines me now?" That’s what I have to digest. What defines me now? I’ll never stop searching for that answer.
I keep in mind a statement a friend told me. "...I believe there is no Good or bad experiences. Things happen for us, not to us.”
Everyone is faced with a scenario like this. We all face crossroads and we all handle them differently. I’m not saying there’s one right way to approach a cross road, but for me, I just remind myself that things happen for us, not to us.