Friday, September 21, 2018

Filming Primal Quest Expedition - Squamish, British Columbia

Primal Quest, Primal Quest Expedition, World OCR, Primal Quest British Columbia, Luis Escobar Born to Run, Arnel Banawa, Primal Quest Expedition OCR


A little over a week ago, I had the opportunity to film this legendary Adventure Race called Primal Quest. The event took place in Squamish, British Columbia which has been a place that I've always dreamed of visiting for as long as I can remember! The whole experience was great, I learned a lot about the sport, met some inspiring athletes, and connected with some pretty cool people like Luis Escobar, who is known for being one of the 7 American runners featured in the best-selling book "Born to Run".


I didn't really take any pictures while I was there, but I did create this video =) If you have an interest in going on adventures, visiting amazing places, and being part of a team, then you may want to give Adventure Racing or Expedition OCR a try.

Primal Quest Expedition - British Columbia 2018


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Seton Lake, BC


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Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Asia Trip with the Parents (2017)

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Batad Rice Terraces - Banaue, Philippines


I finally had a little time to edit some trip video highlights (below) from my last year when I had the opportunity to take my parents around Asia. Some of the places that we went were the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. It was such a pleasure to be able to show them around and just have them relax and enjoy. I look forward to the next time that we can do this together. We're not getting any younger, so doing as much together, especially traveling around the world is something very important to us.

Petronas Towers - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Khao San Rd. Bangkok, Thailand
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My parents raised six kids and always worked and provided for us, so I was very happy to be able to do this for them because they truly deserved it. =)

Singapore Flyer - Singapore
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Enjoy this quick 3 minute video, and feel free to connect with me if you need any budget travel tips, or ways to stay active when you travel. Never stop exploring!!!


Asia Trip with the Parents - 2017


At an Outreach in Payatas, Philippines
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Asia Trip 2017, Asia on a budget, Backpacking Asia 2017, Filipino Beachbody Coach, Beachbody Coach Success, Khao San Road 2017, Beachbody Coach Travel, Filipino Digital Nomad



Arnel is a donation-based filmmaker, digital nomad, sponsored adventure traveler, and online Beachbody Coach. Make me your Free Online Coach by clicking here!





Monday, July 30, 2018

Working Out with my Daughter and her Boyfriend - Max Out Strength

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Watch Video Below =)


If you are just checking into my blog for the first time, thanks for visiting!

Just to catch you up to speed with me, I've been traveling for almost 8 months now but I haven't seen my daughter in almost 10 months! I finally arrived in Florida and got reunited with my Princess, I missed her so much!

I have almost two weeks to spend with her before I'm off traveling again for my OCRTUBE media project, so the next few days are focused on her, as well as doing some online work in between. This past weekend was spent in Safety Harbor, FL with her, and I also had the opportunity to meet her boyfriend. Pretty nice guy, and I like the fact that he likes to stay active.

Fishing on the Courtney Campbell Causeway
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I suggested that they do a workout with me over the weekend, and without any hesitation, they said yes. I was pretty excited as I have been slacking with my workouts, so I felt that this would help me stay on track. It so happens that`my daughter also kinda fell off the wagon, so it really was a win for all of us!

Killed it.....more like, KILLED US lol
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Here is a quick video of us doing a Insanity Max 30 workout called Max Out Strength which is a full body cardio conditioning and body weight resistance workout. It was pretty much a push up massacre workout ha ha! But like they all say, you will never regret a workout! The best part was when we were finished, it was grand!

Insanity Max 30 - Max Out Strength
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Arnel is a donation-based filmmaker, digital nomad, sponsored adventure traveler, and online Beachbody Coach. Make me your Free Online Coach by clicking here!





Monday, July 23, 2018

5 Ways I Prevent Burn Out

Preventing Burn Out, 5 Ways to prevent burn out, Lifestyle Tips, Beachbody Coach Tips, Stress Tips, Filipino Beachbody Coach


Have you ever met someone who just hated life?

I have come across so many people during my travels who have been so rude to me, treated me like dirt, and just down right disrespected me! Like, what`did I do to make you so angry?

It took me awhile to realize why so many people unfortunately treat people like the bottom of the barrel. Here's the thing, I understand that people have so many things that`may be going on in their lives, and they take it out on other people. I used to take it so personal, and it turned me into a very ugly person. It wasn't until I trained myself to understand people more, and why people do the things that `they do. It really is all about keeping an open mind, and not only that, but keeping yourself busy with your own amazing life. I've learned that`if you focus on your own life, the good things, it will be more difficult to worry about what is going on with the negative around you. Now I'm not going to say that `it's an easy thing to do to not pay attention to the negative, what I'm saying is to just make an effort to try to focus on the good things, and eventually the toxic things that`are happening around you will not phase you.


Preventing Burn Out, 5 Ways to prevent burn out, Lifestyle Tips, Beachbody Coach Tips, Stress Tips, Filipino Beachbody Coach


I'M NO EXPERT

But what`has helped me understand why people get into a toxic time in their life is because they are just burned out! Maybe they've been working a job that they've been hating for so many years! Maybe they are in a toxic relationship? Maybe they are not being treated fairly at work. And of course the BIG ONE, maybe they are going through financial struggles or dealing with family matters. There are so many factors to look into why and how people get burned out.

MY TWO CENTS

Just to let you know, I can only speak for myself and some of my friends who have shared with me what has helped them prevent burn out and live a more happy and fulfilling life. Here are 5 ways that` have helped me prevent burn out, and become more open minded about life and the people around me.

1.  Do What`You Love - Easier said than done right, that's because it is. But I have found that`it is much more worth it to sacrifice a few years of your life to turn your passion into a business, versus spending your whole existence doing something that you hate. Also, maybe spending more time with family, volunteering or finding a hobby can help bring yourself back to reality.


Preventing Burn Out, 5 Ways to prevent burn out, Lifestyle Tips, Beachbody Coach Tips, Stress Tips, Filipino Beachbody Coach


2.  Keep Things Simple, and Take Breaks - Some things are just way beyond our control, so why try to be controlling. To understand that`life won't always work in your favor will help you live more stress-FREE. Things happen for a reason, take it, learn from it and move on! And when life gets hectic (and it will a lot), take a break! I find that taking breaks helps clear my mind, and prevents me from making bad and irresponsible decisions, although sometimes we just can't help it, we're human! It's all about pacing yourself, people who live in the fast lane don't last long, they either lose control or like what this post is about, they simply just get burnt out!

3.  Eat Healthier - Oh yeah I know how tough this one is lol, but I find that when I do eat healthier, I am happier and don't feel as irritated when people annoy me, yes I said it, but it's true. There's something about fueling your body with the good stuff that turns you into a super nice human being.

4.  Be More Active - Life, work, business, relationships, and even family can be burn you out. One of the best ways to release the negative toxins and bad thoughts is to yes...... workout. What they say is so true, you will never regret a workout, this has been proven with me through the years, all I have to do is find the right people to keep me accountable to stick with my goals when life gets tough, and thank goodness I have that =)


Preventing Burn Out, 5 Ways to prevent burn out, Lifestyle Tips, Beachbody Coach Tips, Stress Tips, Filipino Beachbody Coach


5.  Travel - Sometimes we just need to get away from our every day life. No, you don't have to leave the country or anything like that, but I do highly encourage it =). Just try going to a place you've never been in your hometown! For me, traveling has been one of my biggest therapies. Humans were meant to explore, so go out and explore, you might not come back =) You might even find out what`you should've been doing all along =).

So that's about it. I believe that`if people can just start with these 5 things, it will help prevent burn out and maybe even prevent themselves from being MEAN to other people =) Let's face it, we all want to be happy and live better, so why not start today?

I do want to say that`if you come across someone who seems to just be hating life, I encourage you to just listen to them, smile and compliment, those three things always works wonders! We seriously just don't have enough people doing it.

Again, I'm no expert, but this is what` has helped me in my journey to living a happier, stress-free life. It's an ongoing battle, but little things like this has helped me, let me know how it works for you!


Preventing Burn Out, 5 Ways to prevent burn out, Lifestyle Tips, Beachbody Coach Tips, Stress Tips, Filipino Beachbody Coach


Arnel is a donation-based filmmaker, digital nomad, sponsored adventure traveler, and online Beachbody Coach. Feel free to connect with me or ask me anything!





Getting from Morzine to Avoriaz in the Summer! FRANCE


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So technically, the first day of Summer in Morzine/Avoriaz France is around July 15th. Not sure if this is the exact date every year, but your best bet is to contact the Tourism Office in the heart of Morzine to get the correct information. When I visited the tourism office in Morzine, the people there were very helpful and kind.

Tourism Office in Morzine, France
Getting from Morzine to Avoriaz, Morzine to Avoriaz Lift, Morzine to Avoriaz Bus Shuttle, Spartan European Championships Morzine, Beachbody Coach in France, Digital Nomad Beachbody Coach


Getting from Morzine to Avoriaz, Morzine to Avoriaz Lift, Morzine to Avoriaz Bus Shuttle, Spartan European Championships Morzine, Beachbody Coach in France, Digital Nomad Beachbody Coach


I wanted to write a little post on this because I was in Morzine a few weeks ago to film the Spartan European Championships, and when I booked my accommodations for the event prior, I booked it in neighboring Avoriaz not knowing that it was literally atop the mountains about 20 minutes away from Morzine. The view from Avoriaz is amazing, but it was a small hassle to go back and forth to Morzine for the Spartan Race event. One reason why I think most people stay in Avoriaz is because the hotel rates were much cheaper, at least during the time I was there in July.

If you do not have a car and you need to get back and forth from Morzine to Avoriaz, the best way is to use the LIFT called "Telepherique Avoriaz Prodains", or just go to the Tourism Office in Morzine and let them know that you would like to take the LIFT to Avoriaz, and they will help you.

Bus Schedule to Avoriaz Lift
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To get to the Avoriaz Lift, you can take the city bus from either the Pleney or Office de Tourism bus stops. Just ask the local people around the area where the city bus picks ups, but you should be able to see them from the street. The cool thing about the city bus is that it is completely FREE! I highly recommend that you get an updated bus schedule for bus departure and arrival times.

This is how the city bus shuttles look like =)
Getting from Morzine to Avoriaz, Morzine to Avoriaz Lift, Morzine to Avoriaz Bus Shuttle, Spartan European Championships Morzine, Beachbody Coach in France, Digital Nomad Beachbody Coach

Getting from Morzine to Avoriaz, Morzine to Avoriaz Lift, Morzine to Avoriaz Bus Shuttle, Spartan European Championships Morzine, Beachbody Coach in France, Digital Nomad Beachbody Coach


Once the bus picks you up, it will take about 50 minutes to get to the LIFT to Avoriaz. The city bus will drop you off right in front of the lift which is super convenient. Just go straight to the ticketing window and the lift tickets start at around 6 euro, it's much cheaper to get R/T lift tickets. I also recommend that`you find out the times of the lift as this changes depending on the season, as well as the weather. Once you are on the lift, it only takes about 10 minutes to make it up  to Avoriaz.

R/T Lift Ticket to Avoriaz from Morzine
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If you are not sure where your hotel is in Avoriaz, just simply ask the ticketing agent when purchasing your lift ticket, and they can help you and might also be able to provide you with a map of the hotels in Avoriaz.

Inside the Telepherique Avoriaz Prodains, "Lift to Avoriaz"
Getting from Morzine to Avoriaz, Morzine to Avoriaz Lift, Morzine to Avoriaz Bus Shuttle, Spartan European Championships Morzine, Beachbody Coach in France, Digital Nomad Beachbody Coach

Getting from Morzine to Avoriaz, Morzine to Avoriaz Lift, Morzine to Avoriaz Bus Shuttle, Spartan European Championships Morzine, Beachbody Coach in France, Digital Nomad Beachbody Coach


Once you arrive in Avoriaz, there is also a little train that`can take you around the village, so if you have a lot of baggage, then this might be very helpful to you as Avoriaz does not allow vehicles around the village area. Avoriaz isn't that big, so if you just have a backpack like I did, I just walked to my hotel.


Anyways, hope this helps, and have fun! Morzine/Avoriaz, the French Alps are amazing! So many activities to do in Avoriaz, great`shops and restaurants, and of course the view is epic!


Getting from Morzine to Avoriaz, Morzine to Avoriaz Lift, Morzine to Avoriaz Bus Shuttle, Spartan European Championships Morzine, Beachbody Coach in France, Digital Nomad Beachbody Coach


Getting to Morzine from Geneva Airport Switzerland:

The best airport to fly into to get to Morzine is the Geneva Airport in Switzerland. There are shuttles that you can take from GVA to Morzine, the prices are from 20-50 Euro. I used a company called AlpyBus, you can book their shuttles here. FYI, you should book your shuttle online 2 days in advanced. You can call them if you are not able to book online 2 days in advanced, but it will be more difficult to find availability, and trust me, you don't want to call last minute and miss your flights!

Arnel is a donation-based filmmaker, digital nomad, sponsored adventure traveler, and online Beachbody Coach. Feel free to connect with me or ask me anything!






Sunday, June 24, 2018

Never Forget Where You Came From

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As I am sitting in my typical coworking space where I do most of my work here in the Philippines, awaiting for my Gopro equipment to finish updating on the newest software, I was just thinking about how I came to this point in my life.

How did a skinny, shy and not so bright person who was a "momma's boy" end up traveling around the world while running a small internet business? I was an extreme introvert, never really made a lot of close friends, and hated being in the pubic eye. I didn't do very well in school, and was always and still terrified of public speaking.

How did I get here?

I have no idea! My mom has told me many times that` when I was a little kid, I was always talking about traveling around the world and owning my own business. I think it stemmed from reading and collecting old National Geographic magazines at an early age. I was always fascinated by different cultures and people and exploring new places, pretty odd for being such an extreme introvert. I was also exposed to entrepreneurship at an early age by my father. Although he was in the Navy, my Dad always had a gig on the side to make extra money. When he was still in the military, he started a food concession business on the weekends where he simply towed a trailer and sold oriental food at fairs, music festivals, and flea markets. His business grew and he began to travel all over the USA selling food. His food concession business was so successful that` he was able to open up several restaurants as well as a catering company. I witnessed all of his hard work and dedication at an early age, and I was also voluntarily involved in the family business which at the time I didn't enjoy. But all of those years with my father has taught me about work ethic and the drive to BE MY OWN BOSS.

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I didn't go to school for business, I studied Hotel Restaurant Management, and even did a culinary apprenticeship at Walt Disney World and became a Chef at the prestigious 5 Star Restaurant Victoria & Alberts. I learned so much about world cuisine while I was there, and even had the opportunity to cook for several famous celebrities.

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Through the years, I went from job to job, but mostly stayed in the hospitality industry. I dabbled with all kinds of ways to earn extra income from day trading, starting an online casino, having a nightlife marketing business, travel business, and I even did Amway!

The first time that` I traveled abroad was I believe in 2001 or 2002, I can't remember, but I traveled to 5 european countries in 30 days, I was hooked! From that`point on, I made a goal for myself that I would somehow find a way to have a business that`would allow me to travel around the world. It took many many years, a failed marriage, lost financial and time investments, many more jobs, and a lifestyle change, but I was finally able to make it happen. In 2012, I was able to retire from 3 of my jobs, and be my own boss. My dream finally came true, it only took over 16 years!!! =)

Am i successful? I think so, but success to me in terms of financial wealth has changed through the years, I guess I've learned a lot. I have learned that it really isn't how much you make, but more about how much you save. I don't consider myself financially wealthy, I guess you can say that I am rich in happiness.


Over 3 years ago I became a minimalist. In the beginning, I did it to save money and to be honest, I just started selling things off because I needed the money to pay my bills. But it was through that experience that found that it wasn't about how many material things that`you accumulate, it was about the experience. It brought me back to my backpacking trip that did in 2002, I learned how to stretch my money for 30 days, and how to have `fun without spending a lot of money. So today, I have gained so much more knowledge about how to travel around the world and gain experiences with a shoestring budget. When people say it takes money to travel the world, I say "yes it does". I believe that if it's important to you, you will make a point to travel. And when you do, I promise you that you will gain many fun and educational experiences. I challenge you to travel for 30 days, I challenge you to go to a place you've never been, I challenge you to travel solo, I challenge you to do it now.


It's like when people say, when you have a flat tire what do you do? Well, you get it fixed, because without your car, how can you go to work and pay your bills. When something happens in your life, we are programmed to solve it and move on, that's what`humans do. So if you leave and travel for 30 days, I promise you that you will survive. But not even that, you will learn so much about yourself, and what's so bad about that?

I've never forgotten where I came from, and that has inspired me to continue my path. I don't know what your goals are,I don't know what's going on in your life right now, but all I do know is that that's not that`important, because five years from now you will understand and be glad that you had the determination to do something great, and to do it for you! :).


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Much success to all of you, and I hope to see you all soon! If you would like to connect with me in regards to travel, fitness, or business ideas, feel free to message me here.

Arnel is a donation-based filmmaker, digital nomad, sponsored adventure traveler, and online Beachbody Coach. 





Sunday, June 17, 2018

24 Hour Enduro OCR`World Championships

24 Hour Enduro OCR World Championships Australia, 24 Hour Enduro Race Australia, OCRTUBE, Arnel Banawa, Beachbody Coach Digital Nomad, Real Beachbody Coach Success, Beachbody Coach in Australia
Photo Credit: Richard McGibbons


Heck no I didn't participate in this event ;) I had the opportunity to film the FIRST EVER 24 Hour Enduro OCR Championships, but I'll have you know it wasn't easy.

As most of you know, I run the OCRTUBE media project and when I film endurance and adventure sports events, it is my own policy to not use any type of motorized vehicles. I prefer to run the course, or hike it in my case so that I can experience more of what the athletes are going through.


Sure as a filmmaker i can get better shots and be more productive, but I think that's the beauty of OCRTUBE videos, it's real and raw. I try my best to give a true recap of what actually happened, as well as go through the same tough conditions that all the participants go through (weather, terrain, and even snakes) to really share the story of what went on during the event.

With Veteran Filmmaker Josh Stephenson

For this event, it was cold, wet, muddy, and I had to be on the lookout for wild animals. The snakes are what really scared me, but luckily it was winter time in Australia during this event, so most of the snakes were nowhere to be found, I was pretty darn happy about that.

Overall, the event was well-run, the organizers: Tru Grit Obstacle Race and the OCR World Championships were great and good about keeping everything on time, which is a rarity in the OCR industry.


I'm not much of a race review type of person, so I won't even try, but here's my race recap video of the 24 Hour Enduro OCR World Championships in Sydney Australia, hope to see you there next year!

24 Hour Enduro OCR World Championships - Australia 2018


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Worlds 's Toughest Mudder Champion Deanna Blegg

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With Tru Grit Founder and Adrian, Founder of the OCRWC

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With 24 Hour Enduro Champion, Lachlan Dansie


Arnel is a donation-based filmmaker, digital nomad, sponsored adventure traveler, and online Beachbody Coach. Connect with me if you are into obstacle course racing, filmmaking, entrepreneurship, world travel, or need some health and fitness coaching & motivation. Facebook connect here, email him here.