Cool Things I’ve Been Enjoying in December

Over the past few months, I’ve been testing out new technologies, web products, and traveling.

Here are the things I’ve been enjoying:

A view from my ExpressVPN setup.

ExpressVPN. I travel and work from coffee shops regularly. It always worried me that hackers could snoop on my information from a coffee shop, or my connection wasn’t always secured.

I did a ton of research on the best VPN software, and ExpressVPN stood out as the best. I’ve been using it from Oahu, Hawaii the past week, and it’s been fast and useful. Plus it makes me feel more secure.

UPDATE: I also like NordVPN as an ExpressVPN alternative. It’s also usually much less cost.

Sneak peek of NextVacay deals.

Cool sites to find flight deals. My friend Naveen runs NextVacay, a site that gives deep discounts on flight deals. He delivers the emails right to your inbox. The deals are good, not great. But the convenience of getting deals directly to my inbox is nice so I don’t have to search around.

I also like checking The Points Guy, The Flight Deal, and Extreme Hotel Deals for better deals.

View of Honolulu from the top of a hike on Oahu.

Things to do in Hawaii. I’ve spent the last 7 days on Oahu, and I’m here for 7 more. Here are the things I recommend most…

  • North Shore. If you visit in December, you have to go to North Shore. You have the best surf spots in the world here. If the waves are big, but you want to surf, check out Freddyland. It’s a good left that is manageable when the rest of the North Shore is too big.
  • TropicSport. A good sunscreen for Hawaii. Some ingredients in sunscreens destroy coral reefs, but this sunscreen doesn’t. Sign up for their newsletter for 20% off your first order plus free shipping.
  • Kalani Hawaii Private Lodging. Great hostel on the North Shore. Unlike other hostels, it’s clean, calm, and well-maintained. Great shared spaces, beautiful decor. And it’s right across from Rocky Point (a good surf break).
  • Macadamia nuts. Everyone thinks of pineapples for Oahu and Hawaii, which is true. But they also grow macadamia nuts here, and they’re delicious. Try macadamia nut cake slices from Ted’s Bakery, or buy some coconut-glazed macadamia nuts from any store you can find.
  • Surf. Good spots for beginners and intermediates on the North Shore: Freddyland when it’s really big elsewhere, and Ehukai, Pupukea when it’s more manageable. Chun’s, Jocko’s, and Leftovers can also be good for intermediates.

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