A Friendly Welcome on Raiatea
Our next stop was Raiatea, a sister island to Tahaa. Both islands are enclosed by a single coral reef and, at one time, may have been one island.
October 27, 2016
Dr. Sam's Journey
The pursuit of wellness
My journey—rooted in personal experience, scientific exploration, and global connection—has been shaped by curiosity, community, and a lifelong commitment to helping others live well.
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Bora Bora and Beyond
Our sailing itinerary has changed yet again thanks to weather that has gone from dicey to downright unsafe. We had to give up on venturing out to relatively uninhabited areas where I was looking forward to exploring the land and talking with the islanders about what was happening in their corner of the world. Weather conditions dictated that we stick to the beaten path, so we passed on visiting more isolated atolls in the Tuamotus and set a course for the Society Islands. Our first stop: Bora Bora.
October 19, 2016
Our Whirlwind Sail to Ahe and Back
You haven’t received much news from me, not because there isn’t anything happening, but because we’ve been through a weather washing machine for the last few weeks.
October 5, 2016
Fishing the Sustainable Way
On August 22nd, we bid farewell to the Marquesas, setting a course from Fatu Hiva to Fakarava and then on to Rangiroa, the two largest atolls in the Tuamotus. It’s a three-day sail, about 600 miles, between the two island groups.
September 29, 2016
Marquesas Islands: Then & Now
The first time I visited the Marquesas Islands was 41 years ago on board the Firebird. I was a young man ready for adventure and, after reading Herman Melville’s Typee and Thor Heyerdahl’s Fatu-Hiva: Back to Nature, I was captivated by the islands I imagined, and I was eager to visit. When we arrived at Nuku Hiva, the first of the islands we visited, I was awe-struck by the land’s beauty. I couldn’t take enough photos.
September 14, 2016
19 Wild Days Across the Pacific
It is August 15th, and it has been 11 days since we dropped anchor at Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas Islands. Both Rod and Zack have left for the States to return to their day jobs, while my wonderful Francesca arrived just a couple of days ago. I’m so happy she is finally here, but also glad that she didn’t join us on the crossing as it was really a wild 19-day ride across the Pacific.
August 31, 2016
Observations on the Open Ocean
It is the evening of July 26th, and we are just about to enter the doldrums. As I look out at
August 10, 2016
Ready. Set. Sail.
The Double X crew officially set sail for the South Seas on July 16, 2016, passing under the Golden Gate Bridge at precisely 12:30 p.m. It has taken over two years of preparation and a healthy dose of persistence, but it has been worth all the hard work. In fact, it’s nothing short of a dream come true.
July 18, 2016
Eating Our Way Across the Pacific
It’s hard to believe, the first leg of the Double X journey, crossing the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco to the Marquesas Islands, is just three days away. I expect it will take us about three weeks to cross the ocean, but with all the wild weather these days, it’s tough to predict just how long it will be before we arrive.
July 13, 2016
A Tough Motor to San Francisco
We left Newport Beach on June 14th to motor up the coast to San Francisco for our departure to the South Seas on July 16th. Typically, the wind whips straight down the coast, so you need to motor up to make any progress at all. (If we sailed up, we would probably still be out there.)
July 11, 2016
The Adventures of the Firebird
Throughout the Double X journey, I thought it would be fun to share highlights of my earlier sailing sabbatical aboard the Firebird over 40 years ago. I’m categorizing these posts under “Blast from the Past.” As luck would have it, Captain Bob, the skipper for the Firebird journey, is also the skipper for the Double X journey.
June 29, 2016
Planning the Double X Voyage
All of us on Double X are in the thick of it as we get things ready for our upcoming sailing voyage. As you might expect, the to-do list is a long one as we ready the boat, chart our course, gather the necessary permits and licenses, and get our stateside affairs in order.
June 15, 2016
Reflections from Dr. Sam
Once you realize that you can better help others by being healthy and being your best self, you see how interconnected we are.
- Enjoying a walk in the fresh mountain air with Francesca and our daughter Koral; Telluride, Colorado. 2019
- That’s me at work in the lab during my early days at Nutrilite.
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Health & Wellbeing
Product of the product
Personal wellbeing isn’t just about you or me. It’s about the people around us, our family, friends and the greater community. Taking care of yourself, nurturing your connection with nature, and making an effort to transform challenges into opportunities, will help lead us to a future where we can all happily coexist.
Dr. Sam's Journey
The pursuit of wellness
Wellness has always been central to my story. When my father, Carl F. Rehnborg, founded Nutrilite in 1934, his goal was to help people everywhere take responsibility for their health, their wealth, and the planet. Even then, he knew that all these things were interconnected. His vision shaped my own path—a journey grounded in curiosity, science, and a passion for helping others live well.
Amway & Nutrilite
A shared vision
Nutrilite is so much more than a plant-based supplement brand – it is a way of life that has stood the test of time. With a passion centered on health + wellbeing, Amway is the world’s largest direct selling company*. It spans six continents with a presence in 100+ countries and territories.
* Source: Euromonitor International Ltd; Vitamins and Dietary Supplements, World GBN, Retail Value RSP, % breakdown, 2023 data based on custom research conducted April – August 2023.
Farming
Farming for the future
There’s a long history of farming innovation at Nutrilite. It started when my father, Carl F. Rehnborg, began growing alfalfa in the 1930s before we even knew to call it organic. He was looking for the purest, most nutritious botanicals, and he already knew that they needed to be grown sustainably and naturally, without any synthetic fertilizers or chemicals. That same belief continues to guide us today.