It is rare for me to venture onto public transit, but today in London, that is what I'll do, for the first time, alone, as Grace wraps things up at our first housesit in Europe. Even rarer, though, is it for me to wear headphones in public. . . because
There is something to be said about a nervous waiter. Though what that might be eludes me at the present moment, as he – a young man, above 6ft, with a slight stutter in his step and exhaustion in his eyes – towers over my shoulder. In his mind, I am sure
Charleston International Airport – that's where I sit. I have always thought it was a beautiful place, and, to be frank, a quiet place – even if the unofficial acronym has always rubbed me the wrong way: CIA. Even so, the palm trees and the consistent lack of honking despite
The sun is beginning to set, though this far north... that doesn't mean much. I have at least 4 hours of light remaining, and as such, I am going to push onwards to the Arctic, so long as I can make out the next few inches of road
"It will be about 7-10 business days before the part comes in," says the man, early 30s, assisting me. I stare at him for a moment - “7-10 business days?” I have a business to run — a letter to write! I reckon he doesn't quite
There is a gray cat, with one lazy eye and both covered in cataracts, on the dining room table. It is not my cat, or my dining room, or my table: I have been married now for just over one month, and we are housesitting in Charleston. Grace objects – "
5 years ago, my brother killed himself. He took a rifle from under his bed, chambered a round, and pointed the barrel at his head. 5 years ago, was the first time I was ever forced to see that image in my head. Since then, it’s become routine. Laying
There's a book that has contagious spread around surfing circles – including my own – for the past 10 years. Barbarian Days is a memoir written by William Finnegan, which documents practically his entire life, through a sort of vessel of boardsport. A few years ago, before I set off
And I think he's right. In my [last letter] I talked about the struggles I have faced the last 2 years: Chasing performance, chasing fulfillment in approval, and generally ... chasing "ego hits." I thought a shared a pretty compelling story with you. And so did my
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