Writing

They ask me, “When can you start?” The recruiter is on the phone with me. They just offered me a new job with twice the pay, doing more specific things within my niche. After chasing the quintessential Silicon Valley dream for over three years, this opportunity surpassed multiple expectations and metrics I’d set for myself. Though I’d been in the Bay Area for a year, this new job was the realization of what I’d always sought—a job replete with perks, pay, and growth potential. ...

Walking to work. My office for the next few weeks is a co-working space in Laureles, Medellín. The sky is blue and sunlight cuts between the branches that line the old streets. I’m excited about this new level of my adventure. This is my first international nomad experience. My commute is full of savoring the new environment after months of anticipation. The newness of Colombia is as enriching as it is complicated. I quickly notice my lack of familiarity with basics of life. Social strategies my autopilot would have utilize are worthless. Simple things, like what the currency looks like, what ATMs will allow me to withdraw money, or where to find groceries have become time consuming uses of my mental energy. To top it off, I still know very little of the language. ...

A man walks in front of me. Blocking my path forward, his intent to deliver his message is clear. Wearing no shirt, his skin is tanned and wrinkled from the many months and years he’s spent in the sun. Covered in dirt, likely from going without a shower for days from sleeping in the street. His posture and stature is bent forward as if he could collapse any moment. He motions an empty hand to his mouth, and in English he opens his mouth with the few teeth he has left to say one word, ...

One night in Kansas City, I’d made a trip to a restaurant on the way back home to pick up dinner. I parked in the parking lot and walked in to get my order. As I returned to my car with my acquired meal I got into my drivers seat. As I was getting in and as I reach to put on my seat belt, I experienced an odd event occuing in the corner of my eye. I observed what felt like my car rolling forward. ...

The youngest I remember an interest in baseball, I was 7. I was never that into it I guess. I liked collecting the baseball cards and was intrigued to understand the stats even though I never really did. I was more curious about the sport than passionate, but I still loved to go to a live game. Around the mid 90’s my Dad would take me to see the Shreveport Captains play at Fair Grounds Field. It was a pretty awesome memory. I’d start asking myself questions and that turned to asking my dad questions. ...

Lack of community and contentment has been my greatest challenge over the past year. While the pandemic fueled a lot of this, deciding to not renew my SF lease and nomad with a vague plan didn’t help either. This road can be pretty lonely. Meeting amazing people over and over helps. You do develop rapport deeply and quickly. Yet, you’re constantly saying goodbye, crashing off the high. It’s the price for sharing a piece of life with so many people who are inspiring, highly motivated, and full of energy. Then the moments go by where there are few people to fill the void. Finding moments where your only retreat is what stillness you can find in the mind. ...

I spent months thinking about this clip. Initially I was taken back by how great a response KR gives. Overtime I became obsessed. Why was this answer so profound to me. To the Audience. To Stephen Colbert. Why after many weeks of replaying it in my head do I still find myself re-watching. Every time finding a new sense of peace. Watch this Short clip: https://youtu.be/7c2olMFEhK8 The audience and even Colbert are left speechless. Keanu’s response was profoundly sobering, softly dark in its reality. Comforting, and then humorous again. It was like we spent a long time on a trip that lasted a few seconds. He manages to place the focus not on his own opinion of what we will experience upon death, but the experience of those who stay alive. ...

As a budding digital nomad traveler, who’s closing in on their last two weeks as a full time San Franciscan. I’m having to part with most of my things. Many of these things are obvious like extra shoes, extra blankets, furniture. What catches you off guard are the things you absently assumed would always be there. My brother hand painted this meditating alien on a canvas as a Christmas gift in 2012. I had it on my wall in a few places in Kansas City, and once I left KC it joined an exclusive seat with a few other items on the trip to San Francisco. Over the years it’s been a staple on my walls and brought me a bit of peace. Reminding me to relax and not take life so seriously. ...