With COVID gaining steam and looking like it was trending towards becoming a global pandemic, I thought to myself “where is a chill place I can wait this out?” And while the proximity certainly had something to do with it, I thought of my time on the Moroccan coast and decided I’d just go there “until it blew over.”

Going into 2019, I was in the mood for familiarity. It just wasn’t the time for ambition, so rather than navigate deeper into South America or try to deal with the Wifi at some seaside town, I opted to keep it simple and put myself in a position to live near the beach and get some work done. So for the first few months, Playa del Carmen (so the family could come down and get their dive certifications) and Mérida (for after they leave, because I heard it was chill) were going to be the major basecamps. Continue reading I paint flowers so they will not die. →

Ah, Macedonia, the second to last Eastern European country I haven’t been to. Had to visit before they changed their name to North Macedonia to appease Greece. They voted on it while I was staying there, and the vote failed. So Macedonia it is, and no NATO. Continue reading Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love. →

I’m writing this about 5 months after the fact, so expect it to be a combination of poorly remembered things and complete fabrications. But I’ve been posting on here for years, so it would be a pity if I didn’t at least make a minimal effort. At least for this one, I’ve got pictures. Continue reading If i could run across the beach into my own arms I would →

My annoying-on-paper flight from Buffalo to Charlotte to Miami to Lima to Montevideo went about as smoothly as I could have hoped. My Lima to Montevideo flight was scheduled to take off at 11:59pm, but we ended up watching fireworks from the runway for a few minutes before taking off. It was interesting to see New Years from the sky, and fireworks aren’t really shot very high. Continue reading I like looking at everything from far away, except you. →

After a few days of night buses, uncomfortable camel rides, and cold desert tents, I was looking forward to sleeping at a normal time in a normal bed again. Entering Essaouira was like entering a twilight zone – not a single person talked to us as we walked through the markets complete with our backpacks and suitcases. Very pleasant. It seems being left alone is all that is necessary for me to like a place these days. Continue reading Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here? →

From Porto, I took the train down the Lisbon, but went directly to Sinta for the weekend. The town is 40 minutes outside the city center towards the coast. Very touristy place, but more space to hike around and see some palaces, castles, coasts, and beautiful homes. Rumor has it that Madonna just bought a place here, so how bad could it be? Continue reading We leave something of ourselves behind when we leave a place, we stay there, even though we go away. →

Porto is one of those popular “digital nomad destinations” due to its European culture, nice weather, low cost of living. So I decided I’d go there for a bit. I’m actually staying in Vila Nova de Gaia, the city right across the Duoro River from Porto. It’s the side with all the wine on it, where I belong. Continue reading I’m a rebel just for kicks, now →

Return trips for me are rare, but Edinburgh is a nice place. Forget all that sunshine, beaches, and warm weather in Spain – not sure how anyone tolerates all that. I’ll take this constant sea of 60 degree mist any day. After arbitrarily choosing a hostel, upon arrival I realized it was the same one I stayed in over three years ago. I get older and the kids in here stay the same age. JK it’s an old person hostel. Continue reading Wherever I wander, wherever I rove, The hills of the Highlands for ever I love →

Our flight from Quito landed us on the island of Baltra (which was a WW2 US army base at one point), then a bus to the edge of the island, a ferry over to Santa Cruz, and then a taxi to the town and we were there. In all, the day went Bus-Bus-Plane-Bus-Ferry-Taxi. But we made it, and we were ready to see how the whole “evolution” hogwash was supposed to work. Continue reading Those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed →

After a few days in the hostel in San Jose, it was time to start making my way towards Panama. There were a couple people also going in that direction, so I had some sustained social interaction from place to place over the next week. The first stop on that trip was Puerto Viejo, which is on the Atlantic coast in Costa Rica. Continue reading Fear is not real. The only place that fear can exist is in our thoughts of the future. →

Why wait? I figured I’d start the year in a new place, so to Costa Rica I went. With a few days before my family arrived, I stayed in San Jose for a couple days, which isn’t nearly as bad as people said it was. Stayed in the University Area and there were a couple very nice hostels. Mostly people landing and then leaving in the morning, but the WiFi was good, so that’s fine by me. Continue reading See, here I am now by myself, talking to myself. That’s Chaos Theory! →

I flew into Portland for a little vacation on my way to Seattle this time to see if it lived up to the show’s hype, and it more or less did. Hipster, but not as comically so of course. But it’s the land of craft beers and not real jobs and tattoos, as far as I can tell. Continue reading I guess people are just cropping out all the sadness →

A lovely 9 hour night bus ride along twists and turns got me to Pochutla. I took a shared taxi to Puerto Angel, then a taxi from there to Mazunte, where I plan to stay for at least a couple days. It’s supposed to be a lazy beach area. I only paid 65 pesos, unlike those suckers who paid 150 at the bus station and didn’t get to walk through Pochutla or Puerto Angel.

Continue reading A half full moon in Mexico City I think of you →

Tulum is one of those towns I decided to live a normal life for a little while at least. It’s fairly touristy (but no Cancun), but still quite cheap. I bought a package of cheese, a loaf of wheat bread, a juice box, shampoo, and an avocado for $5. And I got a filling replaced and two others repaired for $100. I’m not sure if I needed all that, but she was pretty so I trusted her.

Continue reading It meant that he was half insane and half god →

My trip back to Antigua went much smoother. The bus stayed in one piece, and I was back by a reasonable time in the morning. My passport and other belongs were still in their proper place, so at some point I’ll be able to leave the country, which is nice. Continue reading I think about you too lady. Let’s leave it at that. →

The San Pedro Sula airport had a Dunkin Donuts in it, so it’s one of my favorite places now, highest per capita murder rate or not. Even so, I skipped to the last few pages in each of my books, just in case. The flight to Roatán was less than an hour, and I found my hostel easily before strolling along the boardwalkish area. It’s beautiful, but hot and humid. So hot. Continue reading Jeez, I’m out of it for a little while, everyone gets delusions of grandeur! →

I dragged myself out of bed after two hours sleep so I could leave at 4am and catch a bus to my flight. All went quite smoothly, actually, and I arrived and checked in to my hotel on Santorini just after 8am (room was available so I didn’t have to wait). Opted for a quick nap and began my day around 11am instead. Continue reading One original thought is worth a thousand mindless quotings →

The bus from Split to Dubrovnik was a long one, but it was full of nice views of the coastline. There was also a nice sunset as we arrived in the city, but I didn’t get a picture of it because my window was weird. But it’s Croatia, so there’s plenty of sunsets to be had. Continue reading A lion doesn’t concern himself with the opinion of sheep →

The first night I went to Charlie’s Bar with a guy from my hostel in Sarajevo, which was fun. The next night I went to Caffe Bar Mosquito to have some coffee, a beer, and get some work done. Similar to Iceland in that their coffee shops turn into bars, which is kind of cool. I’m mostly working, so not a whole lot of sightseeing is accomplished each day. Continue reading Even Beethoven had his critics. See if you can name three of them. →

After picking dad up at the airport around 7am, we had about 2 hours to burn before we could go to the Blue Lagoon.  I decided to drive the peninsula the long way and check out the coastline, and then we arrived in Grindavik and got coffee while we waited.  The owner of the coffee shop, Bryggjan, was as nice as he was adverse to putting vowels in the name of his business.  He gave us some local tips to see some cool things. Continue reading We’re still pioneers, we’ve barely begun. Our greatest accomplishments cannot be behind us. →

Reykjavik is a small city with a townish feel, so it’s not as if there’s an absolute ton to do here. So I’ve predominately spent my time working, actually getting things done on time that is, and almost getting ahead a bit as I look to do more traveling over the next few weeks.  Don’t want to start that from behind.  So this is largely a story of working in Reykjavik. Continue reading I do not allow that a being gifted with thought and will can allow himself to despair →

I decided to AirBnb in Seattle, so I rented a Condo just off the train line between the airport and downtown Seattle in Othello. It’s about a 15 minute ride into the city and it’s much cheaper than staying directly downtown. Plus it comes with a gym, rooftop area to cook and relax, and it’s close to a couple parks to run. Overall, a pretty good location. Continue reading I am looking for a dare to be great situation →

Wednesday was a work day, but I balanced things pretty well.  Worked from early until around 3pm, and then I met up with Laurens and we rented bikes for a few hours and rode down to Ojo de Agua, some natural spring on Ometepe.  It was a serene place, just hung out in the water, read for a while, and relaxed. Continue reading I had nothing to offer anybody except my own confusion. →

After a full day of toiling to get my phone case off, which was successful Thursday morning (finally), it turns out the SIM card is just behind the volume adjustments on my phone.  Figures.  Anyways, I bought a new SIM card, added some minutes, and I now have a working Nicaraguan phone number. Continue reading Violence has been Nicaragua’s most important export to the world. →

As a seasoned traveler, my bravado has apparently gotten out of hand and I arrived in Granada rather unprepared when it came to actually getting to where I needed to be.  Of course I don’t know any Spanish, but I had the address on my phone and showed it to the taxi driver.  We headed towards Granada (which is like a 45 minute drive), speeding around in his deathtrap with a dysfunctional seat belt. Continue reading It’s no big sin to stick your two cents in If you know when to leave it alone →

Hilton Head Island has been rather calm, as I intended.  So that works out nicely.  I was able to get a lot of work done and start trying to take the next step with the business, so I consider that productive.  However, it doesn’t make for particularly enjoyable updates here.  It’s just like, a normal blog of my life, which would be excruciating if forced to consume those pages on a regular basis. Continue reading And I’m not askin’ to be loved or be forgiven →

So I’ve now been in Hilton Head 10 days, and have finally begun to explore the island a little bit more.  My pattern resembles that of shipwrecked seafarer marooned on a deserted island slowly making wider circles around his home base searching for things.  Except my reason is mostly laziness. Continue reading Oh! Ian Knows All About Hilton Head! →

Providing updates during the week isn’t really that interesting.  It’s like my regular life, except strangers sleep close by that might steal my things.  So here’s your typical day. Continue reading Standing in the sunlight laughing Hide behind a rainbow’s wall →

After another relaxing day of work, jumping hostels and getting settled in I decided to finally hit the touristy trips.  My main concerns right now are my fingernails, which are growing uncomfortable and I can’t find clippers at any of these convenience stores.  In other news, my beardcation growth is substantial and it’s now at the point where it will become increasingly ragged.  I’m going all Paul Bunyan on Europe. Continue reading Boys I ain’t never seen nothin’ like a Galway girl →