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 →

I’ve been living in this apartment in Medellín for about 6 weeks, tallying about two months total in Medellín, which I think is the longest I’ve lived anywhere in a few years. The theory was it would be good to have some more consistency and become part of a community a bit more. Which makes sense in theory, but I think you actually need to make an effort to engage with the community for it to work. Continue reading ¿Plata o Plomo? →

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. →

To start off my journey in Guatemala, I’d just like to thank Oscar Isaac (who was born in Guatemala) for his recent rise to fame, allowing me to use relevant quotes for my post titles. Otherwise, I would have been pretty lost. It’s the little things.

But my flight went relatively smoothly. Sat next to an older guy from Northern NY who was a Harvard-educated psychologist and now visits Guatemala and Nicaragua a lot. He knew Spanish and was pleasant enough, so we grabbed a transport to Antigua together. Maybe I’ll see him around. Continue reading The challenge is not to act automatically. It’s to find an action that is not automatic. →

Back to the land from which democracy, for better or worse, spawned. So there’s a bit of an obligatory awe you’re required to feel putting things into perspective, even though what you’re really looking at is pretty worn out rocks. So maybe I’m crazy for being a little underwhelmed by the ruins, but so be it. Continue reading It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it →

So a couple hours after arriving in London, I ran to the bathroom in a Pret a Manger and had my phone stolen while I was in there.  Which I’m annoyed about, but not really that upset.  It was a piece of crap, but it’s still an inconvenience.  At least he/she didn’t take my laptop or passport, which were also sitting right there.  Mainly, that just means I won’t be taking any more pictures. Continue reading I always had a repulsive need to be something more than human. →

Friday.

I had another pretty unimpressive day, from a tourist perspective.  Also from a regular person perspective.  I mean, I went to a Starbucks.  And a Caffe Nero.  Two chain coffee houses in one day (I had a lot of work to do today, so forgive me). Continue reading I had neither kith nor kin in England, and was therefore as free as air. →