Bangkok: Sawasdee Khrap
Bangkok changed the way I think about cities. In its neon streets, crowded temples, and layered history, I discovered what urban texture truly means—and why some places stay with you long after you leave.
On my 36th birthday, I reflect on baseball, failure, stress, dating, and learning to put more emphasis back on myself.
I take on NaNoWriMo in my own way, aiming for 50,000 words across this site and Medium instead of forcing a novel.
I start a social experiment by publishing short pieces on Medium while saving longer exploratory writing for this site.
I connect Chogyam Trungpa's ideas on ego with my own resistance to writing, work, and doing the task in front of me.
I explain how a Gumroad challenge pushed me to write a vacation rental ebook and rethink what I could create next.
I reflect on breath as the simplest mindfulness anchor, from hiking and stress relief to sitting with thoughts instead of overthinking.
I begin a deeper mindfulness practice through Tricycle, Lodro Rinzler, Buddhism, and the pull to understand my own mind.
I sit with silence at home and on Kelowna hikes, thinking about introversion, Buddhism, my daughter, and quiet as a presence.
I continue Infinite Jest by reflecting on David Foster Wallace's depiction of depression and the horror beyond ordinary sadness.
I remember meeting a man just out of prison at a Greyhound station and connect it to the disorienting first days after release.
I begin a summer with David Foster Wallace, planning to read Infinite Jest and The Pale King before seeing The End of the Tour.
I remember my first real encounter with theatre through Exit the King, high school MAD, death, absurdism, and Queen Marguerite.
I return to Sparkling Hill for a local reset, reconnecting with mindfulness, rest, Okanagan views, and the pause that refreshes.
I explore Fintry, BC, hiking to waterfalls, learning Okanagan history, and tracing the old estate and provincial park.
I recommend Alto's Adventure, an iPhone snowboarding game with simple controls, shifting light, and a beautiful endless-runner feel.