One day if I go to heaven... I'll look around and say 'It ain't bad. But it ain't San Francisco. Herb Caen I’m going to miss the fog. The fog, affectionately known as Karl, has been my companion on many late night hikes, bike rides, and camping trips. It has kept me cool in what would otherwise be an unbearably hot summer and provided hours of entertainment as I watched it…
This was written last summer but I held off on publishing it. I was still trying to figure out how to sleep at night and writing helped to pass the time in a constructive way. The loss of Lauren and Jay has truly reminded me that life is precious and not to take tomorrow for granted. The smallest kindnesses can have a huge effect on someone so always be kind. I…
Las Vegas may not seem like the perfect spot for a test run for my summer trip to Northern Europe. I had a few things I needed to test out: handling a loaded packraft with my bike, my new bike bag, and my new stove. I ended up there during a winter storm, so the conditions were much closer to what I expect to face in Europe that I could have…
The sirens’ song rang in my ears. I had resisted their call for weeks, keeping myself at work and away from the coast. As the nights shortened so did my ability to resist, and on the solstice I found myself on my Siren rendezvousing with the Pacific. I pedaled along the bay, sun in my eyes, wind in my face. I followed the traffic then the tourists angling for the best…
It’s evening rush hour, traffic is gridlocked, happy hours are full and noisy, street lights create odd shadows on the street; a typical Tuesday evening in the city. Sometimes the city breathes life into you, to be amongst other people sharing this uniquely human experience. For those other days, when it makes you feel alone, powerless, overwhelmed, or claustrophobic, there is the night swim. It's dark when I step out from…
I have been a swimmer for as long as I can remember. I have always savored the freedom of pulling off your clothes and jumping in the water, enjoyed the escape into a different world. I belonged in that world even if I couldn’t stay underwater as long or swim as fast as the other creatures. Diving down to hide before launching a surprise attack on my unsuspecting sister, fighting my…