We can change the world.
I felt a rush while wandering the Eternal City this afternoon. Rome is basically a giant museum, and we’re staying right in the center of it all, near Campo de’ Fiori. Walking the cobblestones, staring up at ancient churches and dilapidated columns, one feels transported back in time. To walk the crowded, labyrinthine streets of Rome in sandals resembling caligae makes me feel like I can time travel. Roma, show me your style.
And then there’s the city, so much different than the countryside. I got to spend two days in Barcelona with my wife and our good friends, and it was a blast. The noise, the smells, the options are vivid and domineering. Yet the people of Barcelona are still incredibly friendly, willing to communicate however is easiest with language, and generally happy. The water of the Mediterranean from the sandy beaches is cool and comfortable. It’s a city worth visiting, and it was all the more memorable with the company I kept. Tomorrow, onto the Eternal City. Until next time Barca.
Things are different when you travel. You’ll often be uncomfortable. There’s rarely a set eating schedule, and your sleep schedule is regularly disrupted. But I disagree with the recent New Yorker article, “The Case Against Travel.” Travel is not synonymous with vacation, and while the aforementioned change or inconvenience will likely be experienced in both, I think truly additive experiences only occur during travel.
I’ve met people across the world that I’m still friends with to this day. People I see every few years, maybe even only once a decade. Those relationships still teach me different ways to see the world and enrich my social life.
I treasure all my experiences with the incredible nature on this planet. I almost always hike abroad, and I hike at home often. Walking different parts of the Earth have connected me to the oneness and majesty of this planet, knowing we all share this diverse space (and need to learn to appreciate it together).
And I usually do see the typical “touristy sights,” but those are often not the experiences that linger and grow years later. It’s the new food experiences, the new relationships, the unique feelings I’ve encounter along my journey. Travel provides a window to another world, one in which you can enter if you chose. Or it can be something that enlarges your perspective. Travel can make us better human beings by being more empathetic to both culture and planet. Travel is largely responsible for who I am today. Travel gives.
There’s something special about the European countryside. Although completely different countries, I’ve experienced a similar peace here in Olivella as back in Umbria. The slowness, the sun dropping behind the rolling hills each evening, the quiet… it’s very different than New World California. You haven’t seen all of Europe until you spend time in the countryside, where people have lived simply yet fully for thousands of years. We have much to be proud of as a species, and one of them is the perfection of living right, in accordance with the beauty and bounty of nature.
Today marks my three year wedding anniversary. Marriage is one of the most consequential choices we make in life—it’s important to get it right. My wife continues to inspire me every single day, and I know I’m a better person today than I was three years ago because of her.
I can also confidently say that love is the most important aspect of life. The love we’re capable of experiencing as humans binds us together in this universe. Through love we can sacrifice our own well being for the good of others. Through love we strive to make the world better for others.
I know the world can seem dark sometimes, and there’s a lot of negativity out there in the news and zeitgeist. But I also know we can make it through anything with love. We’ve made it through our most trying times through love; we’ve made and kept peace through love. This is the answer as we move forward.
All we must do is ask ourselves: how can I live with the most love possible?
Spain is a wonderful country full of friendly people. I am fortunate to attend a friend’s wedding here. Across the world you see how different people live, and I could get used to the Spanish lifestyle. The best part—we’re here to celebrate love, both theirs and our anniversary. To adventure, to love, to hope…
The most poignant line in my morning saying reads simply:
“My purpose: to contribute to the universe.”
What does this mean? Honestly, this was somewhat vague to me, even though I recite it to myself daily, but I’ve thought about it more deeply.
To contribute means you are not simply a consumer. Anyone can eat and sleep and consume and be entertained and take from the world. Anyone can consume resources, consume energy, consume life on a basic, meaningless level. Anyone can stagnantly live.
But to contribute is to offer something, to build something with your life force. We are alive in this universe and we can shape the matter around us to create, to build something of value.
So to contribute to this universe is to use this short, finite life afforded to us to build something valuable to the universe, to create something useful for humankind, to be a net positive in the global ecosystem of our planet.
This is why we are here: to contribute to this reality we call the universe.
I am removing the tag of ‘politics’ from my blog.
This blog is not about politics. It's about citizenship and how we can be the best citizens possible. Politics is about power and the machinations behind government; that's not what this blog is about. This blog is about empowering ordinary people to be strong citizens in their community.
What is citizenship? Citizenship is the public act of integrity within a larger community. Our species no longer lives in small tribes, we are no longer bands of 15, 50, 100 people. We live in nations of hundreds of million.
In order to successfully function as a society, we need proactive citizenship. We need to care about politics and influence politics. It is our privilege, it is our right, it is our responsibility and our duty to be strong, engaged, informed citizens to govern our society together. Through strong citizenship we create a society of equity, justice, openness and freedom.
American bar culture is unique. Many bars in the United States have no or limited food, serve mainly regulars, and foster a “home away from home” environment.
I remember being struck by the similarities in Italian cafes: locals would congregate briefly in the morning on the way to work, catching up with neighbors and enjoying their morning brew.
In America, many folks do the same on the way home from work, visiting their local dive bar and spending time with friends before going home for the night.
I think one could gleam a lot of American culture by visiting various bars around the country. We’re an open, friendly people, and we like to have a good time. Especially in our bars.
The spare moments matter in life. All the few minutes in between things are wasted when we’re on our phone. I’ve been guilty of it a lot lately, and I’ve noticed how it’s robbed me of the ability to be fully present. That brief transition time, or that period of nothing, adds up to a lot of our life. And I’ve found I’m happier when that time is immersed in reality, fully present, experiencing all that life has to offer. When you do it regularly and consistently, it’s impossible to ignore the fact this is all a miracle.
A simple guideline: ask yourself, “if everyone acted the way I act, would the world be a good place or a bad place?” It forces one to consider, which is one of the most important things we can all do while living on one rock with eight billion of us.
I can’t help but get excited while planning a trip. I’m a one bag travel advocate, and part of the fun is only bringing the minimum amount of clothes/things you need. Because you can go on a trip, or you can go on an adventure. Real travel is forgetting possessions and experiencing the most of what this beautiful planet has to offer.
Today I stopped and thought, “we have done pretty well.” It’s kind of amazing, the world as it’s set up now. While working out at the gym this morning there were TV’s showing the news from around the world. We have cars that can take us great distances, and people can communicate across continents instantly.
This doesn’t mean there isn’t inequity, hardship, or even horror in the world. We have monumental problems in our global society, and billions of people suffer every day. We have a long way to go.
But most of the world eats every day, and is connected to the internet. People live healthier and longer than ever before. We’ve made progress. Progress that must be constantly maintained and expanded; it’s not automatic. Will we continue the march onward toward an even better world?
I see proclamations on food like “no artificial preservatives” or “no hydrogenated oils.” Shouldn’t we assume that all of our foods have “real ingredients?” What if we flipped the current legislation around foods: if the poisonous ingredients are in the food, the company would have to disclaim it in huge bold lettering. Surely that would change our food landscape, and our food choices, quickly? What if we only changed that—how much better would our society run? We are what we eat.
When I stray into thoughts about mortality, I think about family time. Spending time with your tribe might be the most important thing we do in life. We strengthen our bonds and through each other unlock new heights of achievement. We’re never alone. We are the universe.
After traveling a lot you learn home isn’t just a place. Home is the people you love, the culture and the vibes that are familiar from years of experience. Home is the habits and routines you engage in, that provide fulfillment. Home is the sights and sounds, the smells and the sensations that bring peace. It’s always good to be home.
All trips come to an end, and the day you journey home is always the least fun. I try to think about what I will remember years later.
On this trip, the food was excellent—fresh lobster every day, beautiful hikes along granite cliffs and deep forest, and spending quality time with the three most important people in my life.
And I learned a lot about a new place, and in a way I learned more about my country. The United States is a vast, diverse place. I’ll always look back fondly on my visit to Maine.
Time to fly home. Until next time, vacation land state.
I’ve felt peace this week in Maine. It’s slow here. In the summer at least, the weather is incredible. We’ve done three hikes in two days, eaten lobster almost every meal, and driven around and through most of Mt Desert Island. I shudder just thinking of winter, but in June, Acadia and the surrounding area have fully lived up to the hype.
Blues upon blues in the water, outlining towering pines on the islands dotting the sea. Granite slabs sloping down to shore, interspersed with tide pools. Sand beach, forested hiking trails, and amazing sunset views. Lupine and Iris and dandelion dot the hills. All describes Acadia National Park, a place of immense beauty. We are so fortunate as Americans to have the opportunity to enjoy these national parks. Maybe the magnificent nature in our country, and the feeling it brings us, can help keep us united.
Apparently Maine is the most forested state in the Union, and we witnessed that from the water today. Kayaking around the islands off the coast near Stonington, we battled the waves and saltwater splashes while eagles and ospreys soared overhead. Every island, of which there were dozens, was packed with pine trees. It was eternally beautiful.
Here in small town America, surrounded by nature, I feel as though I’m across the country. And it feels good. This beautiful state exists in a beautiful country. Visiting here has reinvigorated my pride in ordinary, friendly, law abiding, tax paying Americans. We’re not the jaded political mudslinging we see in the news; we are a kind, hardworking people that can change the world.