Musings on Travel and Life
Trigger warning–this contains first-hand accounts of starvation. People are starving to death because Israel is using food as a weapon. This was clear from the beginning: two days after October 7th, Israel’s defense minister ordered a ‘complete siege,’ of Gaza, saying “there will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed.” Gaza has …
The day was hot, but I was cool, still damp from my last swim in the river. I’d been jumping in every half an hour, fully clothed, letting the desert heat dissipate in the current. Then I’d ran on, enjoying a temporary immunity from the sun as I took in the view. Near the river …
The fire danced, flames strong and healthy against the night. It its glow, people rested in a loose circle, sitting on chairs and benches and whatever else they could find. Behind them, more people stood, and further out, on a courtyard of gravel and dust, a dance party shifted and ebbed. People moved in singles …
I’m in the mountains, on a relaxed day-hike. Most of my group is climbing a steep, technical peak that is almost all glacier, but I wanted something mellower, without the stress and choices of real mountaineering. My friend Cassandra was in a similar mood, and she’s joined me for a day of open ridgeline, easy …
Zero kilometers. I hold the sign and savor the coolness of the metal. I’m done. Actually done. Not done for 20 minutes while I eat lunch. Not done for the night. Not even done for the night and the next day, while I take some time and rest. Done with the trip. I can do …