Issue #20 · Unclogging the Pipes

Writing is my therapy. It’s how I untangle my thoughts, calm my overthinking brain and find clarity in my unsettled lifestyle. It acts as a time capsule, creative outlet and cathartic release all in one. It helps me make sense of why I’m currently living in a random Mexican beach town and provides guidance on which path in life I want to follow next.

But writing is all about momentum. It requires showing up every day, whether I have something profound to say or not. It’s a fragile habit that I often break, something I love to do but that doesn’t happen unless I deliberately carve out time to wrestle against a blank page.

I’m sure that nobody in my humble audience of 256 readers has noticed, but it’s been two months since I’ve published anything. That’s nothing new — I’ve started and stopped many times before, always breaking loose promises to publish once a week, or even just once a month. To be fair, doing anything with consistency proves to be pretty difficult when you constantly find yourself waking up in a new country.

But even so, allowing lengthy stretches of time to go by without making progress on one of my top personal goals is disappointing. And worse, restarting to write after a long hiatus is always a steep challenge. That’s two months’ worth of scribbled journal entries and wide-awake-at-3am thoughts to sort through, where do I even begin?!

As I settle into my winter routine of ceviche and sunsets on the beautiful Oaxacan coast — the place where I am happiest and life feels easiest — I can’t help but mull over several quality of life topics: the importance of community, the value of carving out time for hobbies, the massive impact that both sunshine and walkability have on my daily routine, and of course, the oh-so delicate work/life balance seesaw.

I want to write about living intentionally and optimizing for happiness. I want to write about building a life from the puzzle pieces that have been the last three years on the road. I want to write about societal expectations, about that nagging voice telling me I’m *supposed to* be doing more, and about how The Grass is Always Greener syndrome can be a real bitch sometimes.

To be honest, I’ve got an entire laundry list of jumbled thoughts, half-baked ideas and choppy first drafts to sift through — fortunately, time is on my side. Since I’m taking a break from traveling at the moment, I’m excited to pivot my writing to more of these broader quality of life topics. I’m also eager to write more candidly, even though it already feels like I’m broadcasting a very intimate, personal diary out into the world.

So bear with me, because sort of like when you unclog a pipe and the first swath of water that putters out has a nasty brown tint and seems a bit murky — well, that’s what you’re currently reading. But with a new direction and a renewed commitment to writing consistently (call it a headstart on my New Year’s Resolution), I know that eventually the words will start flowing cleanly again.

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Here’s a list of every issue if you want to keep reading!

• Issue #19: A Love Letter to Charm City [Oct 2023]

• Issue #18: Plot Twist: I’m Going to Hong Kong [Sep 2023]

• Issue #17: To All of the Places I Will Never Visit [Sep 2023]

• Issue #16: Embracing the Blank Canvas [Sep 2023]

• Issue #15: In Pursuit of an Endless Summer [Aug 2023]

• Issue #14: Follow Me to Weird Places [Jul 2023]

• Issue #13: Self-Inflicted Social Overload [Jul 2023]

• Issue #12: Schlepping It 🎒 [Jun 2023]

• Issue #11: Finding My “Next Thing” [Jun 2023]

• Issue #10: Book the Damn Flight and Just Go [May 2023]

• Issue #9: Choosing Your Own Life Adventure [May 2023]

• Issue #8: Eat, Sleep, Write, Repeat [May 2023]

• Issue #7: My First Month of Indie Making: An Honest Review [Feb 2023]

• Issue #6: Ten Years of Making Money on the Internet [Jan 2023]

• Issue #5: The Modern-Day Mission Trip [Dec 2022]

• Issue #4: Ready, FIRE!, Aim [Nov 2022]

• Issue #3: A New City Every Month: An Experiment in Change [Aug 2022]

• Issue #2: Defining My North Star as a Nomad [Dec 2021]

• Issue #1: One Year on the Road: Looking Back [Oct 2021]