WRITING

September gives us a clear view of what became real this year and what remained a plan. With four months still ahead, this is the time to decide whether you are ready to take yourself, your goals and the life you want seriously.

You cannot outrun your problems, but that does not mean every environment is equally good for you. A new place will not do your inner work for you, but the right surroundings can give you more energy, clarity and room to grow. Sometimes changing your life means choosing better conditions in which to live it.

We talk about marriage as though struggle proves commitment and surviving another year is an accomplishment in itself. But marriage should not feel like a war. A healthy relationship is built through friendship, intimacy, honesty, growth and the willingness to address problems before they become permanent walls.

Watching our neighbors build a yurt on a steep, undeveloped piece of land reminded me how rare it is to meet people who actually do the things they talk about. This article explores the difference between doers and wishers, and why action, curiosity, humility, and a good attitude matter far more than perfect timing, expertise, or confidence.

At our homes in Oregon and Greece, daily life requires more work. I bake bread, make mustard, ferment yogurt and kombucha, tend the land, repair what breaks, and catch and clean our own fish. This article explores the difference between chosen work and imposed labor, and asks whether convenience has given us better lives or simply made us more passive.

A reflective essay on life hacks, convenience culture, cooking, attention, and the quiet joy of doing things the long way. From peeling garlic to making bread, this piece explores why some parts of life are better because they take time.

For years, I optimized my life for more - more money, more output, more success without ever questioning where it was all leading. This piece is about what happened when I stepped off the hamster wheel, reclaimed my time, and realized that doing less wasn’t a failure, it was the first step towards real freedom.

After returning to our home on Lesvos during Easter, I experienced firsthand how deeply tradition, community, and daily life are connected here. An interesting opportunity to witness the arrival of the Holy Light from Jerusalem, this piece reflects on what it means to learn from what’s around you and how to move through life with more intention and grace.

A reflection on the spring equinox, seasonal living, and the power of pruning what no longer serves. A personal journal entry on growth, focus, and creating a more intentional life.

Day 2 in Türkiye takes us from Ankara through rolling countryside to the surreal Tuz Gölü salt flats, a spontaneous stop in Aksaray’s ancient cave dwellings, and a stormy arrival in Cappadocia. Between roadside pide, centuries-old churches, and a rainbow over Pigeon Valley, this day is a reminder to move forward, make decisions, and let the experience unfold.

Social media itself isn’t necessarily the problem, but your attention is. I. know this is an unpopular opinion - but you can learn how to take control of your time, improve your mood, and possibly even use social media in a way that benefits your life.

Why some people seem lucky while others stay stuck. Learn the concept of “Return on Luck” from Jim Collins and how acting on opportunities, experimenting, and learning from setbacks can dramatically change the direction of your life.

Packing for the fifth time in six years, I started asking a harder question: what actually makes a person? Is it the photo albums, the journals, the memorabilia we haul from house to house? This reflection explores mortality, memory, identity, and the freedom that comes from realizing we don’t need physical proof of who we’ve been. Sometimes letting go of the objects is how we step more fully into who we are becoming.

We often stay with something because of how much time, money, energy, or emotion we have already invested in it. The sunken cost fallacy convinces us that walking away would mean wasting everything we have already put in. Sometimes the greater loss is continuing to give more of your life to something that no longer works.

We often confuse suffering with strength. Working ourselves into the ground, tolerating bad situations, and constantly pushing through discomfort may look tough from the outside, but resilience is something different. It is the ability to meet genuine difficulty with steadiness, perspective, and the confidence that you can figure out what comes next.

People-pleasing rarely looks dramatic. It often looks like being helpful, agreeable, reliable, and endlessly available until you realize you have lost track of your own preferences and needs. These are five behaviors I stopped repeating as I learned to set boundaries, ask for what I need, and become more fully myself.

Five years ago I followed a quiet inner voice and moved to Seattle, setting off a chain of life-changing decisions. A reflection on courage, intuition, and how trusting yourself can reshape your entire life.

I never thought of myself as a people pleaser. I was independent, outspoken, and capable, yet I had quietly built much of my self-worth around approval, praise, and avoiding disappointment. Recognizing that pattern was uncomfortable, but it was also the beginning of finding my own voice again.

Our 20-day Türkiye adventure begins with a ferry from Lesvos to Ayvalık, a coastal town on the Aegean Sea, followed by a seven-hour drive through olive groves, mountain roads, and unforgettable Turkish roadside stops on the way to Ankara.