Please Don't Pet My Dog
We get a lot of nice compliments about our dog whenever we're out with her. From how disciplined she is, to how well she walks off of the leash. Onetime, she sat perfectly still on the porch of a local brewery while I was inside getting a beer. People around were kind of in disbelief. Most of this behavior comes from a consistency we've built up during our walks and training of her.
SmartScaping (Xeriscaping)
From middle school through high school I routinely cut yards to make extra money in addition to managing our own landscape. This was miserable work under Georgia's hot summer sun. After high school I swore that I would avoid owning a home which required any kind of lawn maintenance. This was an easy goal initially. We lived in condos and apartments which meant no landscape duties for me. Then we bought our first home together after moving back from California.
Puerto Rico - A Travel Guide
This was a destination wedding trip. We have also had a long time desire to see the United States Territory of Puerto Rico which comes from a scene in one of our favorite movies. Arecibo was the backdrop for one of the early parts of the movie Contact. So, we've always been intrigued to learn more about the island.
Hilton Head
Since the very first time I went, I have had a great love for Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. It's a beautiful place with expansive sandy beaches paired with warm ocean waters. My wife and I got married there and have spent many summer days there, soaking in the sun and finding peace in its serenity. Whether traveling in a small or big group, there is a place in Hilton Head for everyone.
Vancouver - A Travel Guide
Vancouver is hands down one of the most beautiful and well planned cities I have ever been to. It has a pedestrian and bike first design. In fact I would say it is the most accessible city I have been to for anyone needing wheelchair or similar access. I can't imagine staying indoors in such a thoughtful city. While out, you can visit many of the seaside sights, catch a boat race, sail, fly in a seaplane, or head to the mountains for hiking and snow sports. I am surprised not more people know about and visit Vancouver. It's geographic position, probably has a lot to do with it.
Intentionally Buying a Bigger Home
An unfocused, noisy, and cluttered home can be physical representations of what is going on in your head. Even if functionally productive, under the hood, the mind may be in complete chaos and the immediate surroundings often reflect that.Over the years, I’ve worked on clearing and focusing my mind. My interests and passions have narrowed but those that remain are stronger. Minimalism has been key in that process and helped define a vision for how I would like the home I live in to breathe and feel. Sparsely decorated rooms and surfaces have become canvasses where my ideas can grow and evolve within them.
Hacking Your Way to No Car in Atlanta
For this follow up post, I am sharing some ideas for getting to the same state that we are in. Or even down to just one car in a multi-person household. First off, there is no perfectly balanced equation for everyone. You will have to adjust the levers of what you are willing to pay on housing and other items in order to make living in Atlanta without a car workable. I sincerely hope these ideas help a lot of people get out of their cars. Atlanta's traffic situation is getting progressively worse. The downstream impacts of that congestion have not even fully materialized.
The Five Hundred - Untitled
I am sharing a piece I wrote for The Five Hundred for my latest blog post. A monthly writing Prompt group. If you have not tried it before, check out The Five Hundred and submit an entry of your own. This is the first piece of creative writing I have attempted since just after college. I hope you enjoy.
Everyone Should Nudge More
As part of my simplifying down I've started reading just one book a month. I used to try and read as many as possible but that gave me no time to reflect and review what I read. The first book for 2018 was a carry over from 2017. Nudge, by Nobel Prize winners, Thaler and Sunstein. I discovered this book while listening to the Freakonomics Podcast. I loved it from page one. They describe their approach as "Libertarian Paternalism" and as a real "Third Way" option in our increasingly divided political landscape.