I didn’t use to think much of shitting in the woods. Or carrying toilet paper out of doors.
But in these times where the white fluff is in such high demand, I’m reminded of a woman I dated who wilded me. For the first time, scatting outside was temporal. Continue reading No TP, No Gel, Not Anymore
The sun sets over the hills northwest of the city. Where I’m staying.
A darkening sky fades into a dusty crimson. Mojave red and carnation pink simmers at the edge of the light, before settling below the tree-less mounds. I watch from the steps at the Plaza de la Alhondiga.
Below, a young boy is dancing. Or rather, he’s half-running and half-whirling dervish. His mad cavorting is a public display of irreverence and imagination. He’s wholly smiling in ecstasy. Continue reading Sunsets in Guanajuato
When I left for Mexico in December, Coronavirus wasn’t a thing. A few weeks ago, a curious increase in conversation and posts about Covid-19 started to populate my Facebook feed. So the news sucked me back in. Whoa, what a wild time we’re living in. Now I’m here, do I stay or do I go? Continue reading Coronavirus from México: To Stay or Go and The Curious Case of Do Nothing by the Government
Outside the window, overlooking the pool, cherry blossoms are flowering pink bouquets, bright against the grey, and tulips rise up with slouched shoulders and frumpy bed head. Water percolates, circling back to collect in clouds, weighted vest air compressing, then streams its way into puddles. In the early morning it’s cold enough to make the tip of my nose cold. Spring.
Last year I missed this. Continue reading No Third Time Charm
A piece of me was left in Europe. It was one last thread to a year spent abroad, and to a relationship that no longer existed. I was set to fly out in a few weeks to retrieve it.
Then my flight to Dublin got cancelled. Continue reading The Last of Our Ties
I didn’t realize how much baggage you could pack into a carry-on.
Three pairs of shoes, four pairs of pants, some shorts, enough underwear and shirts for a week. And all that shit about past breakups, of the romantic and business kind. I’m glad they didn’t make me weigh the bag. Continue reading The Baggage We Carry
I met a guy. He climbs for his daughter. He’s an immigrant and has to leave the country in a month. His two years are up but his daughter will stay. A home divided. For years he scrapped to come to America from the place where Europe and Asia meet–or separate, depending on your perspective. … Continue reading Enter the Void
“I was really excited to meet up with you because I knew you’d be gone in two weeks.”
Maybe I should have read the writing on the wall. Continue reading A Place in Our Hearts
You’d think there might be big epiphanies after 31 years of existence. But that’s not the case. At least for me anyway.
Instead, I ruminate on and offer a list of 31 things I’m grateful for. Continue reading 31 for 31: The Grateful List
What is it about climbing that is so powerfully transformative?
For me, climbing was about being outdoors and the freedom of movement. I loved it at first pitch. That’s not the case for everyone.
For Stormy Saint-Val, climbing has been about catharsis and rejuvenation. Continue reading For the Love of Climbing: Two Tales of Why We Climb
Aaron Gerry 