Last week I went climbing for the first time ever.  I’m afraid of heights.  Not clinical phobia afraid of heights, but “very uncomfortable with the idea of falling” afraid of heights.  I didn’t confess this to my climbing partners until I was at the top, and couldn’t maneuver myself into letting go and hanging back down.  There’s something unnatural about jumping into the abyss, whether it be attached to a climbing rope, a bungee cord, or a parachute.  Ironically, I’ll probably end up doing all of the above in the next few years.
Continue reading The other side of fear →

Growing up, my mom once told me, “you have been really lucky to have such good friends”.  I would have to agree with her.  From Puerto Rico, to Michigan, to Australia, to a few other places in between, I’ve been blessed to have been surrounded by people that not only make my life better, but make the life of those around them better.
Continue reading Lose the mask and great friends will follow →

I’ve been wanting to retire ever since I started working, which is odd because I’ve often wondered how I managed to score jobs that pay me to do what I’d probably do for free. The fascination with retirement apparently came at an early age, because my senior high school picture had as one of my goals: “retire at an early age”. Odd indeed!
Continue reading Following your passion and the insanity of early retirement →

Every time I’m in Catalunya I’m taken over by a sense awe, an awe at the flags draping from every balcony, from every home, and from every corner. It is intoxicating to see flags that are the same as my own.  It is exhilarating… and so I understand the Catalans’ unnerving feeling at seeing a flag not quite their own etched on their passport, but having no say in the matter.  I understand them. I feel them.  Because even though these words come out in English, my heart knows no other language but Spanish.

Continue reading A nation united in tears →

There, I said it. I’m not ashamed to admit it, and I’m not even a climber.  Everest is a joke. I have no respect for 99% of people summiting it.

You learn a lot through the trekking grape vine, and some of it is actually true. You learn what tea houses have the least offensive
apple pie. You learn what type of baby powder to sprinkle on your body to mask 2 weeks without a shower. And you learn which peaks are climbed for bragging rights and which ones are actually hard. Take for instance, Annapurna, which is 757 meters shorter than Everest, but has a 40-50% death rate. Everest, on the other hand, is a tourist joke for people with far more money than common sense.
Continue reading Everest: Excess of oxygen, money, and common sense. →