Sometimes staircases are monumental metaphors of hierarchy or spiritual progression. Other times, they’re band-aids for the sidewalk. They serve first as necessary design elements—ways to ascend and descend levels—but can second as allegories for the tedious climb toward enlightenment. Either way, I ask you to pay attention, what are these stairs telling you?
I was tired of paying homage to the western god of productivity. If I was going to return home and be productive for the next 30 years, I needed to see what everyone else was doing first.
I’ve been the guy on his laptop all day for over a week, stationed in Todos Santos, Mexico, at a cute little hostel in a sleepy town. Today, I reflected on the products of my creative effort and compiled a list below:
The Alley of Paranthas stretched before me, forty food stalls deep, each one identical to my untrained eye. I had no idea what a parantha was, but I was about to eat one.
“You should give New Delhi at least five days,” Jeremy had said. When I arrive in a new country, I typically prefer to escape the urban hustle and gradually work my way back to the cities. Yet, I realize that sometimes, treasures are found where we are least willing to look. If Jeremy was right, …
Read more “Welcome to Delhi: Hold on Tight and Don’t Forget Your Banana”
India has it all there—every aspect of existence laid bare, nothing tucked away.
This whole business of life gets tremendously muddled with time, and leading an intentional life is like leading a group of nervous, loud-mouth travelers through an empty desert to a remote oasis with an unreliable compass. Clarity makes the compass work properly.
On my first morning in Todos Santos, I woke in a small bed, in a room with four other guests, heavy with regret and confusion. What am I doing here? I asked myself.
I snapped at a friend yesterday as we were exiting our Uber to go hiking. Looking back, the explosion was inevitable—but it didn’t have to happen that way. Two of my friends had been getting along incredibly well during our trip. I was genuinely happy to see them connecting. However, after a couple of days, …
Read more “Feeling Left Out by Your Own Friends? How to Address Group Dynamics Before You Explode”
I spent several hours on my About page and realized I was going in circles. I asked AI what to refine, followed the suggestion, and immediately knew it was wrong. I deleted it and returned to the original. I checked the time and felt frustration rise. “I’ve made no progress,” I thought. But that wasn’t …
An essay on journaling, publishing, and why writing in public creates clarity that private writing alone cannot.
n the streets of Delhi, Mumbai, or Jaipur, traffic doesn’t just move—it negotiates.
Friend: 3 monthes!!!!! 3 Countries! Are you bringing the whole closet? When I packed for 75 days in Southeast Asia—with plans for an Indian and Thai summer plus trekking in Nepal—my goal was to bring a solid foundation of quality items I could build on with local purchases. The idea was to stay adaptable across …
Before heading to India, I struggled to find clear, reliable numbers on daily travel costs—so I’m sharing my full expense breakdown to help you plan with confidence. I spent 28 days exploring India with a planned budget of $2,250 and ended up spending just $1,452, including accommodation, food, transportation, activities, visa, and insurance. Daily basics …
Read more “One Month in India: How Much will Basic Needs Cost you?”
In March of 2025, I traveled to India, and wandered, absorbing the spirit of the country. I shared chai with Muslims on the streets of New Delhi. I listened to a man’s life story on a rooftop in Bikaner. I shared a meal with my Tuk-Tuk driver’s family in Rajasthan. I soaked in the spirit …
Read more “India: It’s Not Relief from Suffering, Just Better Reasons for It.”
My Internal Critic: Yea, this article is Sh*t. Yes. Welcome to Notes from the Road: India Unfiltered. My goal in this series is to not try so hard. Expect more stream of conscious blogging, and less editing. I may lose you and I will cringe before hitting Publish, but writing helps me clarify the experiences. …
Read more “Crossroads in Agra: Heat, Horizons, and the Art of Choosing”
My Internal Critic: Yeah… this article is sh*t.” Yea. Okay. That’s Fair. Welcome to Notes from the Road—a travel series where I try not to try so hard. This will be more stream-of-consciousness than crafted narrative. Less editing, more honesty. I’ll definitely lose most of you, and I’ll probably cringe before hitting publish, but I’m …
There’s no easing into Delhi.You leave the airport, and the city grabs you by the collar, yells something in Hindi, and throws you into traffic. After a 12-hour flight from New York City, I landed at 11 a.m., buzzing with adrenaline. The thrill of arriving in a new country gave me just enough energy to …
Read more “First Time in India? Here’s What Delhi Teaches You Immediately”
The gap is tight. Too tight. I’d never go for it. He won’t.—Oh $^@#! He will. I’m clenching the rear of the motorcycle with white knuckles as the poor thing labors to carry us along the shoulder and the rough edge of the road fights to push the bike off the road. The driver keeps …
The Indian food tour began somewhere above Greenland at 37,000 feet.My tray table became the first stage of a culinary adventure—one that began not in Delhi’s crowded markets, but in a metal tube hurtling across the Atlantic. With three meals spaced over the flight, each one brought its own take on India’s regional flavors, and …
Read more “India Food Journal: Paneer at 37,000 Feet and Other Choices I Regret”
On Friday, I flew to LAX Airport in California, where, after scraping a morsel of sleep off the Airport floor, I could not board my flight to Hong Kong due to an incomplete Visa for India. OUCH. Rather than remaining a vagrant of LAX Airport, I caught a bus south to San Diego to stay …
Posted on January 5, 2016 by Oolin Note: this was published in 2016, before the emoji revolution. But, you know, its the SPIRIT that counts. Friend at home: “How’d the day go, boys? Friend on trip:“Sdfghaiodfubadjnfgl!@dwgnwfghwfH!!njsfkgjb wrn!! DDAAAAAAaaaAA!!!!” Friend at home:”Is Joey Icelandic?” Friend#2 on trip: “No dude, he’s Stoked. “ I send a lot of …
Read more “Emojies Can’t Handle My Stoke (Send a Photo, Or Wait, Take Me With You.)”
Something calls you… Your ears can almost here it but instead they catch only the wind as it passes. Instead, your heart feels it’s whisper like the promise of a distant embrace. Something calls you, and at first, it’s only a calling. Like your pride beckoning you to the hunt. It floats between each heartbeat, as if …
Google search: “S-o-l-o T-r-a-v-e-l” Google:” Oh-My-Gawd it is SO GREAT. You should totally F***ing do it.” Feel free to try it yourself at home. You’ll get thousands of hits. Google: The 10 Benefits of Solo Travel, 6 Advantages to Solo Travel, 8 things you learn about yourself while Solo Traveling, yadda-yadda-yadda. There is one unexpected thing you might …
Read more “A Solo Traveler’s Guide to Great Conversations with Anyone”
“If every country was a cocktail, Chile would be a skinny margarita, served in a champagne flute. It’s a long, slender country. It’s green, it’s tangy, and it leaves you wanting more.” Of the two bikes we shipped to Chile for our bikepacking trip, both were detained by customs officials in Santiago. Following their interrogation, …
Read more “The Carreterra Austral: Finding the Spirit of Chilean Patagonia”