The Streets of New York

Everyday I try and rationalize these new surroundings, make sense of it all. It's exciting and disturbing in equal measure; an experience that feels important but one that is maybe more type II than type I fun.

This guy was equal measure opera, irish jig, and something I can't put my finger on...



early morning on the walk between Penn Station and Central park



Plenty of ritz...


and trying to get it all in focus...


Outside of that, it's seeing a host of birds I've never seen...even cardinals are a new wonder...racking up the miles on some great bike trails...enjoying work...planning some adventures...and hoping that Ahmedabad settles back toward a peaceful state quickly.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

Into the Sauna (aka DC)

The time came for the big move to DC, and Tupac was being careful to only sleep in places where he'd not get left


Arrived just before the 4th of July and watched the firewords from a neighborhood rooftop. These are the National Mall fireworks so I'm pretty close.


The sun streams into the apartment in the mornings, it's a nice time of the day...cool before the heat...

They can be like a sun, words. They can do for the heart what light can for a field.

St. John of the Cross

Thorsborne Trail and Neruda

What better way to celebrate completing the PhD than a trip to Townsville, Australia to spend some time with Dipani. We traveled to Hinchinbrook Island and the Thorsborne Trail. It's a permit trail, so there was only a few others on it with us, and for the most part you'd never have known that anyone else was there. A mix of hiking in the forest and along beaches. Very beautiful, and even whimbrel was there - reminding me of Alaska!





Relaxing breakfasts on beaches watching colors change as the sun came up - espresso and bagels!




Warm water for swimming...


and the final few miles to the boat pick-up...highly recommended!

I want to tell you
the ocean knows this, that
life in its jewel boxes is
endless as the sand...

Neruda