Travel solo to explore or escape?

[Content warnings: loneliness, sorrow, loss, breakups, death of parent.] Traveling has always been part of my life: it was something we did with my family of origin; then, I also started doing it with the families of my best friends and, eventually, just me and my friends.  Technically, the first time I traveled by myselfContinue reading “Travel solo to explore or escape?”

Tu vas me manquer, dude!

[Note: This entry will be very long, and partly flow-of-consciousness. This is probably a piece that will eventually, hopefully, go into my memoir. So please read with sympathy and feel free to comment as long as it’s gentle & constructive feedback.] “Elle parle Français et beaucoup d’autres langues!” my French buddy cried after the pairContinue reading “Tu vas me manquer, dude!”

Close but not too close and often not close enough

Once again the topic of male closeness.  Yesterday, I finally climbed again with my first climbing partner from Colorado. We met almost two & a half years ago, through my Italian climbing buddy. I’m not sure what to make of J. or of our relationship.  The first time we met, we were the two onlyContinue reading “Close but not too close and often not close enough”