I was out the door early and quickly made it to the airport. Immediately upon boarding, my seat neighbor started conversating with me. My biggest mistake was telling him that I was American. I shit you not, for two and a half hours, this Slovakian lectured me on Eastern European geopolitics. He had some creditable sources considering he had family...

My flight was at five in the evening, in accordance with the Eastern Time Zone. The duration of the flight and the time zone change put me in London around six in the morning. So, the obvious move was to attempt some sleep and skip that whole jetlag thing. I managed to get around three hours of restful slumber. The...

My third train ride on this journey was unquestionably the most engaging. I managed to get several hours of studying before a fascinating fisherman joined me at my table. He had just finished a season of commercial fishing in the Florida Keys. Between stories and pictures, I was tempted to jump on a ship and live the sailor life. He...

I got to my hostel around two in the morning. The vibe was drastically different from the one in Austin. This place was rough around the edges and grimy. You know I am not one to complain. It can always be worse, right? My room was full of silent sleepers, so I tip-toed to the only open bed. Suddenly, this...

After being out relatively late, sleeping on the train was simple. I got up just in time to watch Texas turn into Louisiana. Watching those piney woods turn to gulf prairies and marshes is seriously special. I occupied my time with the usual train activities. Finally, I saw that glorious New Orleans skyline, and my heart lit up like never...

That king-sized bed begged me to stay, but the train waited for no one. After rushing to the station, I quickly learned that my ride was running a few hours late. Having just come from California, I knew the rains were causing big trouble for the sunshine state. There was a mudslide somewhere down the line, causing the tracks to...

My mornings typically started with the sacred espresso search. This morning's shot was balanced and sippable but lacked any strong flavor. The Japanese Friendship Garden was my next destination. The garden was tiny but elegantly crafted. After exploring the entirety of this peaceful place, I sought sanctuary under a tree. For two hours, I sat...

The first and last time I was in California was during my bike trip. Being in Sacramento for nine hours during an amtrak layover gave me a terrific taste of the golden state. Now, I could proudly call this place my home. The vineyard house was a stone's throw from the winery, but this was no issue to me. I...

I was officially back in the homeland, and this always feels fantastic. Those midwest summers are certainly unbeatable. There were roughly six weeks before I shipped off to California for my first harvest. Rather than lounge around Des Moines, I wanted to work! Luckily the crepe shop was happy to have a guest chef appearance. Being back in Iowa...

After roughly two years in New Orleans, I was ready for my next adventure. Undoubtedly, I am a minimalist and did not need a huge moving truck to transport my items to my next destination. My best bud Dave drove down from Iowa to take me back to the motherland. I was able to pack up my necessary belonging in...

The following day I jumped on my longboard and assessed the damages. It was not long until I found old Donny boy biking toward the home base. We headed straight to the kitchen and got to work. There were still many stranded hotel guests that needed nourishment. It was just another day in the kitchen. Later in the evening, we...