The sun’s nearly down
And darkness’ grasp nearby
Light fading to dreams
Evening walks in Edmonds are always delightful. Where’s your favorite place to walk?
Category: Personal
A YouTube Series Featuring An Old Dream Of Mine: Kombi Life
I discovers this YouTube series last year: Kombi Life. These folks, Ben and Leah, spent several years driving a VW van (Kombi) from South America to Alaska. I had the reverse idea a couple of decades ago. I researched the logistics for some time,deciding that this would have been very un-fun, so to speak. My decision on that was impacted by a friend who was driving a Baja bug to South America. He was robbed of EVERYTHING down in Chiapas. The ordeal of getting back to the States was, shall we say, unpleasant.
Also, since this was pre-internet, with no YouTube or Patreon, funding this was going to be a monumental challenge. I worked out that it would take several years of aggressive savings to pull it off. Then there were the logistics of repair….well, it became over the top.
So, the idea of a global adventure in a VW van faded. I still think it would be fun to travel the US in a VW bus. As much as I love the old Kombis I think I’d be more inclined for modern comfort and look at a Vanagon. But, anyway, I think it’d be a delightful way to explore the US. Whether I’d stop it and do something like Kombi Life, or just do tours…I don’t know.
Anyway, check out Kombi Life. They’re currently launching an around the world tour, driving from Arizona to Australia. It’ll be a heck of an adventure.
Wishing You A Great Thanksgiving!
Here’s hoping your Thanksgiving was wonderful. What was the best part?
Blogging, Strategy and the Need For Focus
I love to write. I love blogging. Yet there are challenges. Distributing my focus lowers my effectiveness. That troubles me. And yet, though each site has meaning to me. But each site has costs, economic and otherwise. Every time I focus on one, I can’t focus on another.
I haven’t had an objective, much less a strategy on any of my sites. I love to write poetry, about Seattle, about sustainability, geek culture, about so very much. Each site has value to me. I hate the idea of neglecting one at the expense of another. Yet I also hate writing substandard stuff. I prefer to be proud of what I put on the internet.
This time in history has so many choices; a blizzard of potentials and possibilities. And I hate letting go of those potentials. Any of them. Yet I know that must be done to achieve ANY of them. How does one choose which baby to let die?
Perhaps overly dramatic, but it captured the sentiment I’ve been struggling with.
Some Strategic Thinking About My Blogging
I’m in yet another transition period. Compared to so many of my friends, I seem to spend more time reflecting on transitions than most. I like to think it’s my thoughtful nature, but it quite likely simply stems from my plethora of insecurities.
Today I fit in time for an evening walk. The heat made it a bit less delightful, but otherwise it was fantastic. Walks are times for me to get exercise. My mind gets clear, my head empties of the running rambling commentary echoing about my mental recesses.
While walking (and listening to Debbie Millman’s “Design Matters” podcast), I got to thinking about my different blogging platforms. For some time, I’ve felt I’ve overdone my blogging presence. So I’ve drawn back quite a bit. I’m now down to three sites: this one, Carl Setzer.com and QuestionsAll, my poetry blog. And now I struggle. Each site has cost, with hosting, domains and, of course, upkeep time. Each one has its own success. Poetry gets the most consistent readership, more WordPress followers, and far more “likes”, my main source of engagement. Not Just Seattle gets higher page views, at least for the more popular posts, and has the most subscribers. Then there’s my main site: CarlSetzer.com. It’s not the most well read of my sites, very few subscribers, but it’s my name. I guess that’s the most “me” there is. It’s the highest ranked page for my name on both Google and Bing (note: on Google, this site comes up on page 2, since this other Carl Setzer, who opened a brewing business in Beijing, getting featured in such publications as Forbes and Fortune, has stolen so very much of my SEO).
Each site gives me something, fills me with elements of joy. My personal challenge, though, is to streamline my sites. The goal: one site. I’m starting to think that’s a foolish dream. Yet I would like to lower my spend some. Of course, I could focus ways on making the sites cover their expenses. Hmmm….
I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas. Do you prefer one of my sites over the others?
I do appreciate my readers oh so very much! You all mean the world to me.
Wishing each of you joy and peace.
Not a fan of heat, Seattle?
I’m a pretty adaptable person, weather-wise. But Seattle’s temperate nature speaks deeply to me. I struggle with heat. Hate is too strong a word. But these temps approaching 90 are challenging to deal with.
How are handling the heat? Parked in front of a fan? Moving into a mall?
The Temperate Life
We in Seattle have a unique concept of weather. Living in a temperate climate impacts the use of adjectives. Things like “heat wave” and (today’s Daily Prompt) “frigid“.
I’ve heard “frigid” used to describe temperatures in the 30s (Fahrenheit). Now, if you’re from Buffalo, Chicago, Moscow or Beijing, you might find that a bit puzzling. Understandably so. Yet, with some insight, it makes sense.
Western Washington’s average temperature ranges from 37-77 F over the year, with a mean of 54 F. Extended exposure to this makes for a unique view of weather extremes, especially what defines those extremes.
A quirk of Seattleites: this narrow range of comfort. Seattle folks complain of brutal cold in the mid-30s, and of extreme heat in the upper 70s. Folks from Buffalo are still wearing shorts in the 30s, and Floridians are wearing light sweaters in the 70s.
I’ve come to believe that this framework helps us cope with the length and breadth of grey days. So many transplants I’ve known struggled with the extended grey. It carries its own brutality. For me, though, it’s beautiful.
A few thoughts on cycling this Saturday morning
Was just reading through a bunch of articles about cycling, all centered in the Pacific NorthWest. Urban cycling, bicycle touring, city planning, healthy living and how cycling fits into a sustainable culture; filling my brain with ideas. A big thing: I need to get out and ride more. Of course, it’s been been quite chilly here around Puget Sound. And such things challenge my desire to ride.
I’ve become much more of a fair weathered cyclist. At one point, the notion of being such horrified me. I was committed to riding, bike commuting, cycling as urban transport. A few accidents with cars (with broken bones and other fun) and myriad close calls, my tolerance for urban riding waned. Plus, moving back home to Seattle’s suburbs threw me deep into car culture. Riding became a weekend hobby. I hate this.
The desire to return to deep immersion into bike culture hits me regularly. It rebounds off of the suburban car culture, but bounces back. The overcommitted life, which is only manageable with a car, my 20 mile commute, the geographic spread of suburban life all factor in.
I’m also weary of the challenge of getting exercise. I need to block time to get to the gym, versus just walking/riding all the time. There’s a community around cycling that’s pretty amazing. So many benefits to the cycle-centric life, and I miss them.
Focus
What is my direction?
I’m pulled so many ways?
Is that bad?
Or does that tension
Make me bigger?
I don’t which is better
For my soul
I am challenged by “focus”. When focused, other things must be ignored. Such a painful thing, to give up on interests. Yet I see that by diluting my focus, passions get sacrificed. I’ve searched for passion, just not very well. I’m pulled this way and that. Unsure which way is true. I’ve spent so much time eliminating risk that I’ve never truly considered passion, and how that can fit into career. I still have plenty of work to do.