Houston Marathon 2023

 Houston, Texas - January 14-16, 2023

I came back to Houston this year as determined as I'd ever been before a race. I PR'd there in 2020 on a decent weather morning, faltering a bit in miles 19-22 before closing hard to put up a 3:45:12, a bathroom stop at mile 15 not helping me reach my sub 3:45 goal. But last year I was supposed to be here racing the half to try and put up a new PR, but instead was sidelined with my dreaded back issues, so I watched my friend Kyle run a blazing 1:35 in my bib in absolutely ideal weather conditions instead. I also got to watch a lot of my other teammates who I had logged a ton of miles with go out and take advantage of that weather and throw down some very impressive marathon times. I signed up for the full later that same month, ready to come back and prove to them and myself that I could do a committed season and send it on the Houston streets a year later. 

Tate, Heidi and I drove to Houston on Saturday morning, and enjoyed a lively group dinner with my Rogue Evening Edition family while celebrating Coach James Dodds’ birthday. He gave an impassioned speech / pep-talk that I had heard last year but held more weight this time around - as I was actually toeing the line the next morning. It involved being calm, being focused, having a good time, doing what you said you would do, and facing the pain. All great things to take into daily life as well as a marathon. I went to bed knowing I had done the best I could in terms of training, hydrating, and focus when it came to my 7th road marathon. The rest was out of my control, nothing left to do but to send it. 

I guess I should note one thing about doing my best in terms of training here, in that I missed over 90 miles of my training plan due to an unexpected series of ER visits in November around Thanksgiving, as a potential blood clot in my kidney caused me intense pain and a ton of medical testing. Eventually I was given the go ahead to begin running again, although not entirely cleared for super hard efforts (like long runs with pace workouts in them, or red-lining a full marathon), so I was able to get back on track and hit almost all of my prescribed runs in December. But missing a 50 mile week just 7 weeks out from the race was far from ideal. Nevertheless, I persisted (sorry, couldn't resist).

Another variable worth calling out was that during our family dinner, we all got an email from the Houston Marathon warning us of warm temperatures on the course the next day, and advice from medical professionals on how to handle. This was definitely not what you want to be reading 12 hours before a race you've spent months preparing for, with a specific pace in mind. Dodds' informed us we should adjust our goals by 4 to 5 minutes due to the humidity, but part of my pre-race anxiety was truly not knowing what my goal was anymore. I had done all my speed and pace workouts with 8:00 minute miles in mind, which equates to around a 3:30. After the kidney issues, I thought high 3:30's might be realistic (maybe beating Dodds' 3:36 PR or Dan's 3:37 debut from last year), but now with heat and humidity coming into play I resigned myself to shooting for the same goal I had in 2020, which was to go sub 3:45. 

I woke up race morning and had a good breakfast, a good poop (very important pre-race), and tried to stay calm as I got antsy about my race kit (do I go shirtless or not was the main concern). I left just before 6am to walk to the convention center to drop off my gear bag and continue to try to practice staying calm, "calm as a Tibetan monk" was what Dodds' had prescribed. I got to walk/jog to corral A with my friend Campbell to ensure we made the closing cut-off time, and a bit unplanned we ran into our friends Sydney, Liane and Becca, which added to calmness I was shooting for. Everyone was all smiles and seemed relaxed all things considered. It was already 61 degrees with a humidity in the 85% range, realistically the kind of weather that was going to make the next few hours a suffer-fest, but everyone seemed in good spirits. I peeled off right before the start for one last bathroom break, crossed the line at 7:05am and started my watch, trying to lock into a comfortable pace. Mile 1 my watch read 8:35, which if I could carry for another 25 miles would bring me in right around my goal time.

Crossing a bridge between miles 2 and 3, I heard a group of guys commenting about how great the sunrise looked over downtown Houston to our left, which they were definitely right about.  I heard a voice call out from behind me saying “you are going to think I am stalking you.” It was Sydney, who had started ahead of me but had also peeled off to use the restroom early in the race and was now in lock step with my pace of 8:30’s. We didn’t really agree to it before or even during, but we ultimately began running together, cracking jokes and enjoying the sights, sounds and crowd support of the race while knocking out mile after mile at a somewhat robotic clip. I was already feeling the sweat pour and my heart rate be more elevated than I wanted for this early in the race, but having the company was a welcomed distraction and so I continued to “send it” and see if/when I might break. 

We got boosts of energy from seeing friends out on the course, Cameron and unofficial Rogue photographer at mile 3, Minkun multiple times at 5 and somewhere around 10, Brooks rep and Houston based Eric around mile 9, and coach JGar running with us around the half-way point. We also got passed by some of our friends, Kyle and Derek, as they sped by to fast half marathon times. Through 14 miles we were right on pace, even as the sun began to peer through the crowds and heat us up even more. JGar tried giving us the advice about thinking about adjusting our paces while he ran with us, since everyone seemed to be suffering in the warmth, but we tried our best to ignore it, even getting to run with Dan for a bit as he passed us en route to another staggeringly impressive PR of 3:32. But once he was out of sight, I began to realize if I didn’t want to blow up the same way I had at Big Bear in November 2021 (or even at Goodwater Trail marathon in January 2021) that I would need to make some adjustments, so between mile 15 and 16 I slowly faded behind Sydney and let her go on without me. 

I settled into my “long-run pace” of 9:30’s and focused on my form, trying to stay on time with my nutrition and hydration while also trying to stay positive, even as I saw my PR attempt fading with every mile. Miles 17-19 were a slog on a long straight neighborhood road, where I remembered hitting the wall a bit in 2020, but I managed to not walk and not feel some of my usual knee pain I often get around this distance in previous races. As I turned into the park and passed the 20 mile marker, I realized that if I could run the final 10k in under an hour, I’d for sure go sub 4 hours on the day, and maybe even had a chance to flirt with my second fastest marathon time so far (a 3:55 at Vancouver in 2019). Feeling refocused, I almost blew it up by running a bit too fast through 21, but eased back into my comfortable zone, trying to save something for the final kick. 

The music I hated playing through speakers posted onto the poles and trees in the park in 2020 actually seemed to propel me through it this time around, and I was already feeling proud of myself for not going to a dark place at almost any point in the race, and instead staying focused on the task at hand. As I passed mile 23, I felt hopeful I might be able to make this PR-minus one (2nd), and strategized my remaining nutrition as I wondered if it was too early to “go fishing” to pass people as we went through the hilly sections on the back half of the race. I again focused on my form, as I was worried about a left foot and also right hip cramping sensations that were sneaking up on me, and took advantage of the smoothness I felt on the short downhills when they revealed themselves.

Finally, as I could begin to hear the noise of the crowd near the finishers corral, I decided it was time to push. I remembered the long runs I had done this cycle that included pace work in them, and remembered those were 8 minute miles, and tried to lock into that sensation. Then I ran into Cameron with his camera and he decided to run me in from around the 25th mile marker. As I entered the shoot I saw my watch hit mile 26 at a sub 8 mile pace. I knew I still had a least half a mile left if not longer, based on when my watch had beeped during previous miles compared to mile markers, but I was full speed ahead at this point so there was no turning back.

Then up ahead, I spotted Sydney running with her husband Cam, which gave me more energy to try and catch them. I debated slowing down to finish with them, but already had momentum going and was close enough to the finish line that I just mumbled some words of encouragement as I kept my stride pace up and ran by them. The finish shoot felt way longer than I remembered, and I almost ran out of steam before the end, but kept my form and opted to not look at my watch until the very last second. As I crossed the finish line I looked down and saw 3:53:59 on my watch, over a minute faster than Vancouver, and heavily whispered a “FUCK YEAH!” to myself. I thought about crying for a bit, but also didn’t want to faint, so I worked on getting my breath back, just in time for Sydney and Cam to finish behind me. I ended up beating her by 5 seconds, but she had PR’d by nearly 12 minutes, so all in all it was a great day for both of us, even if we are both already hungry for a lot more (sub 3:30 still my true goal for my next race, with a BQ in 2026 what I am ultimately working for).

After retrieving our finishers medals, shirts, and mugs, we met up with Liane and Becca and drank our chocolate milks, before I hobbled back to the Airbnb with Tate and Heidi. We met up with more Roguer’s at Rodeo Goat for burgers, then at 8th Wonder for a large group photo, then Pitch 25 to end the night. We also got to see Bill and Kasia from Iceland at 8th Wonder which was a nice mini-reunion. 

Ultimately, I am disappointed that it wasn’t another PR, and that it has been 3+ years without one now despite feeling more consistent than the years I was hitting them consecutively, but I also am super proud of my attitude during the race and not being hard on myself, which ultimately allowed me to adjust and have a decent day despite the weather. I do believe that I could have fun 10 minutes faster in ideal conditions, but also don’t think I could’ve even sniffed 3:30. So the big takeaway for me I think is that I need to up my mileage in future cycles, and also potentially slightly increase the pace of my easy runs. It really may be a matter of, if you want to run faster, you have to run faster (thanks for the advice Campbell). I hope my team lets me come back (since I didn't PR), and I can't wait to take the lessons I learned during this cycle into my next training block - once I figure out which race is next. Philly? LA? We'll see where my attention is drawn once I get my legs back, but also I don't think its unrealistic for me to say... Houston, I'll be back.

Mexico City 2022

Tate and I had been talking about going to Mexico City for as long as I could remember. It was one of those cities that seemed unique and distant enough to feel exotic and a little scary, while close and accessible enough to not break the bank or require Xanax for the flight. But we never really took action towards it, whether it be due to the pandemic, other trips popping up, or daydreaming about similar but further away locales such as Spain. However, earlier this year when I saw one of my favorite bands, Khruangbin, would be touring in Mexico City in late October, which is also when Día de los Muertos is celebrated, it seemed like the perfect excuse to buy some concert tickets and figure out the rest of the logistics of the trip later. 

Always an optimist, I assumed we would be able to talk someone into going with us, so I grabbed four tickets to Khruangbin's October 28th show at WTC Pepsi Center, and started crowd-sourcing recommendations from people I knew or encountered. Which turned out to be a lot more people than I expected. Mexico City has seemingly become an increasingly popular destination for remote workers, which Tate and I both are, thanks to it's central time zone location, beautiful weather, amazing food, and short flight from a lot of US cities. Eventually my dad and his wife Laura confirmed they would join us for the concert, so the more specifics of the trip began to take shape. We were fortunate and grateful to have them meeting us there, as they had been to CDMX multiple times and therefore could show us some of their favorite spots. 

About 10 days before the trip, our original week-long Airbnb cancelled on us, which kicked off that uneasy yet exciting feeling I always have before going on an adventure. We were able to book two new Airbnb's close to the area we originally wanted (albeit a little more expensive this time) and on October 26th drove to Dallas for the night before flying out of DFW on the 27th - shout out to the ultimate host, my sister, for housing us and driving us to the airport. After an unexpected flight delay, which we now know should have been expected on Aeromexico, but also after some free beers and tequila in first-class, we landed in Mexico City at around 7pm.

We successfully made it through customs without issue, grabbed an Uber from the crazy pickup line out front, and made our way through the congested streets towards our first Airbnb. We didn't realize when we first booked the trip that Formula I was also taking place the same weekend we were in town, having just had the same experience in Austin the weekend before. Couple that with Day of the Dead celebrations getting started, and traffic was pretty awful basically the entire time we were in town. Thankfully my dad and Laura had arrived the day before, and after some confusing instructions and a random tenant had been able to get into our first Airbnb. We met them there, put our stuff down, took a shot of mezcal, and headed out to find food and drinks. 

My dad and Laura had met a younger couple their first night in town who had recommended a trendy tapas spot in Roma Nte. called Polpo, which we walked to and grabbed a table. At first the music was a little too loud for our tastes, but once we settled in with drinks we got used to it. The plates were good, especially the octopus, but a theme for the trip emerged as we left in that due to me being in the middle of a pretty intense marathon training cycle, I was perpetually hungrier than the rest of the group. We attempted to stop by another bar the young couple had recommended, but found it to be too crowded, so eventually we ended up at a cute bar and grill called El Traspatio, which was beautiful decorated with festive flowers and I was able to scarf down a hamburger while everyone else sleepily drank a margarita. The delayed flight had put a bit of a damper on our first night, and the Airbnb was pretty bare-bones and the bed wasn't the comfiest, but I managed to get some sleep despite the lack of air conditioning and airflow in general meaning I slept with no covers.

I woke up on our first full day ready to explore some of the city on foot while everyone else slept in. I found a short loop I ended up running multiple times during the trip on a street called Amsterdam that circled Parque México. I was immediately taken aback at how many trees lined all the streets in the part of the city we were staying in. We had been told Roma, Condessa, and Polanco were where a lot of foreigners stayed and hung out when visiting CDMX, and all these parts of the city were treelined with a mix of older historic buildings, bigger new high-rises, and hip cafes, bars and restaurants. After a lovely 5k, I took a quick shower and met the rest of the group at a nearby coffee shop called Flor de Café Roma Norte, before we had to set out on the first big excursion of the week.

While working at TikTok earlier in 2022, I had posted in a running chat group about my Rogue Expeditions trip to Iceland, encouraging people to sign up as needed a full group in order to ensure the trip would happen. One girl named Kim took the bait, got her name on the waitlist, and ended up taking part in the trip. Kim just also happened to be in Mexico City the same days we were, and had suggested we take a Taco Bike Tour her friends had recommended. So at 10am on our first full morning, we met at a parking garage with Kim and a group of about 8 other strangers, put on some optional helmets, and followed our tour guide Chris around the city to learn about the neighborhoods and eat some delicious tacos. We had so much fun, stopping at 5 different locations to try out 6 different kinds of tacos, and my biggest regret was not finding out the names of all the different stops in order to be able to recommend them without the need for the tour (**so instead, just take the tour - it was worth it**). We ended with some beers at La Bodeguita del Medio, which we meant to come back to at a later date when they would have live music and try out their famous mojitos, but with so much to see and do in CDMX we never did make it back.  ** Update, the taco spots were La birria de los gueros de Juanacatalan, Molino el Pujol, El Rey del Suadero, and El Turix (thanks Laura!)**

After biking 7-8 miles, we all desperately wanted to get some rest, but unfortunately one of the more annoying things about Mexico City is that when purchasing tickets to an event in advance (which often times you have to do), the only way to retrieve the tickets is to hike over to one of the multiple Ticketmaster locations, typically located inside some giant mall or Liverpool store. We needed to get the tickets for the Khruangbin concert later that evening, so found the closest location to our Airbnb and took an Uber over. Thanks to F1 being in town, the line was very long and moved very slowly, but at least the location was near the furniture part of the store, so the others got to rest on a couch while I waited. With the tickets finally in hand, we walked the mile back to the Airbnb and all tried to squeeze in a power nap before dinner and drinks. 

We wanted something on the quick side, so for dinner we walked over to taquería Orinoco, which despite it's fast casual feel ended up being some of my favorite food we had the entire trip. After we scarfed down our tacos, we walked over to the nearby bar called Mano Santa Mezcal, and proceeded to catch a buzz before trying to hail an Uber to the concert. Traffic was absolutely awful in that part of town, thanks in part to an evening thunderstorm, and as I got tipsy I also got unnecessarily grumpy - fearing we would be late or even miss the show. Fortunately, we arrived at basically the perfect time, able to grab some drinks right as Khruangbin took the stage. In retrospect I do wish we had gotten there a little earlier so that we could have been closer to the stage, as WTC Pepsi Center was a massive standing room only venue which meant unless we were willing to push our way through the crowd, we had to watch from pretty far back. Only Laura was brave enough to push her way up front, but the concert was still awesome for all of us, and I can only hope I am fortunate enough to see Khruangbin in a different country again at some point in my lifetime (I think this was probably my 8th or so time seeing them live haha). Luckily the Uber after the show was quick and easy, and we finished up an epic full first day back at the "bare"-bnb drinking a nightcap and laughing at what a jerk I had been in the first Uber (sorry, again!)

I woke up a bit hung over the next morning, but still managed to get a 3 mile run in, mostly around the same loop as before, and again met the rest of the group afterwards, this time at a cool brunch spot called Maque. The coffee helped, as did the mimosas, and then the ladies decided to go to a mercado while dad and I checked out a nearby sports bar that was supposedly where Liverpool supporters in the city would meet for games. The bar, called Le Gutie, was tiny and opened exactly at kick-off, but it was fun cheering on my team in a different city as I had done before in Vancouver, New Orleans, etc. and luckily we left at half-time with the score tied at 1-1 (so we didn't have to see Liverpool ultimately lose at the end). Then we packed up our stuff and headed to our second Airbnb, which was leaps and bounds better than our first. We were welcomed with a free bottle of mezcal, and we enjoyed it while sitting on our huge patio, complete with a hammock. This second location was the kind that made you start to contemplate if maybe I could also be a digital nomad living in Mexico City for an undetermined amount of time. Ultimately the downside was getting eaten alive by mosquitoes the first two nights here when we slept with the windows open, but otherwise loved the location and vibe. 

That evening, we walked down to the Angel of Independence (El Ángel de la Independencia) to watch a Día de los Muertos parade. It was cool to see the floats and costumes, and afterwards we walked to another nearby Mezcalería called Xuni - where we had guacamole with crickets in it! They were surprisingly chewy (I expected them to be more crunchy) and had a sort of almond flavor to them. From there we tried to get into a few nearby restaurants that had been recommended to us, but thanks to the parade they were all packed, and ended up eating at a somewhat unremarkable little bar called La Guillermina. But at least we were fed, and we all went to sleep pretty quickly once we got back after the later night we had the night before. 

I woke up the next morning for another run, this time a 5 mile loop I found on Strava that took me through Chapultepec, the giant park twice the size of Central Park, where I accidentally ended up on a Hello Kitty themed 10k course for part of my run. It was nice to have most of the roads I was on closed off to traffic, either due to the race or due to the fact that the main artery of the city, La Reforma, is closed on Sunday's for a time to allow for people to bike up and down it. After my run and meeting back up with everyone at the Airbnb, we took advantage of the road closure and rented bikes to ride for a few hours. Unfortunately, the bike my dad was on kept having issues with the chain falling off, but we still managed to get in around 10 miles of cruising (just with lots of stops for manual repairs) before returning the bikes and heading to lunch. 

We got a table at the mostly empty Sonora Grill, which ended up being one of my favorite meals of the trip. We got a salad since the restaurant seemed nice enough to not have to worry about how they washed their produce, I got some soup, and we all got some amazing tacos along with tasty cocktails and french fries. Between the run and the bike ride, this meal saved me. We also got to watch the start of the F1 race that was in town that weekend, which the restaurant had filled up with patrons also watching by the time we were heading out the door to head back to a Ticketmaster location to pick up tickets for the next two nights festivities. Once back at the Airbnb, we rested and listened to some music, as I began to feel a bit run-down. 

That night, Laura had gotten us tickets for the Ballet Folklórico de México, a beautiful and vibrant Mexican traditional dance show with lots of different styles representing the different regions of Mexico, including some beautiful outfits, Mariachi music, and much more. I still didn't feel very well, and the mostly full venue, while extremely beautiful, did not have any sort of airflow, so I spent a lot of the performance treading between genuinely enjoying the beauty in front of me while also trying to focus on breathing and staying calm as to not faint or have an anxiety attack. Ultimately I would highly recommend people go see this performance, but maybe not wear long sleeves as I had. 

Afterwards, we walked down to Plaza Garibaldi, where typically there are lots of mariachi bands playing for diners in the many cafes along the square, but I guess due to the F1 race and Day of the Dead celebrations happening across the city, there was what could only be described as a mini-music festival happening in the plaza instead. Essentially a boy band was on stage, with some extremely loud speakers, and there were dancers trying to coerce the crowd to dance along with them. It was certainly a sight to see, but not the vibe we were looking for. Luckily after some time debating our next move, Laura recalled that we were walking distance to one of her favorite restaurants, and we walked a few blocks over to see if we could be lucky enough to grab a table. 

Lucky is exactly what we were, because we ended up getting a table in one of the oldest and coolest spots we saw during our time in the city, a legendary restaurant called CAFÉ DE TACUBA. Famous for their spicy mole, mariachi bands, and cathedral like building, it felt like stepping back in time being here. Tate ate one of the biggest tamales we had ever seen, I enjoyed my enchiladas, and we were serenaded by music most of the time we were there. There was also a waitress / hosted walking around dressed as la catrina that was some of the best makeup I had seen in regards to day of the dead costumes. 

Fortunately I woke up the next morning feeling much better than I had the night before, and met up with my friend Kim (Iceland running buddy) for another morning run. We found out the hard way that Chapultepec is closed on Monday's for cleaning, but still managed to run along the edge of the park and I was able to get in 8 miles for my "middle long run." I met back up at the Airbnb before we headed off for a late breakfast at a cafe along the edge of Parque México called Café Toscano Condesa, which felt very European as we sat at an outside table and people watched as locals walked their dogs around the park. Tate wanted to go to a mercado to do some shopping, so we decided to leisurely stroll towards that part of town, making a pit stop for a coffee (plus maybe a beer and a mimosa) at a spot called Cicatriz.

We eventually made the place Tate wanted to see, a traditional artisan market called Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela. Her and Laura found some small fun things to purchase, while I lamented the fact that I didn't find the bar until we were on our way out. Afterwards we attempted to have a snack on top of the Sears near the Centro Histórico, but quickly left after being seated because we couldn't really see from our table and they only served coffee and smoothies (aka no alcohol). Our next goal was to find a patio restaurant my dad and Laura had been to before that they loved that overlooks the Catedral Metropolitana. Our first attempt failed, but we had a drink anyways at the tourist trap called Los Sabores del Molcajete, before finding our much more ideal spot called Balcón del Zócalo. This place was beautiful, with a great view and great photo ops with giant Mexican flags waving in the wind behind us. We didn't end up having dinner here, and instead attempted to grab a table at Azul Historico, but when that wait seemed too long, dad and I went upstairs to have a mezcal in a tiny bar while the ladies went to see if they could get a table elsewhere. 

We eventually met them at LA OPERA, another famous historic restaurant, and our table was being serenaded by another mariachi as I came out of the bathroom. This bar claimed to be around since 1876, and included a bullet hole in the ceiling supposedly come from the gun of none other than Pancho Villa. We had come to Mexico City with recommendations mostly from people our age that focused on the more modern parts of the city like Condesa and Roma, but we were finding that we enjoyed being in the older parts of the city just as much if not more.

I woke up early the next day again to run, an easy 3.5 miles before heading to grab some pastries and hitting the ATM ahead of a long day. Laura had booked us a tour, which I thought was primarily going to consist of riding / drinking / eating along the famous canals called Xochimilco, but that was only a short stop on the full day's worth of activities. We crammed into a van and fought traffic to our first stop, a famous silver shop called Plateria Rafael, where pictures of celebrities filled the walls like Leonardo DiCaprio, and I ended up purchasing a ring for myself after a free shot of tequila (at 10am in the morning). 

Next, we headed to the Frida Kahlo museum for a photo op outside before we walked into the parks of Coyoacán, which is definitely an area I'll want to explore more next time I am in the city. I will admit that floating the canals was very fun, and the food prepared literally on the water in boats next to us was delicious. But after that I was pretty exhausted, and I didn't love how long it took to get from each location to the next in the notorious CDMX traffic. We did get to stop by a cemetery and see the memorials being left for Day of the Dead which was cool to see in person, and the final stop was at the huge University which included murals painted by Juan O'Gorman. 

Finally back at our Airbnb in the late afternoon, we rested before heading out to find drinks on our way to the Lucha Libre wrestling match we had tickets to. We hit up Bar Las Brujas, which apparently has made some "best bar in the world" lists before, although I wasn't super impressed. I was impressed by the pageantry and showmanship of the Lucha Libre however, which in my opinion is another can't miss event for anyone visiting Mexico City for the first time. My only complaint was how quickly it was over, I would've liked another hour or more of cheering on the good guys against my dad who had decided to back the bad guys. 

Afterwards, we fell back into the pattern of trying too hard to find something perfect to do for dinner / nightcap drinks, and after some arguing ended up at a tiki bar called Waikiki Tiki Room. I thought it was a pretty cool spot personally, but I think we were all tired and hungry at that point, so we decided to go back to a known crowd favorite and had more tacos back at Taquería Orinoco. I am not kidding when I say I would eat there almost every day if I lived I went the digital nomad route down south for a few months. Once back at the Airbnb, dad and I got to have our inevitable late night chat deep into the night, which is something I always miss and cherish when they do get to happen. We went to sleep later than we should have, having solved all the worlds problems.

Another morning, another slightly hung over 30ish minute run. I was proud of myself for the consistency I showed during the week, despite the drinking and walking and biking. Dad slept in while Laura, Tate and I stopped by a smaller version of Panadería roseta closer to our Airbnb for some pastries, before finding a spot with a beautiful patio to take advantage of the perfect weather for a final brunch. We ended up at La Ventanita, a cool spot around the corner from our Airbnb with a pretty view of a fountain. Dad joined us for this (eventually), and afterwards we decided to take advantage of our last full day and keep the train moving. First, we went for a drink on a "rooftop" called Supra Roma, which was actually completely indoors but at the very top of a tall building with a very cool view of a lot of the city. Next, we got lucky and grabbed reservations for one of the most fun stops of the trip, an absolute party of a scene at Domingo Santo, complete with live music, guacamole with an entire fish body in it, and me being serenaded to by the lead singer literally sitting in my lap. This spot is actually an adults-only hotel in the old part of town that I would definitely look into staying at for future visits. 

We ended up back at Azul for another drink at the tiny mezcal bar upstairs, before finally figuring out how to get up on the roof for cocktails on the terrace. Lastly, we ended the trip with one more mezcal at arguably the coolest mezcal bar of all the ones we managed to go to, a dark hip spot called Bósforo. Tate and I had to call it a night at that point thanks to our early flight the next morning, but it was a great final day of an overall amazing trip that I will never forget. I feel fortunate to have gotten to explore Mexico City with my dad and Laura and Tate, similarly having gotten to explore Quito, Ecuador with my dad years ago while he lived there. I also am looking forward to more trips with Tate, including right back to Mexico for a relaxing Valentine's Day weekend in Cabo. Not sure that one will be blog worthy, as I hope it just involves a lot of drinking on the beach, but we'll see what happens. Gracias a Dios! 

Rogue Expeditions - Run Iceland 2022

Earlier this year, one of my group chats (this one mostly consisting of running buddies) was buzzing with messages about a potential trip to Iceland. My friend Will had been in contact with the founders of Rogue Expeditions and was trying to gauge interest from us about getting a group together to get the company to add an extra trip to their already busy calendar. We needed at least 8 people for it to happen, and after a quick conversation with my girlfriend Tate, I let Will I was in if this hopeful plan came to fruition.

It helped that Tate had already been to Iceland for two weeks a few years ago with her family, traveling basically the entire ring road in a rented car. Since she doesn't care much for running, but loves traveling as much as I do, a trip like this would (and always will be) a bit of a delicate debate: about using paid-time off, the overall price, and seeing parts interesting and beautiful parts of the world... not together. She deserves a shout-out for being so encouraging, so wanted to ensure I included it early on. 

The wheels started moving faster than I anticipated, as I didn't want to get my hopes up too high in case the trip didn't come to fruition. Another running buddy, Dan, and his wife also threw their hats in the ring - so we were already halfway there. We began sharing the link to the trip details in our friends, family, even work circles (more on that later) to try and recruit more people to sign up. The trip was to be at the end of August, but we needed a confirmed full trip by around the end of February for it to be a go. Surprisingly, we all ended up putting our deposits down before Valentine's Day. Now, we just had to impatiently wait 6 months to visit the land of fire and ice. 

Fast forward to August 25th, and myself, Will, Dan and Anah were boarding a plane to Reykjavik (via an ultimately annoying layover in Newark). We arrived at 7am Friday morning, a bit sleep deprived - I think I got about a 3 hour nap on the nearly 6 hour overnight flight - but excited for the week ahead. We took a bus into the city, dropped off our luggage at the bus depot, and headed for a coffee shop. It ended up being right next to Hallgrimskirkja (the church of Hallgrimur), Iceland's tallest church, and the country's sixth-tallest building overall. We caffeinated up, walked around more of the downtown area, popped our heads into some gift shops, drank a White Russian at The Big Lebowski Bar (because the dude abides), and enjoyed lunch at a local brewery called Bastard Brew & Food. Here, a former coworker of mine at TikTok (Kim) met up with us, as she had flown in the night before. She had put her name on the waitlist at the beginning of the year when I had first dropped the link in a running interested group chat on the company internal communication tool. Then we all headed back to the bus station where our guides would be picking us up to officially start the trip, and we got to meet the rest of the people joining us on the trip.

Day 1 (Friday) - Hotel Kriunes / Heiðmörk

We got to the hotel to check in and get settled for our first two nights in Iceland on the southeast outskirts of the city. We were just getting started to know our guides, Sean and Gunnur, as Sean began explaining the optional "shake-out" run - and the different options available for it. Our hotel was situated on a lake, and on the other side of it was a great hiking trail that connected to the two mile trail around the lake from our side. If we wanted to connect to that trail system, the "easy" shake out would be NINE miles. I laughed at this in my three hour of sleep in 36 hours, jet-lagged haze, full well knowing I intended to the longest distance offered all 7 days of the trip (I never said I would do them all without comment or complaint, however). 

Some people opted for a 4 mile out and back, but quite a few were just as stubborn as me, and for good reason: the weather. Coming from a summer in Texas full of 100 degree days and basically no rain, we had lucked out our first day in Iceland with some uncharacteristically sunny weather. No way I was passing up a beautiful trail run in 55 degree sunshine. I did however have to make a pit-stop off the trail about halfway through the run as the shrimp tacos from Bastard Brew made their way through me (apologies to the camp site barbecue pit I had to squat behind) but hey it wouldn't be a trail running trip if that didn't happen at least once, so at least I got it out of the way early (happened on the Flume Trail in Tahoe back in 2016 - sorry people I don't make the rules). 

After the run we met for dinner at the hotel restaurant (the first of many delicious dinners we had on the trip), and Sean broke down what the next day would have in store for us. Dan and I were both struggling to keep our eyes open for most of the meal, and I promptly fell asleep almost immediately once I got back to the room around 8:15pm. I was excited I had stayed up all day so that I could hopefully get a good night sleep and miss out on any extended jet lag. When I woke up, I was a bit confused since it was so dark in the room (it was only dark from about 10pm to 3am the week we were there) and I was assuming it had to be like 5 in the morning at this point. I grabbed my phone and looked at the time... 9:30 (PM). I had succeeded in taking an hour nap, and was feeling as wide awake as I ever had before (it felt like 4:30pm to me back in Austin). I tried to fall back asleep before eventually playing on my phone a bit, and luckily my roommate Will woke up about 30 minutes later and laughed when he saw me playing on my phone as he was just as awake as I was. 

After about an hour of chatting and looking at our phones, we decided to go for a walk outside, and wouldn't you know it, we were able to the northern lights! At dinner we had made a pact with some other folks in our group that we would all try to wake each other up if anyone saw them at any point during the trip (since typically they aren't very visible until starting in more like October) so we went and tried to wake up a few people, and by the time we got back outside they were mostly gone. But one girl in our group was able to catch a decent photo of them, which was good because Will and I wanted to make sure we weren't crazy, and evidently the lights came back out again around 2am and put on an even better light show. I am still thankful I got to see them at all, and once we got back to our room Will and I didn't bother fighting the jet lag and streamed the Austin FC game on our phones (a fun win against LAFC) before finally dozing off around 2am, alarms set for 7am and a big day ahead of us.

Day 2 (Saturday) - Búrfellsgjá and the Blue Lagoon

After what felt like another long nap, we woke up to some breakfast before heading out on our first destination run of the trip. We'd be heading to one of the most beautiful trails in the Reykjavik area through the Búrfellsgjá Lava Channel. Mt. Búrfell was formed in a single volcanic eruption just over eight thousand years ago. Fissure (gjá) is really not the correct term for Búrfellsgjá because it is essentially a beautiful and seemingly intact lava channel, just over three kilometers long. The run actually started in a wooded area our guide Gunnur was familiar with, which included a nice view out towards the ocean. There aren't really any "forests" in Iceland, thanks to the Vikings and other Icelandic residents from centuries ago cutting down all the trees for ships, housing, etc. The run ended up being around 7 miles with some rolling hills, tough volcanic rock sections, sandy valleys, and ended at a natural stream that we took sips of water from to commemorate our finish. Most of the water in Iceland is incredibly clean thanks to all the lava rock it filters through.

Afterwards, we went to a little park area for a picnic, before heading to probably the most popular tourist attraction in all of Iceland, the Blue Lagoon. You have probably seen the pictures before of the teal / aqua water that almost doesn't look real. The pools themselves were basically created by mistake at first, supplied by water used in the nearby Svartsengi geothermal power station. I was skeptical at first, afraid their would be way too many tourists for my liking (I had envisioned this trip to be somewhat "off-the-grid" but once I was in the water, drinking a Gull beer and wearing a silica mask, I pretty much instantly understood the appeal. It is beautiful, the water looks and feels amazing, and to be fair your skin looks great afterwards. Some things are popular for a reason, so this is one of those expensive stops I would actually still recommend to anyone coming to Iceland in the future. It also helped that we once again had lucked out with some sunny weather, so much so that I actually got a little sunburned while we were at the lagoon, something I didn't know was possible at that latitude. 

I grabbed a coffee from the cafe and we loaded up the bus back to the hotel - but not without our first (and I guess only?) injury of the trip, as one of the women from Georgia had stubbed her toe on the sharp volcanic rock while walking in sandals, leading to some blood and the first aid kid. Once back at the hotel, a few of us were able to watch an Arsenal EPL game in our room until it was time for another delicious dinner. Afterwards a few of us hung out on the patio of our room overlooking the lake, dreaming about the rest of the trip ahead of us. The next day would be a big one in regards to distance traveled on the bus, the amount of stops we'd have, and the sights we would see. Will and I didn't try too hard to get to bed early this time, and instead watched Into the Spiderverse for awhile before eventually attempting to get another long nap in ahead of Sunday. 

Day 3 (Sunday) - Reykjadalur Hot Springs and The Golden Circle

After more like 6 hours of sleep this time around and another quick breakfast, we were on the bus headed south. This time we wouldn't be coming back to our hotel for the first two nights. We were headed to the town of Hveragerði (a fun one to pronounce and eventually became one of the jokes of the trip - "What happens in Hervy-Gerdy stays in Hveragerði").  The run itself took place in the Reykjadalur valley, taking us into some mini-mountains and around some natural springs. The longer option took us on what could only be described as sheep paths, which was confirmed when the trail itself was actually blocked in front of us for a time by actual sheep. We actually got our first taste of some more authentic Iceland weather, with some strong wind gusts, a little fog / drizzle, but overall the just over 7 hilly miles were beautiful and extremely fun. 

The highlight of this run was the natural thermal hot spring river that ran through the middle of it, connecting with a cool stream to let you essentially choose your preferred temperature for a dip: warmer to the left, cooler to the right. Most of the other people on the trip had a similar mentality to me, which is you never know if/when you'll ever been in Iceland again, so you're not going to NOT get in the natural water places when given the opportunity (even if it means you have to put on your shoes again afterwards and finish the last 2 miles of the run a little damp). It was easy to dry off however since most of the last mile was a downhill we got to "bomb" down, save for slowing down to make room for some riders on those famous Icelandic ponies we didn't want to spook. 

After we got back to the bus, we headed over to the local swimming hole in Hveragerði, which our guide Gunnur's family has been using for decades. This was more of a man-made pool / hot tub set up situation, but it also included a cold-plunge bucket which again a lot of the group felt obligated to try. You can probably already sense a theme here, which is basically all of our runs ended with us getting into some form of hot springs / body of water. We showered up and headed to lunch at a really cool new hotel in town that had food trucks (albeit inside) along with a couple bars and a coffee shop - all of which felt like it wouldn't be out of place in Austin, let alone in some small town in southwest Iceland. So I would definitely add the Greenhouse Hotel as a lunch stop on your itineraries. 

After lunch we got back on the bus and headed to our next stop, Þingvellir National Park in Selfoss. Our guide did let us know that some of Game of Thrones had been filmed in the park, but what it is really known for is the Alþing (Althing), the site of Iceland's parliament from the 10th to 18th centuries. It was cool to walk through the park and learn some history (thanks to Gunnur), and then it was back on the bus to head to another well-known stop. 

Next, we went to one of the more picturesque stops of the entire trip, Gullfoss falls (the golden waterfall). I had (sadly) heard of / seen this amazing place on Netflix before (the sadly part due to it being in that Zac Efron travel show) but even that couldn't have prepared me for how beautiful (and powerful) the falls, located in the canyon of the Hvítá river, were in person. I had spent some time talking to my therapist before the trip about trying to stay present as much as I could while in Iceland, and this stop was where I tried my hardest to put this in practice. I spent most of the time just listening to the sound of the water crashing over the edge, feeling the mist hit my face, almost drinking it all in. It wasn't always easy, as this was a very crowded tourist attraction, but again sometimes things are touristy for a reason, and I can't imagine coming to Iceland and not seeing this in person. 

The stops weren't over there, as next we hit up Iceland's version of old faithful in Geysir. The great geysir was the first geyser described in a printed source and the first known to modern Europeans. Having never seen a geyser in person before, it was cool to see the water shoot high out of the ground. However, I was getting a bit tired at this point from all the riding in the bus (and still not being caught up on sleep since the flight over) so after a short period I ended up in the gift shop, enjoying the absolute BEST cup of hot chocolate I have ever had. Seriously, get one if you go there. Finally, we ended at our hotel for the next two nights in Flúðir, where we ate dinner and where I finally got a decent night sleep, ahead of another upcoming day of firsts for me. 

Day 4 (Monday) - Langjökull Glacier, Friðheimar, and the (not so) Secret Lagoon

Not sure I'll ever have a Monday like this one again. Finally feeling fully rested after a true 8+ hours of hard sleep, I was ready for a true adventure. We ate breakfast in the hotel lobby / restaurant (which was basically taken over by our party for the duration of our two night stay) and packed our gear for a big day. We needed to be on the road early to meet with our guides, who would be taking us up onto Iceland's second largest glaicer, Langjökull. We got out of our van with above average sized tires, and into a similar sized van but with much larger, easy to inflate and deflate, tires - which would be needed for the F-roads we would be taking across the highlands to get to basecamp. F-roads are unpaved gravel tracks that only open during the summer months and are only accessible in 4×4 SUV's.

After a bumpy ride across the desert, we got to the cabin where we would be changing into our gear before we headed the rest of the way to the edge of the glacier. This morning's adventure was not running across the ice, but snowmobiling! After some safety tips and instruction how-to's, we paired up and headed north up into the ice and snow. The view was amazing at first, and hearing the cracking and ice beneath our sleds was magical. After about 15 minutes or so, the visibility got next to the nothing, a mix of fog and windy and potentially some snow? Was really hard to tell, but still fun to be cruising along following each other up higher on the glacier where there was snow now under our skis on top of the ice. 

After about half an hour, we got off the machines and had a snowball fight, learned some history of the glacier, made some snow angels, and then switched drivers as we headed back down to basecamp. I was the driver for the second shift, and nearly took a tumble once (immediately before the group in front of us did in fact flip their sled - no injuries thankfully) but the ride overall was incredibly fun and beautiful. Coming back down onto the ice near the edge of the glacier, the clouds opened up and we had a beautiful view as we followed a river of melting snow and ice down our path from before. My first time snowmobiling and hopefully not my last (but not sure I can ever go somewhere else that will top a glacier in Iceland).

After we got our gear turned back in, got back on the big bus, and headed back into the highlands, our glacier guide dropped us off with our original tour van and driver, and she drove us down a seldom used F-road, where the next part of our day was to begin. We'd be running along another F-road into a "forest" (again, not many of these in Iceland) before we headed to our next stop for lunch. The run itself was 5 miles of gravel / sandy F-road with some rolling hills, followed by a very steep hill as we got into the forest which meant for most of the final mile we got to bomb down a very fast and fun trail in the woods. It was felt like throwing in a fartlek at the end of the run, which felt nice to get some speed in our legs in the middle of the trip. Then we loaded into the van to head to lunch.

Lunch was probably the most memorable meal of the trip. We headed to Friðheimar, a country-style, family-run restaurant offering tomato-based dishes from onsite greenhouses that also has stables on-site with lots of Icelandic ponies. The meal was simple, simply the best tomato soup any of us had ever had, complete with two different choices of tomato beer (still not exactly sure what that means but I had both and they were both interesting and tasty). After the meal we got to tour the greenhouse and meet some of the pollinating bees, followed by a presentation of one of the Icelandic ponies doing the different gaits they are famous for. It was a surreal experience to have been on a glacier and a snowmobile for the first time on the same day (literally within just a few hours of each other) that I also ate the best tomato I've ever tried. Iceland is such an eclectic place. 

After we left the greenhouse, we stopped by a Vínbúðin (liquor store) so we could have more beers and pre-dinner cocktails, and then headed to the local pool in the same town as our hotel (Flúðir) called the Secret Lagoon. This public geothermal pool was created in 1891, making it Iceland's oldest, and was full of a mix of tourists from all over the world. It was a melting pot of conversations in different languages, and the perfect way to unwind after the adventurous day. Once showered back at the hotel, we had burger night and instructions for the next day (another travel day including changing hotels), so once again it wasn't as difficult to fall asleep this time around. 

Day 5 (Tuesday) - Landmannalaugar and the legend of Dan

Landmannalaugar is a location in Iceland's Fjallabak Nature Reserve in the Highlands. It is at the edge of the Laugahraun lava field, formed in an eruption in approximately 1477. It is known for its natural geothermal hot springs and surrounding landscape and is famous for its colorful rhyolite mountains and epic day hikes. We got to this epic reserve via a long "road" trip on some bumpy F-roads in the highlands, with a stop at Frostastaðavatn which looked to be a giant crater lake with winds so strong we could lean into them and now fall down. The weather was finally reaching full "Iceland" on us, with rain greeting us as we got to the entry of the park. 

After some notes from Sean at basecamp, we headed off on a slightly shorter version of what had originally been planned, due to the wind and low visibility the higher up we went with all the drizzle and fog. We'd go up almost 1,000 vertical feet within the first 3 miles, before coming back down and winding down in the valley and next to the river, ending in the lava fields. It was a cold, beautiful 6 miles in full, and even with less than stellar visibility was still one of the most beautiful runs I've ever done. 

Afterwards, we continued the trend of ending all our runs in a pool of warm water, walking almost a half mile on what I can only describe as a long "pier" from the visitor center to the Laugasvæði (bathing place). Once there, we began stripping down to whatever level of modesty we felt comfortable with (there were eventually a few Europeans who hopped in topless), but before my buddy Dan could get all the way in, a group of motorbike enthusiasts who had been cruising across Iceland and had already been in the pool before us swam over and asked Dan if they would go buy "as much beer" as he possibly could. To my surprise, Dan said yes - and one of the fine gents promptly handed over his credit card for Dan to pay with. Now remember, we are well off the beaten track here, half a mile from the visitor center (which was basically just a shack, a tent, and a few school buses converted for mixed use) and we were already cold and wet. As Dan trodded off, we all laughed about how there was no way they would sell him enough beer for everyone (easily over 20 people), and even if they did - how would he carry it the half mile back to the hot pot? 

Well, about 10 minutes later, we spot tall Dan carrying what looks like 3 cases of Gull beer in a giant container over his head, and everyone immediately started laughing and cheering. An English bloke broke out into chants of "Dan you fucking legend!" and spent a majority of our time in the hot springs asking if they could trade the Dan from their group for our Dan. Dan had taken an empty bucket labeled "free stuff" that would often include camping supplies for backpackers beginning the three day hike to Thórsmörk, and did what legends do. It was probably my favorite hot springs experience of the trip, and afterwards we dried off, got some hot soup from one of the school buses, and got back in our van to head back to our next lodge for the night. 

The new "hotel" was more like a cottage, built at the base of a volcano called Eyjafjallajökull, and apparently the recording artist Sting had once stayed there for a week. We enjoyed an amazing home cooked meal and spent time drinking wine by the fireplace, before once again crashing hard for the night thanks to the rain outside. That rain would end up altering the remaining days of our trip, however. 

Day 6 (Wednesday) - þetta reddast and Seljalandsfoss

We woke up to more rain and a change of plans. We were supposed to head to Heimaey, a small island off the southwest coast, and potentially see some puffins and their babies. Unfortunately due to high winds, the ferry ride would've consisted of 10 foot swells or higher and with no trees on the island we would have been highly exposed which didn't sound fun in 30mph winds. So we called an audible, and instead ran along the farm roads near our hotel to the nearest waterfalls. “Þetta reddast” can be translated to “it will all work out okay” a sort of unofficial motto for Icelanders, and we began embracing this while running the 5 miles in the strong wind and rain. 

Once we made it to Seljalandsfoss, it was absolutely beautiful, and actually already being soaking wet made the excursion a bit more exciting, as we had no fear to hike in the stream to get to the first waterfall hidden in what could almost be called a cave, and getting to walk behind the other falls. Luckily the van was in the parking lot and quickly shuttled us back to the lodge. 

After the run, we continued with plan B options and ate a great lunch at a little restaurant in Hellishólar, and then visited the newly opened Lava Museum to learn about the history of all the volcanoes in Iceland. Afterwards, we of course had to hit a local pool for some hot tub soaking, which was even more fun in the cold rain. We hit another Vínbúðin, enjoyed another delicious meal at the lodge, and enjoyed a beautiful sunset by the fireplace debating what our next Rogue Expedition trips should be. Already experiencing that bittersweet emotion that tomorrow would be our last full day of the trip.

Day 7 (Thursday) - Thórsmörk

We woke up, loaded our luggage into the trailer, but took off in the bus with the trailer staying behind at the cottage for us to pick up on the way back from the national park. The road to get there would be bumpy and include multiple river crossings. We were headed to Thórsmörk, a mountain ridge named after the Norse god Thor. It is situated in the south between the glaciers Tindfjallajökull and Eyjafjallajökull, and with all the rain the two days prior, the river crossings on the road were coming more and more often. 

Unfortunately, by the time we got close to the main entrance of the area we wanted to reach to run from, we hit a river that our van (even with large tires) couldn't make it across. We watched a bigger bus get stuck in the middle of a newly swelling river, and decided to backtrack a bit and do a shorter run by a glacier we had already successfully driven past. It was a bummer to miss the biggest run of the trip, but Þetta reddast and no one complained about not putting ourselves or the van in any danger.

That was until about 2 miles into the run, one of the guides suggested we hike up one of the ridges to run around the top and enjoy the view from up there. From the valley we were in, it didn't seem like it would be that difficult to make it up, but looks can be deceiving. By the time we were over halfway up, rocks began falling all around us and it was time to make the decision of either committing to getting all the way up or turning back down. I have a fear of heights, but oddly that made going back down seem like the worse of the two options, as going back up seemed to promise an easier run down the ridge back towards the van then trying to shuffle down all the loose rocks I had just come up. I put my head down and crawled my way to the top, a little too fast ultimately, as then I had to wait at the top for over 20 minutes while everyone else either made it up or turned back. 

I managed to find a large boulder that wasn't going anywhere to lean against and try to stave off my potential vertigo, and eventually everyone either made it up or back down safely. We made it back to the van where we had an impromptu picnic, and everyone was able to laugh about what ended up being probably the most dangerous half hour of the trip. Ultimately I wasn't super despondent about the shorter day, as I was dealing with a sore-throat and fatigue from the day before (more on that later). We loaded back into the van, grabbed the trailer after we got through all the river crossings again, and headed back into Reykjavik for our last night. 

Once back into the city and checked into our hotel, Will and I headed out on a mission to find a tattoo shop to help us commemorate this epic adventure we were on that was winding down. We succeeded when we came across Street Rats Tattoo, and after chatting with the artist, both wound up getting Þetta reddast tattoos, me on my calf and Will on his arm. Initially we had talked about getting a puffin or some other Icelandic animal, but we didn't make it to puffin island so "it will all work out in the end" seemed like a fitting way to punctuate the trip (in Viking script, of course).

We met back up with the rest of the gang for a quick beer before heading to the last dinner of the trip at an upscale restaurant called the Fish Company, and then back to the hotel lobby bar for the "awards ceremony." It was a great way to cap off the week, and fittingly enough my award was of course the Þetta reddast award. Afterwards, a few of us went out and hit The Drunken Rabbit, an Irish themed bar not far from our hotel, where there was live music playing and Guinness drafts pouring, and managed to close the bar down staying out until 1am. 

Sluggishly, we made it up the next morning to catch the bus to the airport and ultimately our flights home. Before we even managed to make it all the way to our respective cities however, reports started coming in from the group text thread that positive covid tests were hitting a lot of the group. I assumed my sore throat from earlier in the week meant I too would wind up with a positive test once I got home, but somehow I managed to stay negative the entire time I made it back to Austin. Ultimately, everyone seemed to agree that the trip was worth it even if it meant some of us got sick, and the positive outlook was that it seemed no one was symptomatic until they were safely back home and therefore it didn't interfere with any other aspects of the trip. 

I don't know that anyone will ever read this blog post (or future ones coming after it) but I wanted to ensure I got as many details down from the trip as I could while they were still somewhat fresh, although admittedly it is not October 11th by the time I have finally finished this long post. I am proud of myself for going on another adventure, grateful to Sean, Gunnur and the entire Rogue Expeditions crew for their amazing planning and guiding, and hopeful that I'll continue to be able to take trips like these in the not-so-distant future. SKÁL!

What is Wealth to You?

I realized that I haven't been writing much the past few years, and when I have been it has revolved around sharing memories from vacation experiences I have had. So I thought it was time to start "journaling" again and not focus so much on only highlighting epic moments in my life. I'd like to be able to look back and also remember the thoughts and feelings I was having on a more regular, real-life basis. So, here is my first post in that direction.

I recently began reading Tim Ferris' book called "Tools of Titans" after my good friend Chris gave it to me for my birthday. Within, Ferris highlights tricks from different people he has interviewed throughout his life, mostly on his podcast "The Tim Ferris Show." I was listening to one of those podcasts episodes on a Saturday afternoon on my way back from San Marcos, where I had class as part of my graduate degree program. Now I have to admit, this podcast (both this specific episode and in general) is not my favorite, because Ferris can often times come across as a very self-absorbed douchebag. And yes, I see the irony in the fact that I am making that statement while writing a blog post that I am assuming other people will read, but here we are. In this particular episode, Ferris was answering questions his listeners had voted on via Twitter, and as I sat my cruise control to 75 and was only half listening to his answers, he said something that actually hit home with me.

"Wealth is not stuff, wealth is time."

Now, out of context, this may not make much sense. But ultimately what it boiled down to was that Ferris was pointing out how he does not value materialistic things as much as other people he might encounter in his highly successful career, but rather he enjoys the freedom his success has given him. This freedom affords him the opportunities to test the tips and tricks he writes about in "Tools of Titans." His "wealth" allows him to choose experiences over "stuff" if he so chooses. His success gives him the flexibility to do what he wants, where he wants, when he wants. My ears popped up when I heard this, because that is exactly what I want for my life.

I've typically had a hard time explaining to people that I've never really felt motivated by money. I view myself as a hard-worker, and I am notorious in all my past jobs for never being late and rarely missing work due to illness or otherwise. However, most of my childhood I was fortunate enough to have the freedom to do whatever I pleased. School came easy to me, so there was never much stress involved with grades or homework. Sports also were second nature to me, probably because of the freedom my hardworking parents allowed me to have that basically translated into me playing any and every sport I wanted, whenever I wanted, wherever I wanted. Unfortunately, this did not translate well into my adult life. Despite my youthful dreams, I was not naturally physically gifted enough to turn sports into a profession. And despite obtaining degrees with relative ease, I had no direction for what I would do with my career as I transitioned into adult life.

Picking a major for my undergrad was difficult, as I was good at a lot of things but never great at any one thing (I made the exact same score on math as I did on verbal on my SAT's - 600/600, for example). I started in psychology, and ended up with a Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Development - that to this day I have never used. I just hoped my interpersonal skills might bode well for me in that field. The goal of moving to Austin blinded me to what the next step would be once I got here, because I was sure that getting here would lead to me being happier. I succeeded in getting here, but it didn't take long for me to start asking myself "well now what?"

Since then I've had jobs in customer service, sales, marketing, and even as a photographer, but could not figure out a calling or a passion. The goal of making money has never been my endgame, it has simply been the means to an end. Whether that be to continue to live Austin, travel more, or now to pay for graduate school, it has never been the idea of "wealth" that has propelled me forward. It is that longing for freedom, the ability to work on projects I am interested in, or passionate about, and the flexibility to work on those projects when and where I feel I would be most productive and/or happy. Knowing that, my smart and loving wife helped me find a graduate degree program in a field (Mass Communications in Digital Media) that hopefully will help me end up in an environment that resembles at least some of those goals.

It seems funny that most of us work jobs we don't like simply in the pursuit of financial wealth, just so we can purchase things that we hope will distract us from the unhappiness we feel in other aspects of our life. What is the point in having a car that is so expensive you are afraid to drive it? Or that in order to afford it you have to work so much that you don't have the time to drive it? I know I am not the first person exclaiming this feeling of wanderlust and wanting flexibility to not have to "keep up with Joneses," but I feel compelled to ask the people close enough to me that took the time to read this all the way through... what is wealth to you?

South by South America

Back in March, I was fortunate enough to use my week off from graduate school to visit my father. At the time, he was teaching English in the city of Quito, located in Andes mountains of Ecuador in South America. It was a chance to get out of Austin during one of the busiest weeks of the year, SXSW, and see my dad for the first time in over 6 months. Now, over 6 months later, I am reflecting back on the journey, which was my first time traveling internationally outside of going to Mexico for my senior trip after graduating high school.

Earlier that previous Fall, I actually had to go through the long process of getting my passport before I could take the trip, meaning I didn't have one until I was 28 years old (all I needed was a birth certificate to go to Mexico at the time). Once I was over that hurdle, I booked my flight, and let my dad know that his Christmas present was that I was officially coming to visit him. We were both very excited that we would get to share the experience together.

My flight to Quito included a long layover in Miami, were talking 8 hours, which I spent in an Irish pub in the airport drinking one too many pints of Guinness, because despite having taken long flights before, I was still pretty anxious about both the flight and the trip in general. However, I lucked out with an exit row seat (on the biggest plane I have ever been on), which meant I had plenty of legroom for the remaining 6 hour flight. I landed at the Quito Mariscal Sucre International Airport around 10:30 PM local time, and earned my first passport stamp. I met my dad just outside the baggage claim, excited that my checked bag had also made it to South America with me. We took a long but seemingly tame cab ride to his apartment, caught up while watching a soccer game on TV, and tried to get some rest for the big week my father had planned for us that would begin the next morning.

We awoke early on Sunday morning, and my dad made us breakfast. Then we set out on first "big venture." We walked through the mostly empty city streets down to the closest bus station, and took the bus to Parque La Carolina, essentially Quito's version of Central Park. There were people walking dogs, rollerblading, playing soccer, basketball, and volleyball. We walked past the soccer stadium across the street, and bought passes for a bus tour that would take us outside the city to Pululahua and Mitad del Mundo. We got to sit up top on the double-decker bus, and the hour long bus ride took us through a lot of the city, which had a very impressive graffiti art scene that covered a lot of the walls we passed by.

Our first stop of the tour was the Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve. "Pululahua" means “cloud of water” or fog, and is a collapsed volcano that erupted over 2500 years ago. The view overlooking the now extremely fertile valley was impressive. I was thankful I brought my GoPro for the trip, which

provided some great wide angled shots, and I had to own up shamelessly to using the "selfie stick" I brought along as well. Another interesting thing about Quito is how drastically the weather changes throughout the course of a single day. As you can see in the picture, I have on a pullover plus a rain jacket, when I started the day in a t-shirt and was sweating while siting in the park. Bringing layers everywhere we went was something dad had thankfully prepared me for.
There was also a performer playing a pan flute, which if you've seen that episode of South Park would understand why I found that so funny.

Next on the tour, we went to Intinan Museum. This museum was small, but very informative, which appealed to my history teaching father. We got to take our photos while standing on the equator line. The demonstrations the guides provided were fun, such as showing how water swirled in different directions when funneled through a hole while on opposite sides of the equator, shrunken heads, and tribal dances. The next leg of the tour took us to the Ciudad Mitad del Mundo, or "Middle of the World," which is a large monument constructed in 1979 to honor a French expedition in 1736 to map the equatorial line. We enjoyed some local beers and coffee at the shops nearby before taking the bus back into the city and heading back to the apartment. It was a great first day.

The next morning, we headed down to Centro Histórico, or "Old Town," which is the oldest part of Quito, to witness the weekly changing of the palace guards at the presidential palace on Plaza Grande or Independence Plaza. The President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, appeared on the balcony and waved to all of us in the crowd. It was the first time I have ever seen a president of a country in person before. It was cool to see the long standing tradition in person, as guards lined the square, road in on horses, and there were even police present in riot gear. Unplanned, we ended up running into some people my dad knew from the church he had been attending while living there, and we all went to grab coffee and lunch together after the ceremony concluded.

After lunch, we walked to the Basílica del Voto Nacional, which the largest neo-Gothic basilica in the Americas. Building began in 1892, and I had never seen a church this big before in person. It reminded me of the types of architecture you would find in Spain. We climbed the steps to the top of the spires, where we had magnificent views of the most historic parts of Ecuador. Although we did not visit another famous landmark in Quito, the "Virgen de Quito" statue atop El Panecillo, we had a great view of the hill and the statue atop from the church. You can see the spires and the statue in the picture to the right. I was impressed with the beauty of the architecture in this part of Quito.

Our next stop in this part of the city would be a hostel I had read about online that was supposed to have a great rooftop bar. My dad had warned me that he hadn't experienced a lot of nightlife since he had been in the city, so I wanted to try and find somewhere laid back where we could drink a few beers and maybe meet some other travelers. It took a little exploring to find the appropriately named Secret Garden hostel, we found our way onto the roof and rested our weary feet on the beautiful patio, drinking tall bottles of South American beer. Originally I thought we might just have one or two and head home, but we began getting into convesation with interesting travelers from Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and other interesting places. As the sun set, a fire was started in the pit and dinner was served, so we stayed and watched the historic downtown light up. We shared stories and cigarettes with our new friends, and if I ever find myself in Quito again in the future, I know exactly where I will be staying.

The next morning, we had breakfast and then took a cab to a popular gondola called the Teleferico, which takes visitors up a few thousand feet on the western slopes of Pichincha, an active volcano. We got there early enough to be one of the first people up the mountain, and our early arrival also ensured a clearer view of the city before the inevitable clouds blew in for the typical afternoon rain showers.

From the Teleferico, there are trails you can follow that take you up the rest of the mountain volcano, which dad had ventured up a few times (but never all the way to the top). After about an hour or so of hiking (which is a lot more difficult than it sounds at that altitude - over 10,000 feet) we reached a sketchy part of the trail, which is where my dad had turned around each time he had made it that far when previously hiking up there. We thought about turning back, but earlier on our hike had picked up a solo traveler (ironically enough also from Texas) and when we saw him successfully maneuver the part of the trail to continue on-ward, we decided we too would try to take on the mountain. After that, we caught up with some more hikers (this time from Holland), and we felt a little bit better about continuing up the sometimes treacherous trail. After a couple hours, we made it all the way to the top! At over 14,000 feet, it was definitely a challenging experience, but both dad and I knew we were thankful to have done it. It's not everyday you can say you climbed to the top of a mountain volcano in South America!





Having not been quite properly prepared to be hiking for 6+ hours, we were exhausted (and dehydrated / famished) by the time we got back down the mountain. So after eating, we spent the rest of the day recovering at dad's apartment. We knew we needed to get our rest of the rest of the week.

The next morning, we packed up and caught a bus to another bus station, where we would board a different bus to take us outside of Quito and into the jungle. We were headed to Mindo, Ecuador, known for it's "Cloud Forest." It was a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of Quito, and after an only somewhat terrifying couple of hours on the bus on some windy mountain roads, we arrived in the sleepy tourist town of Mindo. Dad had been here before as well, and had found a great hotel for us to stay in. We checked in, dropped off our bags, and found a restaurant to eat at right on the river which runs through town. We sipped beers, and watched as dozens of hummingbirds fed on the feeders hanging around the patio we were sitting on. We spent a long time here just soaking in the sound of the river, talking with the different travelers, and enjoying the time getting to spend together.  Afterwards, we took advantage of the ping pong table back at our hotel. That night, the owner of our hotel had his band perform for the guests, playing authentic Peruvian and Ecuadorian music including pan flutes, and it felt like we were getting our own SXSW experience all the way down in the Cloud Forest. It was also nice to end the night in a real bed versus the somewhat uncomfortable couch I had been sleeping on back in Quito.

The next morning, we took a taxi down a very wet, muddy, potholed filled mountain road to the "Terabit," which is a cable-car that takes visitors over the top of the Cloud Forest canopy and over to the other side where there are trails you can hike to a bunch of different waterfalls. Despite my fear of heights (and the somewhat sketchy looking cable car that was powered by an old car engine) it was awesome to be gliding across the top of the jungle. We hiked for a few hours to a couple different waterfalls, and I couldn't help but get in the water at one of them (despite some reservations about a certain kind of fish we had heard about on an earlier tour...). It was one of the most green places I have ever seen in person, and was a great way to spend St. Patrick's Day. We were enjoying Mindo so much that we decided to stay an extra night, taking in the live music one more time before departing back to Quito the following morning.

Once back in Quito, I began packing up my stuff since I would be leaving the next day. We spend time in the garden behind my dad's apartment building, enjoying the beautiful view of the mountains. We went to dinner in a nice part of town and had a great meal with some terrific wine, then casually walked through the city back to dad's apartment. We woke up the next morning to go have some breakfast and coffee, and then grabbed a cab back to the airport. A tear-filled hug, and back to America and reality I went. It was absolutely the trip of a lifetime, and I am so grateful I got to spend time with my dad and best friend for my first trip abroad. Dad successfully moved back to Texas, and I am so proud of him for taking the leap to do something he had always wanted to do which was live abroad. He truly is the most interesting man in the world. I hope we can both look back at this post and relive such a wonderful trip, and I hope we get to take another one somewhere like this again sometime soon! Thanks for reading, Cheers!





-JC