Decisions

How to determine how much money you need to travel

  Warning: this post contains math. I want to expand on a point I made last time about reasons people don’t travel: namely not having enough money. I’ve been having an ongoing conversation where I’m trying to convince someone to … Read MoreRead More

You are more than what you do

  “I’m a musician.” I used to define myself that way. When people asked what I “did,” and if the context wasn’t obviously asking about my day job, that’s how I would respond. Music was such an integral part of … Read MoreRead More

How to book an award ticket in 785 easy steps

  In my last post I talked about how adventure shouldn’t be postponed. To this end, I decided to redeem some of my frequent flyer miles for the first time ever. … Read More

Don’t let your adventures expire

  I’ve been collecting frequent flyer miles for over a decade, when I bought one of my first plane tickets on US Airways and absentmindedly signed up for their Dividend Miles program. At the time, it didn’t seem possible that … Read MoreRead More

How credit cards are like alcohol

  Alcohol is dangerous; would anyone disagree? For me, while it’s something I’ve used from time to time, it’s never been something that I’ve felt like I had a problem with. I don’t have to keep going when I start. … Read MoreRead More

Be comfortable making mistakes

  My step-brother-in-law is a pretty impressive guy. I don’t know him all that well (not that surprising given our slightly convoluted connection) but every time we meet up I hear about some interesting and complex project that he’s working … Read MoreRead More

Change your personal narrative

  I was that kid in gym class that never got picked for anything. When they absolutely had to pick everyone for some event, I would be almost dead last, my mortification saved only by a few kids seemingly even … Read MoreRead More

Lessons from a burning building

A parable about change and what it takes to be able to make it happen, from the perspective of the ledge of a building. Have you ever wondered how someone could jump off the ledge of a building that’s on … Read MoreRead More

Your electronics buying guide

  My MP3 player died recently. It died a valiant death after a good seven years of use. Actually, it was closer to a decade, since I bought it used. And while I was sad, I can’t say that I … Read MoreRead More

How to use induced demand to your advantage

  In my last post I talked about induced demand, the counter-intuitive idea that when there is a greater supply of a resource, more of it is used.  I see this most often in discussion of transportation issues, where people … Read MoreRead More