Ten days from now I’m on a plane to Slovenia. Landing in Ljubljana, two days to orient, then the bike ride starts. The route is a 640km loop through Slovenia with a Croatian coast detour. Julian Alps (Bohinj, Bled, the Vršič Pass at 1611m), the Soča Valley, Goriška Brda wine country, down to Opatija on the Istrian coast, back up through the Gorski Kotar forest, the Kolpa River valley, and finally back to Ljubljana. About 10,280 meters of climbing over nine riding days with one rest day on the coast. ...
There has been a sickness going around my kids’ school lately, and I’m not talking about the stomach bug making the rounds. Among the parents, there’s been an outbreak of dramatic screen time cutbacks. For the uninitiated, “screen time” in our circle means individual time spent on a personal device: an iPad, a laptop, a Nintendo Switch, a phone. Family movie night or watching live sports together seems to be universally exempt. And, notably, parents themselves are not typically subject to the same limits. A few families in our friend group have gone even further and banned devices outright until summer. ...
This was over a year ago, but it was a fun experiment to understand what I need for a week-long trip to the city without sacrificing much comfort. It ended up being a “zero bag” adventure—traveling without a traditional bag, though some folks consider a personal item like a purse, fanny pack, or sling as an allowance. With only jacket and pant pockets serving as my storage, I found myself relying heavily on the pockets of my clothing for everything from my phone to my wallet. ...
I like to establish minimalist routines where I can and there is one routine I am surprised I haven’t grown tired of. I eat cold-soaked oatmeal pretty much every day. Working from home, lunch is where I am on my own. I microwave it when I am home, but with slight modifications it is the same that I bring with me on adventures and just cold-soak ahead of mealtime. There are exceptions for certain busy days where I forget to prep or lunch dates out with Abby or friends, but otherwise it has largely been the same cold-soaked oatmeal for over six years now, and I’m not even close to getting tired of it. Based on ingredient availability, the recipe has varied a bit. I’ve been doing this for so long because it is simple, nutritious, and incredibly satisfying. It originated from when I did a lot of bicycle touring and camping where I preferred stoveless setups. It simplified my pack and gave me what I needed to keep going. ...
I recently had the fortune of going to Switzerland to visit with my friend in and around Bern. Using my friend’s place as a home base, we did several bike loops out of Bern, including a few train assisted sections and an overnight trip. There was also several miles of hiking and one day of kayaking down the river Aare. The weather was near perfect (end of May, beginning of June) and my friend was able to double as my translator and the itinerary was light on the touristy sightseeing. On my way back home through Chicago, my wife and kids picked me up and we spent a night downtown near the loop where we introduced the kids to the city before heading home. ...