China is about to sneeze :)

February26

It is going to be interesting to find out what happens when China & Asia hit a bump while Europe is hitting a bump, and the USA is doing “ok” (sneeze is a reference to this article). Fun times!

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Valencia Spain!

February24

I am in love with Valencia, what a cool town with great weather and people :). Below are some pictures from our first week here, a lot of walks, the zoo (the BEST zoo I’ve yet to see), and some other lovely spots.

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Home is where…

February16

I was a nomad for a really long time and it did not bother me to not have much of a “home”. When I was renting rooms or apartments I slept on a mattress on the floor, kept things pretty minimal, and never felt a desire for much more. As I got older I got some cheap legs for my bed so people wouldn’t make fun of me… but I never felt a big desire to create a “home”.

In 2014 something changed and I didn’t feel weird about buying pots and pans and more than one spoon. It was a good change. It was after a few years of traveling and moving around a lot and I guess I was at a point in my life that I was ready for a “home”.

Fast forward to today, I’ve got a family (which is 90% of my home), but we also bought a house in Boulder, and along with Mrs. Fox, we have turned it into a real home that I love. I have a really comfy Wave mattress on my bed, I’ve got a veggie steamer that works great, pots and pans that make it easy for me to stay on my diet, I’ve got a big comfy bean bag to read in, I’ve got a comfy couch to watch movies in, I’ve got an indoor bike setup I love, a mountain bike so I can jump on trails, and so on. And, when we come back from long trips I am filled with pleasure to be “home” which is a feeling I’ve never really had before.

We are on a 3 month trip to Malta & Spain and after a few nights at an AirBNB with a really shitty bed/mattress, I started thinking about the tension I have between enjoying comfort but fearing the weakness it causes. I’ve got a strong belief that hardship creates meaning in life. So, what have I been thinking about?

As I get older it seems like I enjoy having a comfortable mattress more, is that a weakness? And, if so how much should I fight it? I used to sleep on hotel floors under tables at ultimate tournaments, and now I sleep in a bed every night. What impact does this have on my well being?

I miss my vegetable steamer, that seems like a stupid annoyance, am I making my home too easy and what impact does it have on my psychology and passion for life if things continue to get easier and easier at “home” as I get older?

These might sound silly but they really bug me. I worry a lot about how easy everyone wants to make life and how that seems to drain the pleasure & meaning from it. Don’t like vacuuming? Have a robot that does it for you 24/7. Don’t want to wash your own dishes? No worries, get a machine to do it and buy way more dishes then you need. Don’t like missing TV when you are pooping? Put TVs in every room of your house. Don’t like cooking? Have a service send you ingredients for 5x the price. Don’t like cleaning? Hire someone to do all of it. Weird kitchen machine that does x just 10 seconds faster but only has a single purpose? Buy it even though you make that thing only 2x a year.

I don’t think making something easier is bad, but I think it needs to be done selectively. If you don’t like cleaning toilets outsourcing it is great, but I think it could be bad for my life if I start outsourcing all hardship. It just seems like the entire USA tries to outsource anything that requires a little hardship as an ideal.

Anyway…

I’ve decided a comfy bed is important, sleep is crucial :). That said I also think it is great to go sleep on the ground, or in the back of a truck, or a bad Airbnb bed for a time. It is nice to remind yourself the other way isn’t so hard, and you value the enormity of what you do have.

On the rest of the stuff, I am going to cut myself some slack as I can be hard on myself. I just don’t want to end up one of those people who doesn’t travel because they fear a less comfortable environment. The idea scares me. I’d like to be 75 years old and sleeping in a seat on a rickety old train in Russia and enjoying life. Or the same goes for going camping with just the basics and not bringing all the comfort of home with you.

And, I am going to try to stay aware of my home and being careful to draw a line between comfort and superfluous comfort. As well as big questions like do we need a TV, can I go a month without hot water, or y, or z. Such a weird 1st world problem, but one that seems intrinsically linked to basic human happiness and fulfillment.

posted under Family & Marriage, Life Planning & Execution | Comments Off on Home is where…

Malta Agriculture Tour

February11

Lindsey treated me to a fantastic birthday present! She took me on an agri/food tour in Malta while we are here, great time! Calico loved the animals.

And, a few more from exploring more of Malta :). This is our favorite Gelato place in the world too, they had one on our trip to France a few years back.

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This is bwb’s personal blog, so he can share his thoughts with the world, however scary or silly they might be. Plus family and friends can track what I am up to, and where I am in the world.

I am pretty simple. I love Mangos. I love the ocean (although mostly at sunset, as I’m a ginger). I love to travel, eat exotic food, do long bike rides, read, and use my imagination. At some point, I decided it was better to be a pirate captain than an admiral. I am a globalist and see the entire world as my responsibility and playground. And I am married to an amazing woman who makes life even more fun :)! And we are now the proud parents of Calico Jack :).


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