These are my Momentos, short personal diary entries I write daily – since 2013 – and publish monthly. Some links are affiliate links.
1
Let’s call this game Everyday Miracles. Look around and pick some everyday item nearby. Then consider the story of that item, all the thought and effort and technology that had to happen for it to end up in front of you. Everything is amazing when you think of it this way.
2
Did my morning routine, mixed up a nice smoothie, now sitting down to check out the latest NBA highlights. But before I can do that, she says something that turns my world upside down. Cue the rest of the day researching and messaging, figuring out an alternative future.
3
Haven’t been able to work much the past few months. Thought I’d be back at it strong here in Tbilisi but that hasn’t been the case. Other areas of life demanding attention. Thankful for all the work I’ve done in years past, keeps the income flowing when I’m barely working.
4
We were in Bali when the pandemic began to hit, didn’t have much money back then, which added to the stress. We’re now in Tbilisi as Russia invades Ukraine. It’s another big stressful world-changing event. But this time money isn’t such a problem. We have more options.
5
Trying not to take things for granted as we come out of this pandemic. Noticed going into the supermarket today that they’ve removed the body temperature thing from the entrance. At some point we’ll no longer need to wear masks in there.
6
I used to believe Putin was super-smart, thinking 3 moves ahead of everyone. But hard to see how the Ukraine invasion is anything but a massive mistake. Many in Russia love him because he’s improved their lives so much the past 20 years. Now he’s fast undoing it all.
7
If you have Google Search history turned on, it acts as a kind of creepy diary, keeping track of what you were thinking about. Some of my searches from today…
- chebureki
- pink hair rollerblades movie
- pelicans announcers
- how far away from nuclear power plant is safe
- distance from tbilisi to ukraine
- time in lisbon
- the batman
- Robert Pattinson
8
Still sluggish despite pretty good sleep and little work lately. Probably the biggest thing draining me is uncertainty about the future. Thought we had our plan all figured out. But now it’s looking quite different. And even this new plan is full of question marks.
9
A friend is donating money to aid workers in Yemen. He figures Ukraine is getting all the headlines and thus all the donations but there are people suffering similarly horrible things in places like Yemen, Syria and Palestine. We just don’t hear much about them.
10
Heard said that Chinese people tend to ask questions and listen, whereas Americans are eager to tell you what they think. I’m more American in that sense. I know little about politics or economics or history, but here I am, unprompted, telling a friend how I think the Russia/Ukraine situation will shake out.
11
Imagine being born into a shit country with a bad passport. What a massive handicap. You can’t just opt out and move to a better country easily, unless you have some extreme natural talent that’s highly valued elsewhere. I lucked out big time being born Irish forty years ago.
12
Trying to decide where to move next. Thought we had it figured out but Putin’s madness got us rethinking. With a decision like this, we’re ultimately trying to predict the future, which is tough at the best of times. But I think we’ve landed on the best option for us, given the information we have.
13
Trying to give myself at least one moment of cozy presence each day. This morning it was standing at the window with a mug of coffee, watching the snow fall. Other days it’s lingering for a minute in a warm shower. Or putting on the big headphones and getting lost in an old song.
14
I’ve gotten better at saying no over the years. With this guy today, I had to say no twice. First to hang out, then to be his mentor. Since he’d just done me a small favor, there was some pressure to reciprocate, but good chance I would have ended up resentful had I said yes.
15
The last day of my 30’s. This decade began in a desert outside of Dubai, watching a belly dancer and sharing laughs with some random Chinese guys. It ends in Tbilisi with little fanfare, as I close the chapter content with the girl of my dreams and many a fond memory.
16
It’s sad in a way, a big birthday and I’m treating it much like any other day. But the main thing I want to do right now is work on things that will bring me closer to my goals. Pushing myself to do “something special” wouldn’t actually be as satisfying. I’ll save the celebration for later.
17
Monthly DC meetup. It’s a good community, always meet some interesting people. One guy here has cycled across Canada, now planning to swim the English Channel. Another tells about the time he met Simon Cowell. A third has put on 13 kilos of muscle in 2 years.
18
Changing up my morning routine. Used to stretch and exercise right out of bed, but I’m sharpest mentally first thing in the morning, so probably better to use that time for deep work. Saving the exercise for the afternoon, might help pull me out of the usual lull around then.
19
You have an 83% chance of “winning” on any one spin of Russian Roulette. The odds are heavily in your favor, but the consequences of losing are so severe that it’s a stupid chance to take. Reminding myself of this as I head across town in the snow to meet a man from Chile.
20
I like old movies and old music. Been looping a 1957 song and today watched a blockbuster from 1935. It’s the simplicity that appeals to me; feels like the world was less complex and made more sense back then. That’s almost certainly an illusion, but an enjoyable one.
21
Maybe there’s a conspiracy theory gene. Because usually someone doesn’t just believe in one or two conspiracy theories; they believe in tons of them. Rare to meet someone who tells you, “Most conspiracy theories are batshit crazy to me, but this particular one…”
22
Ted Turner writes in his autobiography that he became the largest individual landowner in the United States, with over 2 million acres to his name, much of it ranch land in places like Montana and Nebraska. That’s almost as much land as the entire island of Ireland.
23
Pretty much everything taken to the extreme is bad. Don’t plan ahead = bad. Plan ahead too much = also bad. I’m usually towards the latter end of the spectrum, trying to find solutions for problems I don’t have yet, and in all probability won’t ever have.
24
A friend reckons our site will be tough to compete with if we keep on collecting these student reviews. Hopefully so. We went this route because it’s different to what our competitors are doing. I like to think it’s also a better approach. But time will tell.
25
Up in some white woods in a cozy cabin, watching a 1984 Soviet romcom, a big hit at the time. An amateur pigeon breeder goes on holiday, has an affair, abandons his wife and three kids. When he tries to win them back, the son goes to kill him with an axe. Charming.
26
I started writing these Momentos 3,314 days ago, and haven’t missed a day since. I wonder if I’ll quit at some point, or if this is a lifetime habit now and only death can stop me. It’s nice to look back through them every now and then. 9 years ago today I was on a date in Bangkok. 5 years ago I was taking a nap at BCN.
27
I’ve learned not to judge a day too quickly. Got off to a sluggish start today, but held out hope that I’d come around. It ended up being a mighty day on many levels. Checked off some nice boxes for health, wealth and relationships.
28
Amazing that so much important shit is happening in the world, and yet all anyone can think about today – myself included – is one celebrity slapping another at a fancy awards ceremony. But methinks we needed some silly overblown celeb shit to obsess about, give our minds a break from wars and pandemics.
29
Jim Harmer’s advice: don’t aim to be a success story; instead aim to be a resiliency story. Because success ebbs and flows, and if you hang your identity on that, you’ll get really down on yourself when the tide goes out. Your success isn’t entirely up to you, but your resiliency is.
30
Fantasizing about creating a course called, How To Figure Shit Out For Yourself. People email me with questions or complaints that a quick google search would remedy. Or five minutes of thoughtful browsing. They must not be aware of these options, right? What other explanation is there?
31
Watching another old movie, this one also starring Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone. They were massive stars back then, about as famous as you could get. And now, less than a century later, few people know their names or their work; all their lofty achievements, already largely forgotten.