Niall Doherty 1 A little before 8am at Hotel Casa 400. I’m laying in bed, she’s in the bathroom, getting ready for the day. She’s listening to some comedy show on her phone, in a language I don’t understand. And she’s laughing. I love that laugh. I love when she’s happy. She deserves to be happy. I’m …
1 We’re standing around chatting under a tarp, alongside a truck that’s been around Africa, when Savannah’s voice asks if we’d like to hold the snake. Sure enough, when we turn, there she is wielding a copper-colored creature that must be five feet long. And the answer is yes. 2 Keeping an eye on them …
1 A year since I arrived in Amsterdam. Things haven’t worked out how I envisioned – haven’t reached my financial goals and I’ll be leaving soon – but I can’t be mad. It’s been a good year. Lived in a nice apartment in my favorite city, befriended some great people, and spent most of my …
1 Feeling a bit stuck with the apartment situation here in Amsterdam. Subletting is illegal, so I can’t do the AirBnB thing when I’m out of town and earn €80-100 a night. I could give up the apartment, hit the road for a month, then try rent anew when I return, but I doubt I’d …
1 Sometimes I flash back to my life nomadic. This morning the hum of a passing fly returned me to a sun-drenched road in the north of Spain with my thumb out, a golden field behind me, unknown adventures ahead. Sometimes a scene will come to mind and it’ll take me a minute to place it. …
1 Working on my latest finance report. Things are getting more complex lately with VAT and bills and taxes. The price of staying in one place. I’m cutting it quite close money-wise, don’t have much of a buffer, little room for error. But I’ll make it work, figure something out. I’m good at that. 2 …
1 Monday, fast day, no grub, plenty of work. Kinda scattered at the mo. It’s a weird week with the course launched and waiting to see how many sign up. Had to get out and walk for a while this eve to clear the head, down old streets past uncurtained living rooms underneath a Rembrandt …
1 Speaks to me a little different every year. This line stood out watching it tonight: “Plenty of time you’ll be alone. When you’re different like us, it’s gonna be that way.” No tears this time around, maybe because I wasn’t actually watching alone. But after everyone left, I sat myself down and had a …
1 The best thing about spending the winter is in Amsterdam is being in Amsterdam. The city remains magical, just a bit colder and less leaves on the trees. Cycling around this evening the sky was all lit up pink and orange and reflected in old canal-side windows. I passed a girl walking and smiling …
1 Reading words from Malcolm X. He writes about that deep-rooted racism he grew up with, whites looking at him like he was a pet rather than a human being. They weren’t bad people necessarily; they just didn’t realize how fucked up their beliefs were. Makes me wonder: what fucked up beliefs of my own am …