2017

You notice a lot more people just hanging out in these small towns. They sit on doorsteps for hours, chatting and watching the world go by. The locals I’m talking about, not the tourists. The shopkeepers and the fishermen and the other townspeople. They all know each other, they all talk to each other.

I’m saying it’s fine to do things free for clients, but they should know you’re doing those things. Don’t keep quiet and hope they notice. Same applies to relationships. If you do something nice that goes unnoticed, make it known. And don’t keep doing things that aren’t appreciated. Otherwise you end up resentful. She’s surprised I know this.

Back on track with an epic work day. Up before six this morning, got some graft in before heading to the beach to get the body moving. Then spent almost seven hours editing a video, wrapped around a nap. Now it’s after ten and I’m winding down for the day, emptying inboxes and filling out spreadsheets.

Looking at an attractions map of Tenerife. Dozens of dive sites around the island (including three shipwrecks), scores of beaches, endless hiking trails, plus all those caves and cliffs and pueblos to visit… you could spend a couple of years here and do something different every week and still not say you’ve seen it all.

I have five pairs of footwear, and it takes me a minute to remember where they all came from. Runners bought in New Orleans. Brown shoes bought in Mexico. Black shoes bought in Amsterdam. Grey sneakers bought in Estonia. Flip-flops bought in Colombia. I think that’s right. Don’t ask about my underwear.

On my way back from training, did an hour of boxing today. Got some Dire Straits in my ears as I ride the scooter down streets lined with pagodas and memories. That stadium over there, a pink hotel on the corner, that little music spot by the moat… can’t help but smile thinking back. Life’s been good to me.

It’s easy enough to delete a shitty comment, or walk away from someone disrespectful. But can you stop thinking about them after they’re gone? That’s the hard part, evicting them from your head, rather than let them live there and wreck the place, rent free. I think it was Jodie Foster who said, “In the end, winning is sleeping better.”

What this peninsula lacks in internet and infrastructure and decent restaurants and toilet facilities, it makes up for with spectacular views. Hired a guide and spent a few hours hiking through a park here today, lush greens and volcanic rock formations falling into a black sea, namesakes of the devil but good for the soul.

Driving back from Cork, about midnight now and barely a car on the road, singing aloud to Muse and Frank Sinatra to stay awake. Almost forty people showed up for my talk this eve, had to change venue last minute to accommodate them all. They seemed engaged, interested, stayed for the duration. More of this is in order.

Found a nice little place by a rocky beach with white umbrellas and a comfy love seat. We cuddle up there and watch the waves meet the shore and the sun meet the sea and stay until her glass is empty and my heart is full and Venus and Orion have come shining in the sky.

Last time I bought a laptop was four years back, when I was living in Bangkok. That little MacBook Air has served me well, connected me to the world and earned me a good living, through a couple dozen countries and across two oceans. Now I’m buying a new machine in Tenerife. Where will I be next time round?

One of the downsides of working for yourself: you have to make all the decisions. Okay, so that can be a positive too, but on days like this, when I’m feeling sick and burnt out, I just want to crawl into bed and shut out the world and not have to decide everything myself.