Every December I spend a few days reflecting on the year behind me and planning the year ahead. I think of myself as a compass, and my plan as a map. I chart my course and take myself where I want to go.

This is the easiest bread ever.

Reflections on my mom’s death from ALS and what it means to love and let go.

I played this every morning when I got my mom up and ready for the day. I think it would be good for anyone facing death, loss, or change.

In the year my mom was sick I read a lot of books about death, grief, and loss. These were my three favorites.

My mom passed away on Sunday, October 12, at age 71. She lived a brave, humble, and extraordinary life. After a year with ALS, her body is at rest and her soul is free. I will miss her forever. This is the information about her burial and Celebration of Life.

Nature is a wild mystery; I’ve also come to experience it as a complex, emotional, and benevolent energy. People are iterations of this same energy.

How to stay warm when the weather is cool.

I’ve biked and hiked thousands of miles with a tiny twig stove. I love cooking on fire!

I’ve lived in the yard long enough for the seasons to change. Also, opossums learned to wash my dishes.

My mom got sick this year. In April I drove to my parents’ house, set up my tent in the backyard, and started caring for her full time.

I spent a year house-sitting across the US. This is how the adventure unfolded.

Empathy is a great skill for building friendships; it's also a powerful tool for deescalating aggression and exiting dicey situations.

One of the best parts of any long bike trip is getting to meet all the animals. Usually these animals love us because they want to eat us. But every now and then, they really just want to be friends and snuggle. (Or at least that’s what I tell myself when I’m being chased.)

This is my gear list for an April trip on singletrack, gravel, and pavement in western Michigan.

A reflection and a challenge.

My complete gear list and route description.

In 2018 I pedaled 3700 miles around eastern Canada and the US, in search of the wild reindeer. “When hope is lost, you can create it. Life is too short to let anyone else own your truth. And you can break and still be unbreakable.”

Live-culture, raw, vegan, and superbly delicious.

When life gives you lemons, the adventure begins.