à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Travel
Wallet Analysis: Part II
Before I left for the Camino, I went to my bank’s main branch to exchange some dollars for euros so I’d have local currency upon arrival. At this Wells Fargo location, employees act as ushers and, with a huge smile, escort you to the proper line as if you were a celebrity or a member … Continue reading
What Does Your Wallet Say About You?
Around ten years ago, at a networking event for life coaches and those curious about the field, the facilitator asked us to exchange wallets with a partner. Then he instructed us to, after a brief inspection, share our intuitions and insights about each other. Whether the wallet was the finest grosgrain leather, a synthetic knockoff … Continue reading
Taking Stock at the Stock Show
For a few weeks every January, the Denver Coliseum hosts the National Western Stock Show, a celebration of livestock and the men, women and children who tend them. When I first moved here, the event sparked both curiosity and aversion. Having never been to a stock show, I wondered what it was all about. At … Continue reading
Born Again. Die Again. Repeat.
The Camino offered opportunities to experience the full arc of a day, a subtle but profound satisfaction I’ve been missing. When I began the pilgrimage in early October, the sun didn’t rise until after 8 a.m. That it was still dark so “late” was, at first, disconcerting but it meant I was already moving when … Continue reading
Can I Talk My Walk?
In our talkative culture, there appear to be many people who repeatedly say they are going to do something, or frequently verbalize frustration with a situation, yet who don’t translate their words into action. Their well-meaning (or fed up) friends might prod them to “walk their talk” rather than continue harping about whatever it is. … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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