à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Travel
The Power of Nature
I’m still thinking about the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, about 250 miles southwest of Denver, which I visited by accident a few weeks ago. Although I’m an avid hiker, I don’t frequent this type of park, and it was heartening to see who else was there. I chatted briefly with an Orthodox Jewish man … Continue reading
More on Last-Minute-Itis
Two posts ago I wrote about how, in waiting until the last minute to make lodging arrangements for a conference (The Wake Up Festival), I stumbled upon a solution to what, until then, had been a conundrum: finding affordable accommodation that did not involve multiple roommates. Pleased to be renting a room in a private … Continue reading
Lessons from a Road Trip
On Monday morning, I hit the road. Meticulous planners will be horrified to learn that I made the decision just days before (maybe they are shaking their heads and clucking their tongues at this clinically extreme case of Last-Minute-Itis). And that is exactly why I needed to take off, to give my inner perfectionist the … Continue reading
In Defense of Last-Minute-itis
There are people who plan vacations months in advance, down to the hotels they will stay in each night and the clothing they will bring. There are people who reserve a table at a restaurant weeks ahead and who book their next hair appointment while at the salon. And many people fill their social, cultural … Continue reading
Violence is here, and it is us
More than 20 years ago, when I lived in Budapest, a ringing telephone woke me one morning and I stumbled across the room to answer. Disoriented and groggy, I lifted the receiver and through the crackling line heard my mother’s voice. She told me that one of my high school classmates and childhood friend had … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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