Hi, it’s been a while…

If you’re getting this email, then you are 1 of about 500 people who have expressed interest in getting emails from me over the last few years.

Some of you wanted to learn about coffee in Brazil, while others wanted to hear more about my travels and have a conversation around my random thoughts about life. Whatever the reason, I’m glad you’re here. Truly.

It’s been a while since I’ve regularly sent emails or published content on my website. I miss writing here.

Documenting and sharing my experiences give me more of a purpose and sense of presence while I go out and experience new things. They make it more real, instead of having that experience solely live in my head.

I value the conversations that I get to have with you, and I hope I’ve been able to share some food for thought in my past emails.

Over a few months now, I’ve felt the need to realign my travels and give them more purpose. It turns out that living in a van can be pretty isolating sometimes. The chance happenings and unknown experiences that happen when you backpack or travel by bike and have to rely on others don’t seem to be happening as much.

I miss the spontaneity, the absurd stories, the true novelty.

Novelty, learning, and beauty are three values that I hold dear to my heart. Since I first left the USA to travel to Italy during my sophomore year of high school, I learned that these things present themselves best when I go off to explore the unknown… when I’m unable to imagine all of the amazing things that I will get to witness.

Long story long, I’ve decided to revamp my website and the life of this email list to get the inspiration going again.

I want to spend more time writing, sharing, and (hopefully) having meaningful conversations with you. So I’m upgrading my outdated website and clunky tech stack to focus more on these things. (That’s why this email may look different than normal)

Soon, I will start sending a weekly or bi-weekly email newsletter about a hodgepodge of things: travel, life, philosophy, documenting new challenges, and whatever other stuff I have on my mind that I think others might find interesting.

The idea is simply to write and share more.

Stoked to have you here.

Talk soon,
Alex 🙃

[sent from my van on the border of Mexico and Guatemala, waiting to continue south]