Almost exactly three years ago, I posted a piece called “A Tale of Two Cultures”. This week I revisit a tale of two cultures in the same country updating it to bring us to 2019. Enjoy! Dear readers —
Last Saturday, we wrapped up a few weeks of travelogue. The recent survey split evenly asking for travel, more Days of Lead and sea stories, so I will try to mix it up. I am compiling some sea stories, and I have written a short story featuring a character from Book 2 of the series that began with Days of Lead.
Do you like this idea? I will leave the poll open, to see if your preferences move in one direction or another. Thank you for your input.
Rolling out the east gate of Camp LeJeune, I left the quiet, smooth roads of the Marine Corps Base and found myself dodging potholes and pickup trucks on Bear Creek Road. At the same time, I was looking forward to riding the 56 km to Emerald Isle, the barrier island at the south end of what most people consider the Outer Banks. Nothing could spoil my mood. Continue reading
Thursday morning, the 14th, dawned sunny and pleasant. After breakfast, I walked my bike down the cobblestones to River Street and boarded the ferry to Hutchinson Island. Crossing the island on local roads took me easily to US 17 where it crossed the Little Back River across dropping most of its traffic in Savannah. Continue reading
Saturday, the 10th of February. The big Naval Submarine Base at King’s Bay Georgia, custom-built for the Polaris submarine fleet, looked more like a golf course than a Navy facility: acres of manicured grass, isolated buildings spread far apart and signs at every corner, because each destination was out of sight. I checked into the Navy Gateway Inn, showered and hung my laundry in the shower Continue reading
To my surprise, three choices have tied for the the lead in the reader poll:
There may be more responses coming in, which might break the tie. Meanwhile the trip resumes, not in the middle of the year, but back in January. I have saved this travel report while Days of Lead ran its course. It’s not fair to interrupt a serial novel. Continue reading
While the results come in from last week’s survey, I am pleased to host a guest post by Maeva Cifuentes, a freelancer from California, Barcelona, and places in between. Maeva contributed this post to the Freelancer Union blog, and graciously consented to my linking it here.
https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2019/05/13/what-freelancers-can-learn-from-entrepreneurs/
Enjoy!
And here’s the link direct to Maeva’s blog: https://maevaeverywhere.com/freelancers-personal-brand/
Next week, the results of the survey and the first post in the new series.
Smooth roads & tailwinds,
Jonathan
Dear follower friends —
Today is 25 December, which many know as Christmas, but which has a long history among humans as a time to celebrate: Saturnalia, the Winter Solstice, and when the lunar and solar calendars align: Hanukkah, Eid-el-Fitr, and the birth of the Prophet. I, for one, was very happy to see the Winter Solstice come and go, with its dramatic full moon, but also bringing in longer days and shorter nights, even if only a few minutes at a time.
It is good to give thanks and to appreciate our friends and one another. So please accept my heartfelt thanks for your loyalty as readers and my best wishes for every happiness in the year to come.
Smooth roads and tailwinds,
Jonathan
He was riding his bicycle. That was about the only good thing about the scene right now. The slick, coastal road wound up and around the promontories, so that the wind and rain was as often in his face as blowing him sideways. The cold rain ran off his Arc’teryx rain jacket, soaking his crotch and running down his legs. He pedaled on, one stroke after the other. Continue reading
This week, I would like to share a guest post from Dan and Erika, a very smart couple who have just started out living on the road together. They are fast learners. In this post, they deal with the challenge of spending day in and day out with the same person. That has ups and downs, and they have excellent suggestions for the downs. Enjoy!
The Freewheeling Freelancer 