earth on foot 23
21 October 2025
The wind has arrived in earnest today. After a few sunny, warm days in NYC, the Baltimore temperature has dropped. Several people in my immediate orbit are under the weather—one presently “at one with the comforter” and on her second pot of tea. Two days from now, we have a flight to Geneva, and it seems Oliver the cat may want to come along. From there, we’ll head to Switzerland’s Lago Maggiore, one of my favorite places in the world.
I’m still smiling from our recent trip visiting family and friends in the city—the beauty of Madison Square Park, Larry Bell’s light cubes and their color play. But it’s time to get serious and crack open the passport once again. Enough of this dilly- dallying stateside.
But first, here in fair Charm City, south of the Mason-Dixon line—the southernmost northern state—in an amiable town known as “the city that reads” (coined in a hopeful, image-shifting attempt by former mayor Kurt Schmoke):
I spy a copy of Elizabeth Gilbert’s new book, All the Way to the River, on the shelf of Bird in Hand café, where I imbibe coffee amongst laptops and Hopkins students. I’ve seen snippets of interviews with the self-described “Eat, Pray, Love lady” and been reminded of my acupuncture teacher Bob Duggan’s words: “It’s not about conquering addiction. It’s about managing to find healthier and healthier addictions.”
A reframing I appreciated then and remember today as I take care of my teeth.
Meanwhile, examining the breezes and deciding whether to run—getting out in a chill wind is the hardest for me—I abandon the pursuit in favor of the Peloton. Exercise, one of my “cultivated addictions” (one I know I’ll be happy about after the fact, even if I’d really much rather be reading a book), sometimes comes with negotiations.
See you in Geneva!
Time has come!
