I like walking, as anyone who has ever vacationed with me can attest to. I particularly enjoy walking in cities. It really is the best way to get to know a city, looking and listening to learn its ins and outs. Walking a city lets you practice pensive observation, which is a skill I think more of us could use in this day and age. You learn to feel each neighbourhood, and you’ll often discover places you’d never find if you went out looking for them. Places you have to stumble upon.
I’ve travelled quite a bit for work even just in the few years since I left school, but it’s given me the opportunity to walk a lot of cities. And that means a lot of time to observe, think, and reflect. I think it’s about time I start to write some of these reflections down. More than anything, I hope writing will give me the opportunity to remember, edit, and clarify things I’ve been gnawing on in the back of my mind as I walk.
I’ve also been a guarded person. I typically keep my shields up, even to those close to me. If you’re someone who knows me personally, this might resonate with you. But the reality is, I’m a social creature like any other and I do crave connection. In part, I hope sharing what’s going on in my mind might help create those connections. Maybe it will be a good way to start to let people in, just a little bit. Much of what I plan to write about I have no substantial education in. What I have thought and what I will try to get across comes not necessarily from a place of learned experience but from empathy and logic. Trying to see the world from someone else’s shoes and connect to dots, so to speak.
I realize that I’m being unnecessarily aloof – the fact of the matter is I’m starting this blog to put on paper things that I’ve spent a fair bit of time thinking about, in the hopes that it might help me connect better with the people I care about and the people around me. With that in mind, here’s what you’ll find on this site:
- My thoughts on cities, urbanization, and development
- Notes about my favourite spots in some of the cities I know best
- Observations, commentary, and fleeting thoughts that pass through my head that I don’t want to forget
Mostly I’ll be writing for myself, more out of practicality than anything since I don’t currently have anyone else to write for. But maybe the next time you’re looking for the best way to spend a Saturday morning in San Francisco, or you want to read what I think about urban mobility, you’ll think of this site and find something that helps you get to know me a little bit better.