BERJAYA

I’ve had a lot of adventures, big and small. Here are some of the biggest adventures and, in my humble opinion, the best reads. Enjoy!

August 2024 – Iceland Is
A magical family vacation to the geologic theme park that is Iceland leads to some deep thinking about whether it’s the journey or the destination. Spoiler alert: it’s both.

December 2023 – Bohemian Rhapsody (Prague and Vienna)
Why not Prague? Why not spend a long week exploring something a little bit outside everyone’s comfort zone? The longer answer would involve castles, cathedrals, the Holy Roman Empire, great food, great music, and a “cozy” time exploring Central Europe.

July 2022 – Changing the Rules (or how I stopped worrying and quit ultrarunning)
Turning 50 changes you, and not always for the worse. I signed up for a big stupid race to celebrate and it turned into a even more of a journey of self-discovery than for a stupid long run.

January 2019 – It’s Okay to Change Your Mind
Changing careers in your 40s is hard. Like really hard. But staying put in an unhappy situation forever is worse. My thoughts and advice on the eve of jumping from the academic ship.

May/June 2017 – The Things We Do For Scienceand
See the World on Less Than 3 Hours of Sleep a Day!
Chasing astronomy in South Africa. Having adventures regardless. Not getting eaten by baboons.

June 2015 – Momentum: 100 miles in the Bighorn Mountains and Other Places The Bighorn Wild and Scenic Trail Run – My first (only?) hundred mile ultramarathon. New physical, mental, and emotional spaces can be yours for the low low price of a mid-life crisis!

October 2010 – The Italian Job – Exploring the Dolomites and Venice. Once again, I leveraged a work trip (to Venice) to tack on a few days of exploration in what must be one of the most spectacular places in the world. Hiking, gondolas, via ferratta, and Americans Abroad.

August 2010 – Rocky Mountain Super-traverse – As the only trail runner in the area not running either Pikes or Leadville, it was my obligation, nay, sacred duty to get out and do something big and stupid in solidarity with my trail-running brethren and sisteren. 36 hard miles and 12 peaks later…

March 2010 – Going Big on the Big Island – Four days of exploration tacked onto the end of a work trip to Hawai’i. Beaches, volcanoes, waterfalls, spiders, and serendipity.

July 2009 – Terra Incognita, the Pawnee-Buchanan Loop – An utter classic loop in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. 26 miles, two huge climbs, and billions of wildflowers all with one of the gurus of trail running.

April 2009 – An Insider’s Tour of Kennedy Space Center – Up close and personal with multiple space shuttles and lots of other very expensive, very amazing things. Also gators and weird birds. I didn’t touch any of it! I swear! (Though I easily could have.)

April 2008 – Playing the Slots – My sink-or-swim introduction to canyoneering. A pair of warm-up canyons in the San Rafael Swell, a long long drive, then the main event: a through-trip of Buckskin Gulch and Pariah River, one of the most incredible places I’ve ever seen.

May 2007 – To Hell and Back – Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim. “The longest run I’ve ever done in my life is less than 20 miles. How hard can 50 be?” Hilarity and hallucinations ensue.

August 2006 – Pike’s Peak Ascent – My first experience with racing up mountains. Not my last.

June 2005 – Afloat in the Bowels of the World – Green River, Utah. Raised on New England waterways, big rivers deep in canyon country is quite an education for all of us.

October 2004 – Into a Far Green Country – Honeymoon adventures in New Zealand.

July-August 1998 – Song of the Yovo: A White Man’s Travels in Black Africa – Togo, West Africa. It wasn’t always fun, but it was always interesting.