While waiting for the very crowded train, this morning I was reminded that Buenos Aires has more bookstores, per capita, than any other city in the world.

..or a really really really South coast.

Instead, I am sitting here and writing a penalty check to NY State IRS for apparently not-prepaying taxes for the year I was freelancing and clueless about having to pay state taxes for the pitiful income I had immediately and not during filing.

The lady at their audit dept was kind and sympathetic but couldn’t help.

I will always want to be somewhere else

A giant photo of a glacial lake at Torres del Paine on the wall at this client, taken either in early morning or at sunset.

It’s hard to believe that I was there a year ago….

Why am I here?

Eating alone while sitting at a bar while traveling presents so many ways to eavesdrop.

Last week it was a couple of bros, seemingly doctors-residents, one Korean American the other South Asian, first talking about their work, then about women, or, rather, about cheating on their wives. Overhearing all that was uncomfortable and awkward. Also, nobody should be talking like that about women.

Today, it’s a guy in his 40s (or so it seems) talking to the bartender about mountains. The bartender has gone to Mt Washington this past weekend. His 6th time. His uncle has climbed it once for every year of his life (54 times).

The guy sitting next to me is going to Mexico, its highest point, for the thanksgiving. And in January he’s going to Ecuador.

Solo in Tokyo – NYTimes.com

Japan, and Iceland, are the two countries I will always miss.

This is how I wish my morning was. but at least I get to remember.