I must be crazy (2017)

I's 4 am and I'm jet-lagged in a Malagan hostel, somewhere in the south of Spain. Madrid is grappling with its past (as it considers Barcelona's independence vote) while I with mine.

I've noticed my penchant for solo travel, early stage startups and ski leases and believe that these are self selecting habitats. Obviously, this is a first world problem, but hear me out.

Seed startups are almost always doomed to fail, require i-banking hours and don't pay shit.

"Are you saying I'm Marketing, Sales and CS at the same time? "

"And we don't really have a product? WTF is a wireframe?"

Ski leases are also one hell of a commitment. They require 8 hours in a car every weekend (if you want 40+ days on the mountain), voluntary dawn patrols (especially if the snow is good), significant physical exertion (be in shape or die) and cost a fortune. You're extra fucked if your significant other hates snow and you're doing all the driving.

Finally, with solo travel, by definition, you have no friends until you make some (get comfortable being alone). You are in charge of every leg of the adventure (sick, hungover, tired - dgaf) and the weirder the place, the more you have to give up on your pet peeves as a human. Try squeezing 5 people in the back seat of a grand taxi somewhere in the Moroccan Atlas, for a 4 hour trip with no English, or AC.

The upside, should you chose to accept the reality in front of you is unreal.

IMO, nothing breaks you out of a pattern of mental and emotional autopilot like solo travel. The places and conversations are always new and generally without agenda. People bring energy to genuinely open up and have a good time. Not tomorrow, or with other people, but here and now, with you.

There is something burning-manish about the mindset. Otherwise, why the hell would you fly thousands of miles and spend thousands of dollars to be here right now.

If you like skiing (or snowboarding), a black diamond run on clear, powder day is as much fun as you can have with your pants on. Apres drinks, if you've actually earned them always taste heavenly and being in the mountains grounds you - our genes feel right in the wilderness (Yes, I'm talking about Squaw).

And last, but not least, by a mile, if your seed gig succeeds, you're well in the money and your will probably never have a shitty job again (your risk should go down with each new bet if you stay early). Plus, you'll learn more in a year that you will in a decade at a big co.

Most people only learn for the few 6 months of a job like that and then it's autopilot with little new skill acquisition or opportunity to become masterful at your craft.

Tomorrow, I cross the straight of Gibraltar and into Africa for the first time in my life.