Guys. While driving around Palo Alto this week, I saw FOURTEEN naked ladies!

It was glorious.

I just returned from the most wonderful little weekend in Calistoga -- despite the October 2017 wildfires, I saw zero scorched earth. Instead, I saw.... mustard flowers!

​Well... maybe not ALWAYS.

Last night was a rough night for basketball. Not only did Gordon Hayward suffer a horrific leg injury... but three (three!) of the guys I like playing with were unavailable for pickup, because it was "date night."

​What are the odds, right?

But it got me thinking, "How come I've never done date night before?"​

Ballooning should be on EVERYONE'S bucket list! 

Growing up, I spent at least a week -- usually more! -- almost every summer in Upstate New York. And there are countless amazing things to do there: hiking Taughannock Falls; swimming at Buttermilk Falls; getting in (or on) the lake; and wine trails, to name a few.

But one of the best Ithaca adventures I’ve ever had, hands down, was my flight with Southern Tier Balloon Tours.
​

​My cool cousin John is a baseball prodigy – but sadly, he had a bad dislocation this summer, and had to undergo the same shoulder surgery I had a few years ago.
 
Because he loves science, I decided to share a crazy story about my microbiome with him. And because I wish I’d had more/better information about shoulder surgery while I was deciding whether or not to have it (eventually, my body made the decision for me), I’ll conclude with a few thoughts about the pros and cons of the surgery.

I spent several weeks traveling in Costa Rica an Panama this year -- and, obviously, I met a lot of expats. Many of whom were total new-age hippies.

As individuals, they are wonderful people. But spend enough time (say, over five minutes) with a group of them, and one will inevitably launch into a "life is so much better without money" monologue. 

​I recently posted The Very First Thing ALL Divers Should Do When They Get to Bonaire, in which I described the Lionfish Hunting certification course I took while traveling in the ABC Islands. (Eradicating invasive species for the win!)
 
But I also wanted to give a shoutout to what I thought was the best dive shop in Bonaire – VIP Diving, through whom I took said lionfish course.

Three weeks ago, I had never heard of a place called Bonaire. But then, one day, I decided to Google "world's best shore diving," and Bonaire kept showing up -- usually in the number one spot -- on every list.

So I did an image search for Bonaire, fell in love, and booked a flight.

As my departure rapidly approached, I checked the CDC website to read their recommendations for water and food safety in Bonaire.

​Like many things, the government got it all wrong. 

Just me, myself and I, hanging out at the Rio Celeste in Costa Rica. #MieScattering

Let me start by saying, you're right. I am pretty cool for traveling alone. It's something I love about myself -- that if I see something I want, I go for it. Even if "it" is a country on the other side of the world, and no one else wants to go there with me.