Split, Croatia
I was talking with a friend the other day, and when asked how my day was I responded: pretty quiet. Low key. Then I thought back through my day to expand a little… and realized, with shock, what now qualifies as a quiet, low-key day. That morning I had seen a presentation by, and spoken with a member of the first all-female team to climb Mt. Everest. Over lunch, I had walked with a friend up to the Bank to make a “payment” to customs to get them to release a package they were “holding” for me (we had paid more than enough in shipping on the other side of the ocean). How nice of them to keep it safe until I paid them to release it to me. I worked for the afternoon, then watched a thunderstorm wash over the city from the workspace with a group of my fellow remotes. Then, we grabbed flimsy umbrellas and made a dash for a nearby restaurant, where I shared a wonderful, vulnerable, comfortable, fun dinner with 7 new friends; new RY Mangata family members. I called it a night early, then headed back to my apartment where I chatted with a couple friends from back home. And these were just the activities I said yes to that day.
This is a quiet day on Remote Year. This is the new normal.
So I know you’ve been patiently waiting for me to share pictures. Follow my Instagram feed (@brschwalm) where I’m trying to post regularly, but here’s a dump from my brief stop in Paris. With all these pictures from a mere 36 hours in Paris, maybe you’ll understand why these are the raw pictures; I don’t have time to touch them up and make them look pretty (sorry, Mark!)
Paris
My Remote Year started a couple days early as I met a group of 7 fellow Mangos in Paris for 36 hours of fun before heading on to Split. It was an awesome day, and felt like one of those “3 perfect days in Paris” articles you read in an airplane magazine. Having great company to share the experience with and a local to show us around made a big difference (thanks Helene!), and having almost no agenda other than to explore was great. Highlights included a visit to Montmarte and Sacre Coeur, a lunch of wine and escargot at an outdoor cafe, a visit to Moulin Rouge, walking across the city to the Eiffel Tower, a casual dinner at another outdoor cafe with a street band serenading us and dancing into the wee hours at a Hawaiian-themed bar. It was a magical day and a perfect way to kick off this year of adventure.
Next up, Split!