My Idaho-born father will cough in his ashes for saying this, but baked potatoes are boring. They need a lot of salt, toppings, or dressings to make them interesting. They have a hard time standing on their own. Although traditional, mashed potatoes are like baby food for grown ups. I’ll eat ’em, mind you. But I don’t think I’ve ever savored a bite of mash potatoes. In go the mashed starches! That said, potatoes take on a magical quality when thinly cut, battered, and fried. French fries, hash browns, even scalloped potatoes are pretty darn fun. And I’d be remiss not to mention funeral potatoes. But again those are mostly cheese, butter, onions, and cornflakes. The potatoes are just the vehicle to deliver those richer ingredients. If I sound a little harsh, it’s because I am. There are just so many more exciting vegetables in life. But what potatoes lack in flavor or texture, they more than make up for in versatility. ★★★★☆
With her high school diploma AND associate’s degree. She even won a big Taco Bell scholarship. I’m so proud of her.
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If you’re able to organize your life without a calendar, I have two things to say: 1) You are a miracle; and 2) The following does not apply to you.
For everyone else, I have some proven advice that will help you get the most from your daily, weekly, monthly, and even annual schedule, while helping you free up precious time and prioritize things that are more important to you.
In no particular order, they are as follows:
Continue reading…
Courtesy Shutterstock
In recent years, the queues to board commercial airplanes have gotten noticeably longer, chaotic, and sometimes testy. This is largely due to increasingly restrictive bag policies and sold out planes, which inadvertently encourage more passengers to board as early as possible to ensure their place on the plane.
Understandably, this causes a lot more gate stress for all involved, from economy passengers and gate agents, to first class fliers and anyone heading to a different gate. Is there a better way?
The answer is an enthusiastic “Yes!” according to the many self-proclaimed “Final Call” fliers I recently spoke to; the seemingly brave but still confirmed passengers who wait until “all rows have been called” and the lines have vanished before boarding. Better yet, all those I spoke to reported that neither their bags nor themselves had never been left behind, so long as they arrived at the gate at least 30 minutes early.
In other words, you don’t have to wait in line to confirm your place (or your bag’s place) on a plane. In fact, the pros of delayed boarding far outweigh the cons, according to those I spoke to. This is what you can expect while doing so. Continue reading…
Courtesy The Verge
“The reason websites continue to load, bank transfers go through, and civilization persists is because of the thousand or so people living aboard 20-some ships stationed around the world, who race to fix each subsea cable as soon as it breaks.” What a story!
For several months this winter and spring, my soon-to-graduate daughter submitted one scholarship application per day. Outside of some partial academic scholarships she won from accepted schools, she was rejected for each and every private scholarship she applied for.
Except one. The biggest one. The one she wanted most. The Live Mas Scholarship from Taco Bell, which she was awarded this month. Click on Utah to see her name. This was her touching and winning application that she wrote and edited all by herself.
I am so proud of her.
I’ve lived long enough to see America champion or vilify certain foods every decade or so.
In the eighties, it was “low fat” everything and “SlimFast” meal replacement shakes, even though fats are one of three important macro nutrients our bodies need everyday, and chewing food is a lot more fun than drinking it.
In the nineties, “carbs are the enemy” was the new craze that continued into the early aughts, even though carbs (or sugars) are one of three important macros our bodies need everyday (and frankly about the only macro our high-energy brains can use).
In the aughts, “juice cleanses” and liquid diets were there surefire way to good health, even though our livers cleanse more in an hour than a lifetime of green smoothies.
Today, “high protein” diets and pseudo science “gut health” are all the rage, and yet America is as fat as ever, something calorically dense proteins and weird gut foods do not help us with.
The way we talk about food matters. While I believe there is such a thing as “good” and “bad” foods that can affect or long-term health, in the short-term, food is just food.
Moreover, as omnivores, our bodies need carbohydrates, fats, and protein to survive. Amazingly, our bodies will even convert its fat storages to whichever macro it needs most before sending it to our liver for rapid use.
Long story short—eat your macros, mostly plants, not too much, and have fun once in a while with the “bad” stuff.
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America has spoken. For the last 20 years, Reese’s has been the best-selling candy in the country by a wide margin. That’s because the classic combination of slightly flakey, if not overly sweet, peanut butter covered in fast-melting milk chocolate is nearly impossible to beat. Like Hershey Kisses, Reese’s have an interesting texture. Chocolaty ridge sidewalls first tickle the mouth in a rich and smooth way. Ince bitten, the sturdier peanut butter center presents an exciting contrast to the melt-in-your mouth (and often fingers) outer shell. Although admittedly mouth-watering, Reese’s are indulgently sweet. No salt or bitter notes here, which is disappointing. For a more irresistible, if not 5-star perfected, version of this classic combination, try Trader Joe’s mini dark peanut butter cups. Either way, tearing off the brown paper liners are a pretty fun act of anticipation. ★★★☆☆
My wife recently encouraged me to write a list of accomplishments to share with my kids. “Dad’s done some pretty cool things,” she told them. “He’s just super modest about a lot of them. 😊”
Modest or not, here goes! Continue reading…
Courtesy Shutterstock
This year democracy is facing extinction. America is at stake. If we elect the wrong president, the nation will likely die. Overnight. Call it, “Decision 2024: End of Democracy Edition.”
Sound familiar?
Every four years, Americans are patronized by fear-mongering media and desperate politicians with this blasé rhetoric. “This is the most important election ever,” they say. “Of our lifetimes! In the history of the universe!”
Ironically, the phrase has been slyly used since Lincoln’s second election in the late 1800s. It’s basically a hyperbolic trick to attract attention, sell more advertising, and mobilize voters. Continue reading…
Smithsonian
- We are the only animals with chins because it makes our faces look more attractive and symmetrical, which is important to facial recognition and social being.
- We are taller in the morning since our cartilage and discs are squished by gravity while standing upright through the day.
- Our jaw is our strongest muscle. Our eyes are the fastest muscle.
- Our intestines are always moving. The 20 foot long small intestine digests our food and absorbs all nutrients and most of our water. The five foot long large intestine absorbs vitamins and remaining water before pooping out waste.
- We convert any excess nutrients that our body doesn’t immediately need into fat within 4-8 hours of chewing. We can convert any nutrient, including protein and sugars or carbs, into fat for latter survival.
Continue reading…
This is Lucy. She was my family’s first real dog after Harley didn’t work out. She lived with us for 10 years and was an amazing pooch.
We put her down this spring after she bit and killed our neighbor’s cat, while walking with our son. Over the last year, Lucy became increasingly aggressive and loud as her hearing and eyesight worsened with age (a common trait among aging dogs and grandpas). Before that, she was remarkably chill and never bit or really barked at anything before.
It go so bad, however, that we recently had to limit her walks, and I stopped taking her on backpacking trips, since she became more of a nuisance on those trips compared to the fun she used to be for the first nine years of her life. This saddened me because I started to resent Lucy in her final year. I suspected we might have to put her down soon if her aggression and health worsened. But I never thought it would have ended like this.
It makes me sad just thinking about it. But here we are. Lucy’s gone. I miss her. And I regret not taking one final picture with her, walking with her in the mountains one last time, or giving her a big bowl of ice cream before euthanizing her.
I believe all dogs go to heaven, though. So if I get there too, I look forward to seeing Lucy’s docked, nubby tail wiggle with excitement again and doing all three of those things with her. Until then, here are some of my favorite captioned photos of this one-of-a-kind mutt (50% bulldog, 25% beagle, 25% labrador.)
So long Lucy. We love you. Continue reading…
Courtesy Blake Snow
Want to be a better traveler? Consider adopting these good habits before your next trip, and take your travel game to the next level. Continue reading…
The following is an excerpt from Log Off, available now on paperback, Kindle, and audiobook
The “king complex.”
That’s the reason it’s difficult for many individuals to leave the internet—even for as little as a few hours in the evening, over a weekend, or on vacation. In short, the internet makes us feel like kings.
“Bring me this,” I demand, and it does. “More!” I say. It complies. “Still more!” It does not disappoint. “Let me watch, this, that, and the other.” Each time, I ask, it delivers, because it’s endless. When I run out of requests, I move to new subjects and interests.
In the event the internet is unable to supply what we ask of it—say, a physical experience, creation, or sensation—it will simulate that experience as often as we like from all possible angles: videos, photos, secondhand observations and reviews by those who have actually experienced what we’re after.
As you can see, the internet offers power, or at least the illusion of it. That’s the real reason the internet is so addicting. For the first time in human history, everyday people can convincingly simulate the experience of kings and exercise dominion over their own fantasized corner of reality. Continue reading…
Although they’re made with waxified commercial chocolate, Hershey Kisses are a textural phenomenon. The teardrop shape is simultaneously awkward and interesting. Perfectly portioned, Kisses sorta stab the roof of your mouth, then induce what feels like two teaspoons of saliva when the broad base chocolate hits your tongue. Often times I’ll crush the pointed tip with a molar, which is always satisfying. Either way, Kisses might be the funnest chocolate you’ll ever put in your mouth. Not the greatest tasting chocolate. But the shape-associated texture is what makes Kisses one of the best-selling and enduring American candies of all time. To top it off, the tiny tin foil and fortune cookie like paper label offer the fingers a delightful fidget opportunity while your mouth enjoys the contents. ★★★★☆
Ten years ago, I self-enrolled in anger management class. Next to marriage counseling, it was a turning point for my emotional intelligence.
Two year ago, I had the idea to quit swearing for good. I was convinced it let the cat out of the bag with my temper and I was right. I only swore eight times in 2022. And I only swore three times last year.
I say this because my number of outbursts and tantrums have dramatically dropped. It’s empowering. So if you have anger issues, I encourage to stop cursing because words matter.
Good luck!
Courtesy Wikimedia Commons
National Portrait Gallery
That’s the best justification for world peace, economic growth, and democratic propagation I’ve ever read.
It was uttered by President Clinton during his State of the Union address in 1994. He added that democracies “make better trading partners,” which is something the world has readily witnessed ever since.
Over the last 30 years, for example, the global poverty rate has nose dived from a staggering 70% then to 46% today. That rate is still trending downwards, as an increasing number of nations copy and paste the U.S. constitution towards sustainable democracies.
Not only does democracy reduce war and conflict, it actually enriches people. Which is why U.S. Foreign Policy is such a big deal, albeit one I don’t always agree with. But I realize it’s a whole lot cheaper and humane than war or imperial occupation.
So long as democracy doesn’t fight civil wars on others’ behalf (i.e. Vietnam, the Middle East), I wholeheartedly support more democracy and all that comes with it—the sometimes controversial first amendment very much included.
My name is Blake Snow, and I approve this message.
While recording my debut album, I permanently damaged my inner ears. That’s because I listened to my headphones at volume 8-9 for four straight months. Every day. My ears have been ringing ever since.
Near the end of the recording process, the high pitched “tinging” started. I had also started playing in a live band then but wore ear plugs without realizing that I was letting the problem in the backdoor at the same time.
I read up on the ringing, and after speaking with two permanent “patients,” it was obvious I was suffering from either temporary or permanent tinnitus (pronounced tin-uh-tis). Time was the only way to tell which version I had. All the medical literature says if the ringing stops after 2-4 weeks, the ear cells were able to heal themselves and you’re good to go. If they don’t, the ringing will never go away, according to the latest research. Mine never did.
Obviously, permanent tinnitus, especially in both ears, is an incessant annoyance. But I’ve adapted well. And I’m grateful my ears alerted me to the issue before I was made deaf by music, as the tragic but still hopeful Sound of Metal movie so beautiful demonstrates.
What’s more, I haven’t suffered any noticeable hearing loss beyond maybe 5-10% clarity. I can still hear the soft breathing of my wife lying in bed next to me or even distant sounds. Although the ringing hasn’t gone away, my hearing remains largely intact.
There’s a very specific reason for that. The ringing is by design! The way it was explained to me, ringing ears are like the hissing you hear when turning speakers up real loud or on a radio while changing the station in search of something new. Similarly, ear cells change their frequencies, if you will, to make up for the loss of damaged cells. The living cells actually re-tune themselves (or ring) in an effort to listen more acutely with the remaining cells at their disposal. Magic I tell ya!
While I wish I never harmed my ears like I did, I often feel gratitude whenever I notice the ringing. It’s proof that my body and maker (be that God or evolutionary biology) care for me more than I care for myself sometimes. Isn’t that comforting?
TL;DR: Don’t blow out your ears, wear protection, and be grateful for how the human body adapts to survive.
Smart people don’t make better decisions because they’re necessarily more intelligent. They make smarter decisions, research shows, because they habitually do the following: Continue reading…
In Provo Music Magazine. And that’s pretty cool!
Courtesy Warner Bros.
My childhood was defined by ‘80s movies, music, fashion, and malls. It was a fantastically colorful, loud, fun and progressive decade to live through (although not as good as we have it today).
Although every decade has its share of hit films, the ‘80s are especially known for their irreverent, imaginative, and spectacular movies. Heck, they even invented “the blockbuster.”
If I could only watch 20 movies from the ‘80s, what would they be? In my opinion, you won’t find anything more iconic, classic, and radical than these: Continue reading…
I was recently asked if I write for myself or for others.
“Easy,” I exclaimed. “I write for myself.”
After 20 years of full-time writing, it means the world that my sentences, articles, and books have reached millions of people. Affirmation is my biggest love language.
But I never write for a single soul other than myself. I do this for two reasons. Continue reading…
Courtesy Shutterstock
Want to take a good photo? Follow the rule of thirds. Want to live life to the fullest? Do the same.
In fact, I’ll make it even easier on you. Instead of dividing your life into three vertical columns and three horizontal columns, simply divide it into three overall columns for maximum balance. They are as follows: Continue reading…
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Every human needs a little help sometimes. Here are seven, science-backed ways to improve your mental health this year:
- Reconsider your social media use. While I’d encourage you to cancel social media altogether (the last 15 years have been amazing!), I realize this is a huge ask. But in the very least, you should restrict your social media use for maximum fulfillment, as I wrote in my best-selling book Log Off.
- Reconnect with a long lost friend. Simply text or say the following: “I thought of you today and miss you. How are you?”
- Empathize with someone different from you. People with high levels of empathy tend to function better in society than those with low levels. So go out of your way to meet, learn from, and befriend people that don’t look, think, or talk like you.
- Stop ruminating about work. It can wait until tomorrow morning or after the weekend. One of the best way to overcome this is to simply write down what you need to do and schedule time on your calendar to take care of it later.
- Make time for fun, mastery, social, and physical activities. You should be doing at least one of each every weekday, including fun things that excite you, cleaning or errands that make you feel good, excercize, and talking with your favorite people. If you’re the type that’s always helping others, carve out 20-30 minutes of “me time” everyday to reduce stress.
- Write a thank you letter. Gratitude increases happiness better than just about anything.
- Consider therapy if your emotions need some help. I’ve done this twice before and it saved my marriage and tempered my anger management. A good friend of mine is also visiting a therapist for the first time this year and loving it. I’m so fond of counseling that I’m gifting it to all of my kids and their spouses when they get married.
Courtesy Whitelines Snowboarding
I can tell you the exact moment snowboarding became cool. It was in 1985 when James Bond fastened helicopter shrapnel to his feet and rode down a mountain on a makeshift snowboard while a bunch of goons on skis struggled to keep up.
I can also tell you the exact moment it became uncool—at least in my world. While discussing the upcoming winter season recently with two millennials, I doubted my age after both of them grew up skiing since, “snowboarding is what my old man does.”
“If I still snowboard, does that make me an old man?” I asked myself. Continue reading…
I made a boo-boo at work yesterday. The client I was working with was very understanding, forgiving, and even accepted some of the blame. But I felt pretty rotten about the oversight.
Now, I’m not a perfectionist because done is better than perfect. But I couldn’t shake my disappointment of letting them down. So much so that I continued to worry about my mistake into the night.
Then I awoke to the above new sign on display in our kitchen today, which was ironically crafted by my eight year old daughter. It immediately cheered me up. Partly because I learned some things from my mistake and instituted two immediate changes that will make me a better writer. But also because the sign reminded me that it’s okay to make mistakes.
Showing up really is half the battle. As my friend David says, “You gotta play some sour notes in order to make your sound sweeter.” I’m grateful of those simple truths that make improvement possible.
Thanks, Jane.
This story first published to blakesnow.com in 2018
Hope you enjoy my first story for the Washington Post: “That’s all you packed?” my fellow hiker asked, looking at me in disbelief.
“We were just about to start a four-day, 50-mile hike along the Jordan Trail into Petra. And I had carried only a single fanny pack across the Atlantic Ocean for my first week in the Middle East.
“At 10 liters, my Bergans “hip” or “waist” pack is the biggest money can buy. But it’s still only half the size of a small backpack. How is it possible to travel so far with so few possessions? And why on Earth would anyone do that?”
Continue reading…
Courtesy Celebrity Cruises
FORT LAUDERDALE—Celebrity Cruises look different, taste different, sail different, and value things that other cruises lack, like “all included” packages, plus ship layouts and guest rooms that feel more like a spacious resort than cramped passenger ship.
They are not the funnest ships on the high seas—nor the biggest or family-friendliest. But they are the most relaxing, delicious, and healthy ships sailing today. And thanks to incentivized fares that are only slightly higher than its competitors, Celebrity is also a “best buy” in cruising, despite their premium digs.
The recently launched Celebrity Ascent is the embodiment of this approach. Built for nearly a billion dollars, the 1,000 foot, 3200 passenger vessel doubles down on what its three older “Edge Series” siblings do so well. It’s 20% more fuel efficient, which is good for the planet. And it serves a greater variety of global cuisines, fanciful restaurants, and fresh produce than others, which is good for the belly.
On the inaugural christening last month, my daughter and I boarded the Ascent in less than five minutes, while armed with Celebrity’s snazzy app. We then devoured two charcuterie plates, a wholesome salad, and washed it all down with a pretentious Pellegrino from the Ocean View buffet, which seriously gives Vegas buffets a run for their money. Not exactly. But close.
Continue reading…
Here are my latest columns for Paste Magazine. Thanks for reading and sharing the ones you enjoy:
Wikimedia Commons
One of my goals in life is to become a centenarian, someone over 100 years of age. A few years ago, a team of researchers identified four areas that had the highest number of centenarians per capita in the world. They studied these people, wrote a book about them, then distilled their similar lifestyles down to a set of consistent life-giving habits.
And by life giving, I really mean death halting. Since there’s no brake on death, the best you can do is ease off the accelerator. With my added commentary, here are eight ways to do just that, as compiled by author Dan Buettner:
- Find a physical activity you enjoy and keep doing it. Do it for as long as you enjoy it. If and when you tire of that activity, find something else that pleases you. For example, you could start jogging, and if that becomes a bore, move to biking. Then swimming. Then Pilates. Then kickboxing. Then underwater basket weaving. Whatever it is, be sure to do it at least three times a week, moreso for idle or cubicle people. (In my case, since I sit at a desk and work from home, I have to move a lot more than most people to achieve the optimal amount of fitness.)
- Stop eating when you’re no longer hungry, as opposed to being full. There’s a difference. About 20% less food per meal, in fact. In short, this is the best known way to eat less. Stop when satisfied instead of stuffing yourself. Continue reading…
Wild elephants walking a road in Thailand’s Khao Yai National Park (Khunkay/Wikimedia)
(ENTREPRENEUR)—Is it easier for extroverts to travel than it is for introverts? Can travel be learned? If so, what does it take to overcome the fear, anxiety, and logistical challenges often associated with long-distance travel?
In search of answers, I asked several seasoned tourists and travel converts for their stories and advice. This is what I found.
First, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. People that travel as children are far more likely to travel as a adults. “Thanks to my parents, I started traveling when I was young,” says Avery Blank, an avid international traveler and strategy consultant from Philadelphia. “That made it relatively easy for me now to adapt to new cultures, surroundings, ways of doing things.”
Obviously if you were raised by homebodies, you’re at an immediate disadvantage. But so are risk-averse individuals who are particularly scared of the unknown, of which there are substantial amounts of when traveling to a new place with new customs and sometimes new languages.
“Much of the anxiety arising from travel revolves around being infantilized,” says Sheridan Becker, an American art director living in Belgium. “For example, not knowing how to do anything in a foreign language, asking for a bathroom, what to do if you lose your wallet, where your next meal will come from (and will you be able to stomach it), or how to handle medical emergencies.”
These are all disorienting questions, the fear of which keeps many people away. So extroverts don’t necessarily have an easier time traveling than less outgoing individuals. Rather, it’s more about how you were raised coupled with a willingness to try unexpected things that determine your propensity for travel.
The good news is wanderlust can be learned. Here are six ways to do just that. Continue reading…
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
“Some people lack the ability to get pleasure from music, researchers say, even though they enjoy food, sex and other joys in life,” reports NPR. Apparently that number is 5%, according to the University of Barcelona. Which is both higher and lower than I was expecting. Either way, it means 5% of people have no soul.
LISTEN NOW to my latest album
Sixteen years ago, I was in the worst physical and mental shape of my life. I was a work-a-holic, Internet addict who never exercised and mostly ate junk food. When the food was healthy, such as my wife’s home-cooked meals, I always ate 2-3 plates.
The next year, I lost a lot of weight, abandoned narcissism, disconnected, and started living large on low-caloric technology. I even wrote a best-selling book about it.
In the proceeding years, I maintained that balance. But I was still 5-10 pounds more than my doctor wanted after my back surgery. “The lighter you are, the longer your back will last,” he said.
This year, I finally shed those last 10 pounds, plus an extra five for insurance (because I quickly gain five pounds sometimes, especially on vacation). That way I’m never over my target weight, which makes me feel good about how I’m treating my back and extending my physical health.
I’m not sharing this to sell you anything. In fact, my mostly vegetarian diet is free of charge and basically this: eat real food, mostly plants, not too much, and only dessert on special occasions. On top of that, I rigorously exercise for 21 minutes each weekday and play soccer three times a week.
Why, then, would I hurl something so superficial onto the internet? Because people can change. Maybe you don’t need any changes. But most of us do. I’m grateful for a lifetime of change where each of us can learn and grow at or own pace and by our own free will and choice.
To be fair, life was still beautiful all those years ago. And I was more than the sum of my weight and mental compulsions. But I’m grateful to have achieved peak health this year and hope to inspire others to do the same.
If I can do it over 16 years, anyone can.
I recently asked a computer to list the 10 best ways to celebrate Christmas. Although mechanical, its answer was pretty spot on: Continue reading…
Courtesy Shutterstock
Sometime in my late twenties, my wife and I started to make serious money. I’m talking legitimate thousandaires. A penthouse apartment even. Life was humming. 😁
By the time the holidays rolled around, I had already dropped $1000 at a single clothing store all on myself. For me at the time, this was an enormous amount of money and a clear indicator I was spending almost as fast as I was incoming.
Lindsey and I had two adorable little girls under the age of three. For Christmas that year, I remember buying them both lots of little gifts. But Lindsey and I really bought the bulk of the gifts, especially the big ones, for ourselves. Continue reading…
Ten years ago, I had back surgery for the second time. Because my spine was fused, total recovery was six months—an eternity for a busy-body like me.
The first two months of little to no physical activity made me restless. The next several months of low-impact workouts was emasculating. Basically all of the participants on YouTube were senior citizens, if not gray-haired women.
That’s not a bad thing. But it was for a thirty-something like me who was impatiently wanting to return to full activity. Continue reading…
Getting rich in five years is one thing. But living richly involves a lot more than just money.
Indeed, many people are rich in cash but poor in assets, broke on time, impoverished in relationships, destitute in health, and underprivileged in experiences and ongoing education. Of course, the inverse is true too. Poor people can be rich in many other areas that matter.
What can each of us do, then, to ensure we’re living richly in most, if not all, major aspects of life, regardless of income? While I don’t have all the answers, this is what I know for sure: Continue reading…
Courtesy Blake Snow
Here are my latest travel dispatches for Paste Magazine:
Thanks for reading and sharing with the travel lovers in your life.
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To the nearly 5,000 of you who read my writing newsletter, thank you. I know many of you are working on writing projects both big and small. To that end, here are five simple things you can do right now to maximize the impact of your writing: Continue reading…
Courtesy Shutterstock
I didn’t notice the duration until after I booked my airfare.
Total flight time from Salt Lake City to Durban, South Africa: an intimidating 22 hours—just under a full day. And that doesn’t include the 7-hour layover at two different airports. Nor the three additional hours of airtime on the return flight (because trade winds).
Gulp.
The longest nonstop I will take on this trip—New York to Johannesburg—lasts 16 hours and 27 minutes. It won’t be as long as the record-setting 18-hour-and-50-minute doozy from Singapore to New York, but it’s close. And it may make you wonder, why would anyone do that to themselves?
If I’m going to go on a life-changing safari, I’ve gotta get my hands dirty, right!? So I do it—I book the flight. After processing the sheer amount of time I’ll spend in the air, however, I mistakenly think my past experience on 10-plus hour flights will make this long-hauler a piece of cake.
I am wrong. Hour 12, I learn, is like hitting “the wall” in a marathon, and at that point I’ll still have five more hours to go. Someone get me outta here! In fact, the latter half of the flight will feel like a slow-motion time warp. Zombie-land in a flying metal tube, and I’m the zombie.
Sounds nice, right? For anyone planning on taking a similar “ultra long-haul”—any flight greater than 16 hours—here’s a psychological run-down of what to expect, plus tips and tricks to maintain your sanity. Continue reading…
Courtesy Shutterstock
- Prioritize your health. You cannot be your best or help others if you’re mentally or physically sick. It is never selfish to share your feelings, exercise regularly, or visit a doctor. This is how we put on our own oxygen mask before helping others. It is the foundation for everything that follows.
- Create what excites you (not others). Not being true to one’s self is the number one regret of the dying. When deciding what you want to do, never let a family member, friend, society, or logic decide for you. Follow your heart or die with regret.
- Take time off. Working too much is the number two regret of the dying. So enjoy downtime on weekends, nights, and periodic vacations. Don’t work extra hard for money you don’t need. Enjoy the limited time we’re given instead.
- Keep a calendar. You can’t spend your time with purpose without keeping a life calendar. Failure to keep or outsourcing your calendar is a great way to let others decide how, where, or who you spend your time with, which is how we end up unhappy.
- Swallow your pride. Hey, you over there. You’re not that special. You’re one of billions of humans, most of which have done much more impressive stuff than you. So please, suppress your ego and accept your averageness. You are a social creature and not the exception. So act like it, and you’ll enjoy life a whole lot more.
- Count your blessings. This is hands down the fastest way to happiness, regardless of circumstances. Harvard research proves this.
- Stay curious. Formal education is overrated. Asking lots of questions everyday is not. So ask questions, even big, broad, and hard ones. Seek truth. Talk to people smarter than you. Read books. Watch documentaries. Enroll in classes. Learn something new at an old age. Then learn something else. Do this again, and again, and again. This keeps the mind active and helps us grow, which is a huge factor in living large and finding fulfillment.
- Invest in relationships. You don’t want to live or die alone. Like physical fitness, you must spend time on relationships if you want lots of friends and family. At the same time, you must understand that saying “no” to others is saying yes to yourself. True friends and family will support you in that regard, so long as you’re taking an interest in them, initiating social encounters, and reciprocating.
- Be adventurous. Travel the world. Go skydiving. Do something that scares you. Visit the “wrong” side of town. Talk to people that look, act, and think differently than you. Do at least one daily thing that makes you uncomfortable. Doing so challenges your beliefs even better than a formal education.
- Invoke God. Sorry atheists and agnostics. You’re not gonna like this, But prayer, mediation, and recognition of a higher power does wonders for the soul. You might think it’s a placebo effect. But it doesn’t matter. Invoking God works.
Many years ago, I was inspired to live to 100 after reading Blue Zones by Dan Buettner, who with a team of researchers studied what the longest living humans have in common.
According to the highest populations of centenarians (100 and older) in the world, this is what the researchers found, ordered from most in common to least:
- Long-lasting humans have families, don’t smoke, eat plant-heavy diets (beans, lentils, peas, etc), are physically active, and social.
- They believe in God, eat whole grains, are culturally isolated, don’t drink alcohol, empower women, garden, and get lots of sunshine.
- Lastly, they eat a handful of nuts everyday, aren’t in a hurry, and occasionally drink a glass wine (although that’s recently been disputed).
Ever since I first read Blue Zones, I’ve adopted most of the above and feel great. That’s no guarantee I’ll live to 100. But I’d do it anyways since I feel better now than when I didn’t do the above.
AM Charts
I did some light reading on time-use recently and came across some insightful observations from researcher John Robinson. He’s spent the last four decades reviewing thousands of “time journals” from people around the world.
Contrary to what you might think, Robinson argues we have more free time today than when he started keeping records in the ’60s, something The Atlantic corroborates. Only now we choose to fill that free time with overwork or busy-ness instead of proper leisure (e.g. relaxation, hobbies, or adventures) because that’s how many of us validate our existence.
A few highlights from Robinson’s research: People in Spain spend the most time walking (good for them!), Italians and Slovenians spend the most time relaxing (nice!), and Bulgarians (not Americans!) spend the most time watching TV (tsk, tsk). In the United States, people spend more time on computers than any other country, they volunteer more, and they spend the most time taking care of children and the elderly.
I suspect the increase in childcare is partially due to the rise of helicopter parenting. But those are mostly noble uses of American’s time, I believe. That is, of course, if we’re using computers to work smarter, work less, and facilitate really cool offline adventures.—Blake Snow
The story first published to blakesnow.com in 2014
I get it. I have no business asking you to listen to my songs. I’m an amateur musician after all.
But if you stream my latest records (all professionally mixed and mastered), I’m confident you’ll hear a handful of catchy melodies that could arguably air on popular radio.
Promise they don’t suck. Only one way to find out.
Come Clean (2024)
All songs written, recorded, and produced by Blake Snow. Co-production, mixing, and mastering by Adam Miele. Additional bass, guitar, and drums by Derick Pulham.
The Breakers (2023):
All songs written, recorded, and produced by Blake Snow. Co-production, mixing, and mastering by Adam Miele. Additional bass, guitar, and backing vocals by Derick Pulham. Additional drumming by Steve Hill.
Less Bad (2022):
All songs written, recorded, and produced by Blake Snow. Co-production, mixing, and mastering by Adam Miele. Continue reading…
Piano is hands down the greatest instrument ever made. Even better than drums. And as far as genres go, classical is, without a doubt, the most timeless music ever.
What happens when you combine the two in their most essential forms? You get this: The best classical piano sonatas ever written.
Before I move on, please note: I use the term “sonata” a bit loosely — my list includes some pieces with no additional movements. But I am using the term “classical” strictly — anything from the common practice period of 1600-1910, spanning baroque, classical, and romantic periods.
So put on your powdered wig. Dress in a frilly shirt. And don’t applaud during the pauses, please. It’s the top 10 best classical piano sonatas of all-time. Continue reading…
For that last three years, I’ve played competitive soccer three times a week on my lunch break. I mostly play forward with really good guys between the age of 20-50 at this incredible, $10 million indoor football field (pictured). It’s quite the hookup!
More than just being a fun way to stay in shape though, the weekly games constantly humble and encourage me. The other day I played really poorly, which frustrated several of my teammates. I left feeling doubtful and inadequate, even though my family and work life were both going really well.
The week before that, I scored two hat tricks and assisted on several more goals, which left me feeling like a bigger deal than I really am.
Sometimes I play well when there are stresses at home or at work, and that gives me confidence to push through the hard times. Other times I play poorly and that humbles me when I’m riding high in other areas of life.
Of course, I’d rather be firing on all cylinders all of the time. But the uneven experience helps me grow in what I hope is a slow, upward trajectory, which I’m thankful for.
Moral of the story: find a hobby outside of work and family that can continually humble and encourage you. The rest of life will be better for it.
