Tag: Once

I lounged in the changing room waiting chair, trying to drown out all the noise. An attendant came forward and waved me back, as another person left the room holding several pairs of clothes. I stepped into the room and gagged. It was like mustard gas had been released. The scary part? I have a t...

It’s Autumn in Berlin, and we just got a two day preview of Winter with opaque grey skies, incessant drizzle of rain, and temperature in the 40s. I never thought weather has a huge impact on me, but the last I really didn’t want to leave the house. They felt like perfect weather to st...

Every day birders from all around the world make checklists. They tally tanagers, count crows, iterate ibis and enumerate emus. Just this month, people will submit more than one million lists to eBird, the world’s most popular citizen science platform. A million checklists a month! That&rsq...

Although I never participated formally in a group, I was always interested in watching birds. I bought a book identifying birds and high powered binoculars to get a better look. I made a list of the different birds I saw: robins, goldfinches, cardinals, sparrows, doves, nothing exotic. Birds you may...

There are 5 things that surprised me in retirement once the retirement party ended. Now, I may have spoken about these in the past. But I’m talking about 5 things I noticed within a month of retirement. I could probably name at least 10 or 20 things that surprised me. But since I’m tryin...

The cycle of addiction can be disheartening. It fosters feelings of hopelessness and makes individuals believe that they are destined to remain trapped in their addiction forever. But let me assure you — alcoholism is not a life sentence. It is a condition that can be managed and overcome with...

Sitting at the back of the bus, I’m both excited and afraid. Am I going to die from a heroin overdose? Or am I going to have the best night of my life? I was the one who insisted we should try heroin, so I can’t back out now. As we joked around on the bus — five skinny teenagers...

“Once Entered, Never Departed: Unraveling the Secrets of the Djinn City in Algeria” Introduction: Nestled deep within the heart of Algeria lies a city steeped in mystery, whispered about in hushed tones — the Djinn City. A realm where reality and mythology intertwine, this en...