Looking Back: Books

Belgrade, Serbia

I did a hike at the end of July for eight days, and on that hike I read at least a book a day. During the day, I'd listen to an audiobook, and at night, after setting up camp and eating, I could easily read half of a book. However, I won't lie; since then, I have been in a bit of a reading slump, so to speak. In the third quarter of 2025, I DNFed at least five books, and there were at least three more that I only got a few minutes into and just didn't feel interested, but did not give them DNF credit since I barely even started them. 

The other thing is that I started a book that was 1,200 pages long and although interesting, it was SO LONG, and it kept me from starting another, so it definitely impeded my progress. However, I finished it finally, and it ended up providing a lot of interesting information after all was said and done (it was this book: The Eighth Life, recommended by Tobia, about multiple generations of the same family, set in the country of Georgia).

Despite some hiccups, there have been a few good reads in the last few months! But, instead of just listing the good ones, I will give you three good, and three I wanted to like but didn't. 

THESE WERE GOOD! 

Heartwood by Amity Gaige. I don't really need to say much here, as this book has been praised by many (Lisa, Birchie, etc.) already. TLDR: Appalachian hiker goes missing, police woman starts looking for her. We love all the characters, and we want them to win. (5 stars)

The Nine: The True Story of a Band of Women Who Survived the Worst of Nazi Germany by Gwen Straus. The title says it all. I am fascinated by this part of history and the fact that this was (a) true, (b) about women, and (c) an interesting take (told by the great niece of one of the women, who is not a writer, but wanted to get this part of history in the books). (5 stars)

The Beauty of Your Face by Sahar Mustafah. This is about a woman born of Palestinian parents who is living in the US and is a teacher in a school that gets shot at by a radicalized alt right. It is a moving story about her journey into Islam, her struggles with living surrounded by people who judge her for her hijab, including some of those close to her, and how she copes with it all. (5 stars)

Don't worry; there were other good ones, but you will be hearing about them in my yearly book wrap up! I can't give away ALL the spoilers at once! 

I WANTED TO LIKE THESE BUT DIDN'T

The Crash by Freida McFadden. Not her best work. I am usually entertained by her stories, but this one was a bit rote and just did not do it for me. If you want a better one, try The Teacher or The Inmate. (2 stars)

The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton. I tried. I tried again. I did it for Elisabeth. But I just could not get into it! I liked her other books (Forgotten Garden, Secret Keeper, The Lake House) so maybe I was just not in the right mind space? Anyway, I DNFed it in the end. 

Radical Candor by Kim Malone Scott. It's a female boss, who is large and in charge, and successful. One who has tips so that we can all be large, in charge and successful. Who doesn't love reading about that? Well, just add a bit too much name dropping, and company name dropping, and it starts to remind me of some of the bros I worked with in the finance  industry. Did you know that she worked for Apple, and for Google, or that she just happened to be talking to Steve, you know Steve, right? Steve Jobs? and Sheryl? Sandburg? DNF. 

So, tell me, what is one great book you read this month (or quarter) and one that you wanted to like but didn't? 

What I Learned, Looking Forward, Looking Back: August 2025

Yup, I am going to say it: I can't believe that it is September already. Happy Labor Day! In most years in the past, I took my two week vacation on this and next week so that I could only use 9 days of PTO and take 16 total days away, and I would usually go for a long hike somewhere. This year I will not be on a multiday hike today, but I am heading somewhere where there will be plenty of hiking! Stay tuned! 

Please copy and paste the questions at the end and add your answers to the mix! 

Where was I? Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Romania

1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that? 

January: Baguettes and Many Steps

February: In Like Minnesota; Out Like Hawaii

March: Wet and Wild

April: My Life is in Ruins, and Beaches Too

May: Al Fresco 

June: Tales as Old as Time: The Christianity and Wine Versions

July: Quick and Dirty: the Baltics and the Balkans Adventure

August: The Dark Tourist

2. What did you learn last month? 

I learned too much to go over here, but to put it in a nutshell, I learned a lot more about the influence of the Ottoman and the Austro-Hungarian empires over the areas of the Balkans (and Romania) over the years. There was lot of fighting over these lands, mostly due to the fact that they were on important trade routes (you should look at the map of Bosnia & Herzegovina, as you will see they still have a TINY piece of coast) and especially the Danube, which goes through Belgrade, and was a crucial part of trading. 

However, what is especially interesting is how each place is different now because of this. In Bosnia & Herzegovina, there is still a lot of Ottoman influence, with mosques, food, and even language. For example, I already knew how to say "let's go" because it's the same word in Turkish! Also, each country has their own version of the kofte, which I enjoyed in Turkiye, but in some places it is called ćevapčići or ćevapi and in Romania it is mici or mititei. In all cases, it is meat, minced, and grilled; think hamburger in tube form (I am probably offending all kinds of people here). 

Top: Romania mici/mititei
Bottom: Bosnia ćevapi, Montenegro ćevapi

3. What was the weather like where you are? 

It was pretty hot sometimes but all in all, it didn't rain much, which is a blessing, as I was hiking a few times and also rainy days < sunny days! 

4. What event last month was your favorite?

I don't want to say that I "enjoyed" learning more about the Sarajevo siege, but I am fascinated by the history, and it was also very interesting to go to Sarajevo, hear their story, and then go to Serbia and hear theirs and see how they did or did not match up. Every side has a story, don't they? 

5. What was the best thing you read, listened to or watched last month?  

Book: The Nine by Gwen Strauss. This is a true story about nine resistance fighter women who escaped a German forced labor camp during WWII and attempted to cross the front lines to get to safety. 

Movie/Show: In my last lodging, I had a TV with English channels and I did put Frasier on in the background from time to time. I find more and more though that I like to work in silence, so I rarely even use the TVs in any of my rooms. 

Podcast: Are you still paying more than $50 a month for your cell phone? If so, this episode of All The Hacks is great; he breaks down all of the phone plans and carriers so that you can decide if switching is something that may work for you. *one that he does not cover is Tello, which has a top plan (35GB) for about $25 per month. 

6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

I took a train in Romania that must have been the local, because it stopped about 40 times on a 145 km / 90 mile route. However, that is not the funny part. Because it was the local, it was not fancy, and most of the seats were in sets of four where you face two other people. About three rows in front of me, there was a lady facing me; she was probably in her early 60s, and she was GOING TO TOWN on her nostrils, really looking for some gold. I never saw her pull anything out or wipe it on her pants or anything but I kept waiting for her to hit pay dirt. 

It kind of reminded me of the Shel Silverstein poem, The Sharp Toothed Snail: 

Inside of everybody's nose

There lives a sharp-toothed snail

So, if you stick your finger in, he may bite off your nail

If you stick it further in, he might bite your ring off

Stick it further in, and he might bite the whole damn thing off

7. What are you looking forward to this month?

After several weeks of faster travel, I will be in the same place for an entire month. This will give me a nice opportunity to get some things done without feeling like I have to rush to do them before I change locations again. 

Your turn! To copy/paste, highlight the text below and click CTRL-C, then put the cursor in the comment box and click CTRL-V.

AUGUST:

1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that? 

2. What did you learn last month? 

3. What was the weather like where you are? 

4. What event last month was your favorite?

5. What was the best thing you read, listened to or watched last month?  

6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

SEPTEMBER: 

7. What are you looking forward to this month?

Bonus question! What is your favorite Silverstein poem? 

What I Learned, Looking Forward, Looking Back: July 2025

Please copy and paste the questions at the end and add your answers to the mix! 

Where was I? Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo (whew!)

1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that? 

January: Baguettes and Many Steps

February: In Like Minnesota; Out Like Hawaii

March: Wet and Wild

April: My Life is in Ruins, and Beaches Too

May: Al Fresco 

June: Tales as Old as Time: The Christianity and Wine Versions

July: Quick and Dirty: the Baltics and the Balkans Adventure

2. What did you learn last month? 

Holy smokes, I cannot even recap this as it is so deep, so I will just say one thing that is shallow. I saw these "candy bars" in the refrigerated section of the supermarkets in the Baltics, like next to the yogurt, and I was puzzled by why they were there. So of course I had to buy several of them (for research purposes!) and see what they were all about. The translation came up as "quark bars" which I had no idea what that meant, even in English! 

I tasted them and they basically tasted a little like cottage cheese or cheesecake, with a chocolate layer on the outside. Anyway, turns out that quark IS a cheese, and is something between yogurt and cottage cheese, and since I love yogurt and cottage cheese (and cheesecake), I was a big fan. I have not seen this anywhere outside the Baltics though. 

Outside view

Inside view

3. What was the weather like where you are? 

It rained a lot, and then it was very, very hot (95 F/35 C), and then it rained. 

4. What event last month was your favorite?

I cannot choose just one, but I really enjoyed the hiking! However, I also rented a bike a couple of times and had some great rides, I swam a couple of times, I met up with people and ate and drank and was merry! It was a good month. 

5. What was the best thing you read, listened to or watched last month?  

Book: The Beauty of Your Face

Movie/Show: N/A

Podcast: All The Hacks: 18 Tactics for Booking Award Travel

6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

In 2010 I went to Albania, and their currency is the Lek. As you do, I took out too much cash and had some left over when I left. I tried exchanging it in Montenegro, then Croatia, then Italy, but nobody wanted it. So I still had this cash, and I brought it with me on this trip so that if I went back to Albania, I could use it. 

On my hiking trip, I hiked through Albania for a few days, but my plan had been to camp the entire time. However, I checked on the exchange rate, and it turns out I had about $75 worth of Lek, so I decided to go hog wild! I stopped and bought a bunch of food, had lunch in a national park, then got a room in a hut, and I still had some left over, so I bought myself three glasses of wine! It was like going on vacation! Oftentimes after 15 years, the currency will be reissued, so the old stuff will have no value (and this was true for one of the bills, which was worth about $3) and so I have lost a lot of money by not using up my cash before I leave a country! This time I was not going to let that happen again! 

7. What are you looking forward to this month?

I am looking forward to learning more about the history of the Balkans, trying the food, and doing some more hiking (probably just day trips mostly). Also I have three countries coming up that I have never been to before which is exciting. 

Your turn! To copy/paste, highlight the text below and click CTRL-C, then put the cursor in the comment box and click CTRL-V.

JULY:

1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that? 

2. What did you learn last month? 

3. What was the weather like where you are? 

4. What event last month was your favorite?

5. What was the best thing you read, listened to or watched last month?  

6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

AUGUST: 

7. What are you looking forward to this month?

Bonus question! Have you ever heard of quark? Have you ever tried to use money that you had left over from traveling and they would not take it because it was too old? [FYI this has happened to me a lot!]

What I Learned & Looking Back & Looking Forward: June 2025

Happy summer! Happy belated independence day to everyone from the U.S. and Canada! The heat is on! I hope that everyone had a great long weekend and is ready to jump back into it! Its time once again for a monthly wrap up! Please copy and paste the questions at the end and add your answers to the mix! 

Where was I? Georgia & Armenia.

Ice cream for breakfast, kitties, lots of churches
and mountains and historical buildings!

1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that? 

January: Baguettes and Many Steps

February: In Like Minnesota; Out Like Hawaii

March: Wet and Wild

April: My Life is in Ruins, and Beaches Too

May: Al Fresco 

June: Tales as Old as Time: The Christianity and Wine Versions

P.S. Armenia holds the distinction of being the first nation to adopt Christianity as its state religion in 301 AD. Georgia has a rich history and archaeological evidence suggests they were among the earliest regions to develop winemaking, roughly 8000 years ago, or around 6000 BC. Also, fun fact, they do not call their wine "red" and "white," they call it "black" and "amber."

2. What did you learn last month? 

Aside from the above (that is a long time to be drinking wine!) I learned a lot, probably too much to go into here. However, here are a few notable things. First, there are a lot of men in Georgia named Georgi. My walking tour guide, whose name was...you guessed it....Georgi, said that if you ever forget the name of a friend or a cab driver or whatever, just call him Georgi and you will probably have a good chance of being right. 

Interestingly, Georgia was not named after St. George, as some people may think. The natives do NOT call it Georgia, they call it Sakartvelo. However, Türkiye and Iran (and perhaps others) call it Gürcistan and Gurjistan, and Gurj means wolf, so the theory is that the Persians called the Georgians wolves because there were wolves in the region where Georgia is and it morphed into Georgian in English. 

I looked up how the state of Georgia was named just for fun, and apparently it was named after King George II. But wait, you may ask, why was it named after a Brit when the US was trying to escape them? Well, supposedly it was named this in 1732, before the US had independence. Also, at this point in time, Georgia was a colony that also encompassed part of what is now Alabama and Mississippi. Woof, I think I need to brush up on my U.S. History! 

Province of Georgia, USA

3. What was the weather like where you are? 

It was hot enough to go swimming (or to want to!) a couple of times, and then rainy a few days, but otherwise mostly in the 70s and lovely! 

4. What event last month was your favorite?

I really enjoyed the churches and the wine; I mean learning about them! Okay fine, and drinking them in the case of the latter. If you ever see a Georgian Saperavi in the store, snag it, because that is my favorite kind! 

5. What was the best thing you read, listened to or watched last month?  

Book: How To Read a Book, or Look Closer

Movie/Show: N/A

Podcast: The Choose FI guys did an interview with James Clear that I found interesting.

6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

This is not really that "funny," but when I was in Armenia, I got food poisoning (I think?) for the first time in my life. Although this is never really a fun thing no matter what, it was even worse, as I had booked a guesthouse with a shared bathroom (but my own room) since I was only going to be a few days there and I still kept my apartment in Georgia at the same time. Not only that, but I also booked a tour for the day after I arrived, and the night before, I was not doing so well, and so I tried to get them to change the date, but they wouldn't, so I decided that rather than lose money, I would go on the tour. I mean, at this point, I was not needing to run to the bathroom a lot, but I was not really feeling great. 

The tour was good, but it was super hot that day and there was a lot of stopping to get out of the car, get back in the car, get out of the car etc. and every time we stopped, I would go to the bathroom just in case, but was doing okay for the most part. However, I did not have breakfast as I was not feeling great, but I thought maybe I would try having lunch and that would help. It did not help and luckily the last stop of the tour had lots of bushes, as I had to lose my lunch in one of them when everyone else's back was turned. It was not ideal. 

7. What are you looking forward to this month?

I am looking forward to a lot of things! I will be moving a bit faster, which can get tiring, but will cover a lot of ground and will finally do a hiking trip that I have been looking forward to for a while! 

JUNE:

1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that? 

2. What did you learn last month? 

3. What was the weather like where you are? 

4. What event last month was your favorite?

5. What was the best thing you read, listened to or watched last month?  

6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

JULY: 

7. What are you looking forward to this month?

Bonus question! If you are from the US, what did you do for the holiday weekend? If you are from Canada, what did you do for Canada day? If you are from neither, when is your independence day holiday?

Looking Back: Books

You are going to laugh at this. In my mind, I was thinking, okay it's time for my quarterly book post, since the last time I did it was in the first quarter. Then I went back to find the last one, as I generally use the template to create the new one, and the last time I did a quarterly book post was the first quarter of 2024! Oopsie. So yeah, I guess time flies..? So I am going to do Q1 and Q2 together, I guess! Since this is 2025, I am going to give you...2 books I gave 0 stars (DNFed), 2 books I absolutely loved (5 stars) and 5 books that I did not give five stars but are definitely worth a read. So 2-0-2-5, (+5?) kind of! I am not going to divulge all the books I have given five stars yet, as that will in the year end wrap up! Stay tuned! 

Before I start, speaking of five star reads, last month I put the new TJR on hold!!! She has been consistently good (except that I don't love her older stuff as much, but everyone has to start somewhere) and I am looking forward to seeing what this new book brings! However, I am number 57 in line with 96 people waiting per copy so we will see how it goes! Hopefully my library gets more copies! 

Recommend! (5 stars): It is hard to pick just two really, but like I said, at the end of the year I will tell you all of them, so for now I will arbitrarily pick two! For fun, I will try to give you two that I have not heard many people talk about lately, so hopefully you will have not read these yet.

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult. Her books are sometimes a little over the top, but this one I enjoyed. I actually started it when I was riding my bike to Elisabeth's house, then my loan ran out and I waited around 12 more weeks before I could get it again and finish it! It is the story of the woman who was the real author of Shakespeare's plays, and a modern day woman who has written a screenplay about her. I found it fun. It also is based on an actual theory that Shakespeare was not the true author of the plays he was famous for. Picoult does a good job researching her subjects, and a good job portraying her stories, and this book was no exception. It got mixed reviews on GR, but I enjoyed it. 

Look Closer by David Ellis. I read this book in one day. I was going to do all the things, and then I started it and then I could not put it down, and I got none of the things done. It was exactly what I needed after reading a few meh books in a row. It is a thriller about a couple who seem normal at first, but the more you read, the deeper the tale goes and before you know it, you can't really tell which way is up. The cops get involved and there is money, revenge and emotional distress. I loved it. Recommended by Stephany (thanks!)

Still great! (4 stars): Once again, I will try to touch on a few that you may not have heard of as much on the interwebs lately. Four stars is actually my most common rating so far this year, despite the fact that if you asked me, I probably would have guessed it to be three. Here are a few good ones! 

Leviathon Wakes by James Comey. I feel like this is something Jenny would like, as it is a bit like Ender's Game in a way. This is the first of nine (?) books in the Expanse series, and just like the Picoult book, I started it in the middle of 2024, but either wasn't in the mood or my hold lapsed, and you may recall, I had it on a list of "should I ditch these currently reading books" at the end of the year last year. I did not ditch it because I have several friends of different walks of life who have really enjoyed the series, and I am glad I stuck with it, as it was fun. It is the story of a battle in space, topped with a bit of romance and friendship. This is not my usual genre, but I have put book two on hold! 

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley. This is a story about a teenager in the Ojibwe tribe, and covers some of the strife between the people on the reservation and the nearby town, and of being a teenager in general. The main character Daunis finds friendship in a hockey player friend of her brothers, but then finds out that he is not all that he was cracked up to be after she witnesses a murder and sees how he reacts. 

Wish You Well by David Balducci. I guess this author normally writes legal thrillers, but I have never read one. However, this is a coming of age novel about a girl from 1940s Manhattan whose family tragedy forces her and her younger brother to move to a small coal mining town in Virginia to live with their grandmother. The lessons they learn about life, love and friendship in the small town are priceless. I think normal Balducci fans, and some others, really did not like it, but I enjoyed it. 

All The Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker. This is a cross between a missing person/murder mystery with elements of phycological thriller, coming of age and love (and obsession). It is the story of a young boy and girl and a small town. One day, the boy, Patch, saves a popular girl from a bad man but in doing so, gets captured himself. The search for him is lengthy and in the end, becomes bigger than you would ever imagine. If you like this, you may also like his other book, We Begin at the End, which I preferred over this. 

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak. If you are looking for books from non American writers, this is a good one to try. The author is Turkish, and she writes beautifully. This book is about a talking tree (no, not like the Ents in the Lord of the Rings), love, and loss. Set in both Cypress and London, it is a beautifully written tale of a Greek Cypriot falling in love with a Turkish Cypriot during the time when this was forbidden. They have to meet in secret, in a tavern, under the branches of a fig tree. When war breaks out, people flee the island, but one person brings a branch of the tree to London, where it survives. Years later, the girl living there does not understand what this tree has been through, but as the tale progresses she learns more of its (and her own) story. 

Don't bother! (0 stars): 

Chaos Monkeys by Antonio Garcia Martinez. This book was actually so bad that I gave it one star, because I don't know if the zero stars go into the overall average and I wanted to make sure that my vote counted. In addition, I even wrote a review, which I rarely do. Here is what I said: Do not waste your time with this book. Whatever good information or insights the author may have had were drowned in his ego, entitlement and narcissistic manner. I nearly DNFed the book around the 5% mark when he started reminding me of all the finance bros I used to work with, but I carried on, thinking maybe it was a phase, but it was not. I thought I would check the GR reviews to see if they were so good that I should reconsider, but they were not, and laughably, the author rebuts several of the poor reviews in a very condescending manner, which seems pretty much on point. I finally DNFed for good at 22%.

Challenger by Adam Higgenbotham. I wanted to like this book; I wanted to learn more about this time period and situation. However, the description, the definitive, dramatic, minute-by-minute story of the Challenger disaster based on new archival research and in-depth reporting, is pretty much spot on. It is IN DEPTH, and it is minute by minute, and I tried to concentrate on it but I just could not. Maybe some other time, but I was not in the mood for that much detail and fact. 

Have you read any of these books and if so, what did you think? What was your favorite book in June? What was your favorite book so far this year? 

What I Learned & Looking Back & Looking Forward: May 2025

Is it just me, or did May just zoom by? I felt like it did! Maybe because it is my favorite month? Maybe because I was doing stuff, literally moving from one place to the next nearly every day? Whatever it was, it went by fast. Oh and also, April showers DID bring May flowers, as I saw so many wildflowers! It was awesome. 

Where was I? Türkiye and Georgia.

What about you? Please copy and paste the questions at the end and add your answers to the mix! 

1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that? 

January: Baguettes and Many Steps

February: In Like Minnesota; Out Like Hawaii

March: Wet and Wild

April: My Life is in Ruins, and Beaches Too

May: Al Fresco 

(in reference to both being outside and also seeing a lot of art!)

2. What did you learn last month? 

I learned a lot about the Hittites, the Christians and the Ottomans and how the lands in this part of the world were fought over. I was really fascinated by the caves in Cappadocia and the history of the Christians hiding in them, as well as the takeover by the Ottomans and the subsequent years after that. Some of the ruins or structures are BC (like Hieropolis, shown below) and that just blows my mind. I really am in the cradle of civilization and it is all so interesting! However, I did not even visit some of the oldest sites, like Göbekli Tepe, which is said to have been inhabited from around 9,500 BC! Woof! I still have so many places on my list to visit and learn about, like additional places in Türkiye, places like Israel and Jordan and...oh man, the list goes on and on and on! 

Ani, Türkiye 

3. What was the weather like where you are? 

It has been great for the most part. The last few days of the month were rainy, but I will take it! Being outside most of the time (hiking) has been great, sunny, and I even got a bit of a sunburn on a couple of the days (I put cream on, I swear!) 

This shirt is for sun protection, not cold

4. What event last month was your favorite?

I had a few extra days and I decided to go to a small town in the Caucasian mountains and I am so glad that I did and I could have easily stayed for another week; it was so beautiful and the people were nice, and the food was good, and I could hike right from my doorstep. It was perfect. (see photo above)

5. What was the best thing you read, listened to or watched last month?  

I am going to tell this in book, movie/show, podcast format. 

Book: I had a lot of fours, but no five stars, but I did enjoy The Firekeepers Daughter, The Drums of Autumn (4th Outlander, although not as good as the first one), and The Island of Missing Trees. 

Movie/Show: N/A, again! But I watched a lot of nice sunrises! 

Obligatory horse and balloon sunrise photo

Podcast: I have been trying to listen to the news in French or Spanish at least once a week, but I am failing miserably. I just don't have the patience to really concentrate that hard at the moment. 

6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

I don't know if this is funny, or just weird, but I was hiking to a glacier and as I was walking on a road leading up to the trailhead, there was a dude on a bike with no shirt on who would pass me, and then he would stop and do exercises, and then I would pass him, and then he would pass me, and then he would stop and I would pass him. Anyway, eventually I got to the trail and he and I were still leapfrogging (he was now off of his bike) and so we said hello and introduced ourselves. 

Bike guy

Well then he decided that (a) we were friends, (b) I wanted to hear all about him and (c) I must need him to tell me where to go and to help me find the best path. It turns out he was 27 and was a guide who had horses and hiked these trails all the time. Anyway, he was kind of annoying, as I just wanted to take photos and stop and look at stuff and he was adamant that he knew the best way, the best photo ops, the best trail and what I should be doing etc. Long story short, I finally shook him and almost felt like hiding and waiting for him to pass me so I could mosey along on my own. 

Fast forward to two days later, I get off a minibus on the outskirts of another town and I ask a German woman if she wants to share a ride into town. She does, and we get to talking about what we had done in the prior town, and she told me she hiked to the glacier, and I told her that I had too and I told her about this guy who kind of wouldn't leave me alone. She said that when she was there, there was a weird shirtless guy doing pushups who started talking to her, and we realized it was the same dude, and this must be his MO, going every day to the trail and picking up on random foreign women. Anyway, he was 0/2 in this case! 

7. What are you looking forward to this month?

After moving around a lot (hiking for over two weeks, then pretty much staying in one place only a couple or few days at a time, and being on a lot of buses, trains and minivans), I am once again ready for an extended amount of time in one place. I have a list of (boring, admin, adult) things to do that I have been putting off, because I like to time block and my time has been a little erratic lately. Listen, I know I could have done paperwork instead of hiking, but my sanity depends on my getting fresh air and exercise, so I am not going to sacrifice that! I think June will have a nice mix of city time, nature time, excursions, errands/chores/admin stuff and downtime. Bring it on. 

MAY:

1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that? 

2. What did you learn last month? 

3. What was the weather like where you are? 

4. What event last month was your favorite?

5. What was the best thing you read, listened to or watched last month?  

6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

JUNE: 

7. What are you looking forward to this month?

Bonus question! Where/when was your best sunrise/sunset? 

What I Learned & Looking Back & Looking Forward: April 2025

April showers bring May flowers? In my world, it did rain a lot, so bring on the flowers! What about you? Please copy and paste the questions at the end and add your answers to the mix! 

1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that? 

January: Baguettes and Many Steps

February: In Like Minnesota; Out Like Hawaii

March: Wet and Wild

April: My Life is in Ruins, and Beaches Too

(the old stone kind, not anything psychological)

2. What did you learn last month? 

I learned that the Friday market has the best prices for produce, cheeses, nuts and even eggs. I also learned the Turkish have a cheese just like the Greek haloumi which I love. It's called hellim and it's just as good. I also learned to say a few more words in Turkish and can now say "let's go," "I'm here" and "you're welcome!" I also learned the word for loquats (yenidünya), and they are ripe right now. Also they are known as Malta plums, which I never knew! 

3. What was the weather like where you are? 

It was rainy a lot, but then also was in the 70s/80s, and there was some bad smog for a while. But it ended on a wet note again on the 30th! Make up your mind, weather! 

4. What event last month was your favorite?

I had a fun group hike where I met some interesting people! We saw ruins and the ocean and it was a nice day! 

5. What was the best thing you listened to or watched last month?  

I am going to tell this in book, movie/show, podcast format. 

Book: Crow Mary. Yup, I'm jumping on that bandwagon. 

Movie/Show: nothing. I watched nothing. 

Podcast: I'm binging Stephany's Friendships Paradox! Almost caught up to present day! I love binging and hate having to wait for real time episodes so I am kind of dragging out the catching up! 

6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

This is not necessarily a funny story, but I saw this odd conga line chain of caterpillars attached head to tail all traveling together and I had never seen it before. İt was fascinating. Here's the explanation. 

The pine processionary caterpillar (Thaumetopea pityocampa) is known for traveling in long head-to-tail lines, a behavior that helps them stay together and avoid getting lost while searching for a safe place to pupate. This procession is guided by touch and scent—each caterpillar follows the silk trail and pheromones left by the one in front. Staying in line also protects them from predators, as the group can appear larger and more intimidating. While fascinating, these caterpillars have tiny toxic hairs that can harm humans and animals, so it's best to observe them from a distance.

7. What are you looking forward to this month?

Finishing the hike I'm on, having a hamburger if I can find one, wildflowers, and maybe a little beach time before I head inland. 

APRIL:

1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that? 

2. What did you learn last month? 

3. What was the weather like where you are? 

4. What event last month was your favorite?

5. What was the best thing you listened to or watched last month?  

6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

MAY: 

7. What are you looking forward to this month?

Bonus question! Have you ever heard of a Malta plum? Or a loquat?