I posted the picture below on Instagram a few days ago with the caption “you’re judged by the company you keep.” And sure, it’s a pretty dumb picture, an objectively unnecessary contribution to an internet filled with nerdy dudes posing with ironic accoutrement. But for me, the sentiment’s profound. The real gift of 2018’s been abandoning self-seriousness, what I’d previously considered an incurable malady. It turns out, there’re a whole lot of lionhearted badasses in my life, something you tend to miss when everything’s so goddamn important, and it feels like I’m finally meeting them on their level.

It’s funny how something can burn in your mind like silver fire one minute, and the next be there, but only just, like an errant ghost. As I’m prepping to become a merry nomad again, I’m grateful for having let go of so much, and welcoming in new dreams.