an itinerant observer

Prologue: Grounded in Houston – A City of My Many Lives The delay begins in Houston—a city etched into my identity. It’s where my kids were born, where I spent fifteen formative years, and where every return feels like both homecoming and farewell. Today, it’s a five-hour layover that stretches into an eternity. “Why this flight? Why me?” I mutter. The minutes bleed into hours. Airports have a peculiar way of amplifying existential questions, as if the pause in transit reflects a broader pause in life. When I finally reboard, it feels less like travel and more like drifting—an uneasy sense of being uprooted and untethered. In-Flight Double Feature: Cinema at 30,000 Feet Somewhere above the clouds, I scroll through the in-flight entertainment and land on Mother, Couch —a bizarre, dystopian family drama. A mother anchors herself to a couch in a furniture store, refusing to budge. Her children orbit around her, paralyzed by her immobility, tangled in invisible threads of expecta...

Introduction In our pursuit of happiness and contentment, we often find ourselves seeking guidance from various philosophies and concepts that offer insight into the art of living. Two such principles, Ikigai and Stoicism, hold profound wisdom that can illuminate our path to genuine fulfillment. By exploring the intertwining threads of Ikigai and Stoicism, we embark on a journey towards discovering the true essence of happiness and contentment. The Essence of Ikigai At the core of Ikigai lies the belief that each individual possesses a unique purpose, a reason for being. Derived from the Japanese culture, Ikigai represents the joy and goal of living. It is the harmony that arises when our passions, professions, vocations, and missions intersect. Embracing Ikigai calls for a deep introspection, a voyage within ourselves to uncover the hidden treasures that define our existence. Just as the Japanese proclaim, everyone has an Ikigai, but it requires a profound and often arduous sear...