Trying to find something to go with these tights? I don’t have a lot of bright clothes that match them, so went more in a mixing it with lighter colors sort of direction, maybe sort of sky themed (rainbow with the blue and white clouds)?

It’s September afternoon. We’re at a Refuse Fascism march in Cleveland, Ohio. Unlike most other protests this year—or exactly like most other protests this year, depending on who you ask—this one is organized by actual Communists: orange-shirted Bob Avakian proselytes from the Revolutionary Communist Party. Their signs and chants say “Black Lives Matter,” so they’ve accrued a few stragglers, as well as Juan, the tie-wearing teenage wildcard.

On the other side is the man dressed as a crusader knight, McKenzie Levindofske, who goes by McKenzie Levi. Levi—a lanky, long-haired 30something man—is notorious around the Cleveland area. He’s regularly spotted at open mics, doing parkour, or campaigning as a write-in candidate for Mayor or Congress, lugging his 65-pound crusader knight armor everywhere.

…

In fact, Levi has a singular dedication to the Crusader life path. Some would describe him as an elite-tier LARPer (live-action role player), a person who picks a character and then portrays them in the real world. Levi dresses only as a 12th century crusader knight marching to Jerusalem would. He begins with the braies—white puffy underclothes, which he lounges around the house in—pulls on a long tunic, adds a padded gambeson jacket, armors up in full metal chainmail, straps on a sword and shield, and then goes to the grocery store. Over everything, he wears a long surcoat with a red cross emblazoned on the chest.

Levi claims to be pro-Christian, pro-Western civilization, and anti-Globalist. He is a Monarchist who endorses principalities in America—feudal states governed by vassal princes who pay tribute to a king. He once went to Jordan to try to find the Ark of the Covenant. By night he studies 13th century sword fighting manuscripts. Then he charges into battle against those he perceives as the enemies of Western civilization: Antifa and communists.

Since 2017, Levi has attended “hundreds”—probably over 300—of protests in Northeast Ohio. He sees himself as a vessel of public safety “keeping order” in the community. He seems to prefer attending actual communist and Antifa gatherings—like the Refuse Fascism march—over Black Lives Matter protests, though he’ll show up at everything, May Day to a MAGA rally.

…

In 2015, Levi moved to Cleveland to help take care of his mother, sister, and young niece. Changed by his experience in California, he decided to clean up litter in public spaces “but now dressed as a Knight.” He replaced his entire wardrobe with the clothes and chainmail of a 12th century crusader. “The armor actually protects me from weapons, and just wearing it discourages attackers,” Levi says. “It inflames the revolutionary LARPers that are only comfortable with leftist-driven personal expression like pagans and witches. I feel purposeful when I put it on.”

Levi began training in parkour, kickboxing, and medieval combat, studying Royal Armouries Ms. I.33, the earliest known surviving European sword fighting manual. “I use a lot of the ancient techniques from the old manuscripts at the protests,” he says. “My defensive stance—guarded, not revealing I’m ready to fight—came from the I.33.”

…

McKenzie Levi isn’t a loser. That might be the first conclusion one draws—here’s a delusional man-child with ‘problematic’ beliefs roleplaying as a Crusader Knight—but anyone with a sliver of imagination could see something beyond. Yes, Levi believes George Soros funds Antifa and aspects of Pizzagate are real; you can fact-check him into oblivion. His beliefs aren’t  just far-right, they’re literally medieval.

That doesn’t mean he’s bad or evil. Levi is…different. These days, it’s hard for some to stomach a man’s passionate, non-atheistic belief—incapable of such leaps of imagination themselves, it’s more comfortable to crucify him. And while Levi is unabashedly down to fight, there’s a childlike quality to his endeavors. It feels like the opposite of cynicism. Levi enthusiastically runs for local office, has spent hundreds of hours picking up trash around Cleveland, and once went to Jordan to dig in a cave for the Ark of the Covenant. It’s refreshing to be around someone who still believes in something, and isn’t afraid to be name-called for it.

Prompt List #1

For accurate life prompts or AU’s, this list will inspire many whether for CNCO or other fandoms. Feel free to reblog to get requests as well :) My requests are now closed!

1. “Tell me who hurt you and I swear to god I’ll end them.”

2. “Truth or dare?” “Dare.” “I dare you to let me give you a shotgun kiss.”

3. “I’ll give you $50 to be my date tonight.”

4. “How long are we going to hide our relationship?”

5. *jumps on the back of a person’s motorcycle* “Fucking drive!”

6. “You’re a brat, you know that?”

7. “You could speak Spanish this whole time?”

8. “If we are going to date, you’re getting rid of those tan shoes.”

9. “Tu sonrisaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, te amooooooooooooooooooo!�� “You’re so drunk.”

10. “Holy shit, she can dance too.”

11. “Wait, you don’t like our music?”

12. “Wait, you’ve wanted to be with me this entire time and you’ve never said a word, but now that I’m in a relationship you do?”

13. “99% vanilla my ass.”

14. “Aren’t you supposed to be on tour?”

15. “When I told you to leave, I meant never come back, yet here you are.”

16. “You’re going on live television and wearing that?”

17. “It’s either me or that outfit at the award show, one is not going.”

18. “Babyyyyyy, why’d you stop touching my hair?”

19. “The way you get along with my family just melts my heart.”

20. “I think my mom loves you more than me.”

21. “Te dije que me querías pero no me creíste. Pensaste que lo era un chiste.”

22. “Why do you keep staring at me, what do you want?” “You.”

23. “Who wouldn’t want to date you? You’re a total package.”

24. “You say stuff like that then wonder why I’m insecure.”

25. “You need a filter for your mouth!”

26. “You wrote a song… for me?”

27. “Truth or dare?” “Truth.” “If you were to date one of us, who would you pick?”

28. “She thinks I’m adorable!” “Isn’t that a good thing?” “No! I don’t want to be adorable! It’s infuriating!”

29. “So are you just going to stand there and stare at me all night or are you going to buy me a drink?”

30. “You’ve been watching me all night and haven’t done a thing about it, so I decided too.”

31. “Wanna dance?” “Hmm… I don’t know are you good enough?”

32. “You have commitment issues so I’m going to go find someone who doesn’t.”

33. “If you’re going to watch my lips all night might as well do something about it.”

34. “So those other girls don’t mean anything to you? Well sorry, they mean something to me.”

35. “Apparently, all the other boys have a bet that we are going to end up together.”

36. “Hold my hand tight and don’t let go, I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.”

37. “Dímelo otra vez.”

38. “I’ve been waiting so long to do that.”

39. “Stop ignoring it! How can you say we weren’t made for each other?”

40. “Do you feel the same way when he touches you?”

41. “I don’t need you to tell me you want me, I can see the goosebumps that rise on your skin when I even so much as whisper in your ear.”

42. “Stop biting your lip like that.”

43. “Mom, I swear to god I’m going to marry her one day.”

44. “I’m going to kiss you and the only one that can stop me is you.”

45. “I will spend the rest of my life making you laugh, I swear it.”

46. “Don’t lie and say you don’t feel it too!”

47. “The universe keeps bringing us back together for some reason, and I think maybe we should listen to it for once.”

48. “Who the hell is that?”

49. “Oh shit, that girl is your cousin? My bad.”

50. “By the end of our first date, I knew you were it for me baby.”

51. “Are those my rings?” “…No.”

52. “Please, I’m begging you! I need you to help me. What will it take?” “Go on a date with me.”

53. “Baby, you’re trying to say you don’t like me back, but your cheeks are as red as cherries.”

54. “Do you believe in soulmates?” “If you would’ve asked me that a few years ago, I would’ve told you you’re a fool, but now, yes.” “What changed?”

55. “Is this a date?”

56. “I’m not leaving you, not now, not ever.”

57. “Can I pet your dog, please?”

58. “Do you like me, or are you just hitting on me because you’re a flirt?”

59. “Why should I take a chance with you when you’ll most likely break my heart?”

60. “Why are you so mad that I’m going on a date?”

61. “God! I love you, okay?”

62. “You’re such a tease.”

63. “You need to stop wearing those headbands.”

64. “Hey there mami, what’s your name?” “Y/n, and I’m not your mami.”

65. “Does it look like I speak Spanish to you?”

66. “Hi, sorry to bother you, but that man standing over there at the bar with the girl in the red dress is my ex. I’ll give you $20 to help me make him jealous tonight.”

67. “You’ve never seen Harry Potter?!”

68. “You told me you loved me then ran away, what am I supposed to do with that?”

69. “Oh fuck me.” “Gladly.”

70. “This is probably the worst moment ever to say this, but I really want to kiss you right now.”

71. “How did you get my number exactly?”

72. “I’m really not looking to date anyone right now.” “Not even him?” “Never mind.”

73. “Why are we standing so close together?”

74. “You made falling in love with you so incredibly easy, I didn’t even know it was happening until I realized I loved you.”

75. “That guy has been watching you all night baby.” “Who… Oh shit he’s hot, what do I do?”

76. “Let’s call it a hang out, but I pay for everything and we dress really nice.”

77. “Stop inviting people out on our date!” “Since when did it become a date?” “Yeah… uh… a friend date of course!”

78. “They’re not good enough for you!” “Well, then who is?” “Me! It’d be an honor to love you!”

79. “When did you learn to kiss like that?”

80. “So… uh… how did we end up making out exactly?”

81. “Why do people always think we are dating?”

82. “I’m sorry, I have to say this. You literally have the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen in my entire life.

83. “God, making you blush is so easy.”

84. “What are you scared of?” “Well… you.”

85. “Don’t just kiss me like that then walk away!”

86. “Sing to me, please.”

87. “I’m trying to write a song right now and I need you to come over.” “Okay, why?” “You inspire me just get over here.”

88. “So you’re hot, funny, and smart, yet you’re still talking to me?”

89. “Have you been taking wrong turns on purpose?”

90. “So is your personality only comprised of flirting? Cause I’m getting bored.”

91. “I knew you were a hopeless romantic oh my god.”

92. “You put Nicholas Sparks to shame.”

93. “I finally worked up the courage to come and talk to you tonight, and you just break my heart from the get-go?”

94. “You’re a bitch.” “Yeah, you’re right, but I’m not your bitch so I’m still winning.”

95. “You’re like a ray of sunshine.”

96. “Why do you hate me? When did this start exactly?” “Now that you ask, I don’t actually know.”

97. “You fell asleep on me.” “Oh god, I’m sorry.” “Don’t be, it was cute.”

98. “There wasn’t any specific thing you did to make me fall in love with you, but many little things.”

99. “I believe God put you in my life for a reason.”

100. “You always know the right thing to say.”

the great marvel vs dc debate: as understood by hawkeye

hey remember that phlint comic con fic i mentioned the other day? yeah well this is it. 

Clint/Phil, rated G

Summary: Phil Coulson is a certified nerd who loves everything Captain America and works at the SHIELD headquarters downtown as a Level [REDACTED] [REDACTED]. He loves his Harry Potter-loving, future nerd of a niece so very much that he agreed to give her mom a break and bring her to comic con with him this year. Clint Barton is strictly Not A Nerd but it turns out there isn’t much of a market for fancy, handmade bows and arrows beyond comic conventions, and where there’s money Clint goes, so he finds himself at these things at least once a month and they’re usually pretty dreadful because he has exactly 0 idea what’s going on but hey that one guy dressed as captain America is really hot maybe nerds aren’t half bad.

[Read it on AO3!]

“Hey, you! Yeah, you- you Brown Guy! Get away from those!” Clint barked, tearing his eyes away from the handsome-looking soldier eyeing the custom coasters across the aisle just in time to see a kid dressed in some brown cloak fidget with one of Clint’s arrows, dropping it, “These are really expensive! Be careful!"

The Brown Guy just snickered and ran off, his whopping four foot tall body disappearing into the masses easily.

“Dammit,” Clint said, left to stare at the shards of an arrow in bits. The hot guy across the aisle moved to a different booth, farther away.

“Did I just hear you call that kid dressed as a Jawa a Brown Guy?” Veronica, Clint’s booth neighbor, leaned in, practically snorting with laughter. She had bright purple hair and glasses the size of her face and made awesome prints (mostly with acrylic paint and digital applications, but she used almost every medium), lots of them, and created pins of characters and actors that sold like hot cakes (if hot cakes had pictures of hot guys in intimidating fighting stances printed onto them).

“How am I supposed to know what he was?”

“You don’t know what a Jawa is? They’re in the first Star Wars movie, on Tatooine. Ringing a bell?” Nothing. Literally just a blank stare from Clint, “They’re the guys in A New Hope that sell Artoo and Threepio to Luke and Uncle Owen.” Still nothing. Veronica sighed, exasperated, “Why are you here if you don’t even know what a Jawa is, Barton?”

“Oh, Veronica, Veronica, Veronica, such a simpleton,” Clint said, scooping up the broken arrow pieces, “I do it for the money, that’s all. I would much rather be anywhere but here, but sadly this is where I find myself this weekend. I have no clue about any of this nerd stuff.”

“Well then, Barton,” Veronica said, giving Clint a rough clap on the shoulder and a wild smirk, “You’re in luck because a panel just started on the other side of the hall and it’s supposedly going to be a super popular one so business is about to thin out. Plus, Amy said she could guard my booth for awhile just in case. I can freely explain to you the intricacies of The Con. And Star Wars. You definitely need a lesson on Star Wars.”

Clint looked up just in time to see the handsome soldier shopping for coasters move into the masses that were heading in the direction of Veronica’s Super Popular Panel.

“Okay, I’ll listen. I don’t have anything better to do, I guess.”

“You better,” She said, taking a big sip of Mountain Dew and looking like she was about to start talking a mile a minute.

“You gotta explain who the people in the red, white, and blue soldier costumes are, too.” He tried to sound as nonchalant as possible, he really did.

Veronica just smirked, like she knew all of his motivations, “Oh, don’t worry Archer Boy, I will, I will.”

////////

A flash of a red and black floppy hat (if that's what you would call a hat) rammed into Clint’s booth just as a harried, high pitch voice yelled from somewhere deep in the crowd, “Just because I let you dress up as Harley Quinn does not mean you can act like her! Come back here, missy!”

An overwrought BatMom of some sort appeared out of the crowds and reached for a handful of the back of the red-and-black checkered costume. But it was too late. An entire bow had ruptured, it’s string peeled right off the wood by the unruly hand of a child (Clint hadn’t even know that could happen to his bows, but children apparently found new ways to destroy things every day).

“Oh. My. Goodness. I am so, so sorry, sir. I’ll pay for it, I promise,” The BatMom was already pulling out her wallet, “How much did it cost?”

Clint shyly told her the price of the bow and she practically dropped her wallet.

“That much? I-I can’t afford that, I’m so sorry. Could I possibly buy something a little less expensive? What can I buy for, um, $65?”

Almost nothing. That bow had cost $300. Clint was losing money left and right today. He really hated comic cons.

“You could buy one of these arrows, m’am. I really appreciate this,” He smiled, trying not to show on his face that he was doing the math in his head of how many other arrows he’d have to sell to make up for the loss of this single bow and the Jawa's broken arrow.

“Well, I’ll buy it.” The BatMom reassured, keeping a tight grip on the back of Harley Quinn’s costume (whoever Harley Quinn is, Clint had no idea). The little girl was already trying to inch toward Veronica’s booth, or the coaster one across the aisle.

Clint started to make change and BatMom was getting antsy, practically hissed at her daughter to sit still for once for once in her life.

“So what are you two dressed as?” He said, just to pass the time and make things less awkward.

“Are you kidding me? You don’t know who we are?” BatMom said, as if he were crazy.

“No?”

“Well this little runt is Harley Quinn, and she’s not usually this bad, I swear, she’s just excited. She loves it here. And I’m Batman, obviously.”

“Isn’t Batman a… man?”

“So what?”

“Alright, I respect that,” Clint said, trying to make his chuckle as non-threatening as possible, “So what are you, from Star Wars or something?”

Clint could hear Veronica trying not to laugh from her booth.

“No… we’re superheroes.” Clint could tell that BatMom was wondering if she was being pranked or something, her face twisted and she looked towards the ceiling as if she'd catch some sort of secret camera.

“Like Captain America?”

“Well, kinda, but they belong to different universes.”

“Different universes? What does that mean?”

Veronica appeared, out of nowhere with a huge smile, “Go on, Batman. I’ll explain to our archer friend why Marvel and DC fans will forever be at war.”

BatMom smiled, “Well, good luck then. Again, I’m so sorry, sir. Have a good day!”

And she scurried off, just like that, with her daughter pulled tight to her side so she couldn’t run off again, leaving Clint alone with Veronica to get an earful on why Marvel and DC were completely different.

/////

The next time a kid showed up, Clint held his breath. He couldn’t afford another lost arrow. But instead, the little girl with her cloak and her yellow and black scarf and her wand just looked up at him with her wide, innocent eyes and shyly smiled.

“Can I help you?” Clint asked, hesitating. The sweetness could be a trap, the calm before the storm.

But instead, the little wizard (or rather witch, as Clint is corrected later) smiled at him and said, “Your bows and arrows are really pretty.”

“Thank you,” Clint said, because she may be a kid but he worked really hard and all compliments were appreciated, no matter how small, “Do you like archery?”

“It’s pretty cool, I guess, like Katniss!”

“Yeah, sure, like Katniss.” That was usually what people thought of when he talked about archery nowadays, it used to be Robin Hood. Not anymore. Now it was just all Katniss, all the time. Clint missed the days of Robin Hood (and the occasional Annie Oakley, which didn't completely make sense, but it was still appreciated).

“Katie, please don’t run away like that!” A voice appeared, out of nowhere, from the depths of the crowd, red, white, blue, and… hot. It was the Captain America from earlier, the one that Clint had been checking out as he checked out coasters. And apparently he had a daughter which meant there was probably a wife or significant other of some sort not far behind. Damn. But then, the cosplayer frowned and opened his mouth again, “Your mom would kill me if I lost you. Do you have any idea how easy it would be for my sister to kill me for losing you? With ease. She’d have no problem with it. None.”

Oh. So it wasn’t his kid, it was his niece. It appeared that there was still hope for Clint Barton and the Hot Cosplayer afterall.

“I’m so sorry,” Fake Captain America said, turning to Clint and oh, “She’s a curious one. I hope she didn’t bother you.”

This was his chance. Clint smiled as charmingly as he could, “Not at all. She was just explaining Katniss Everdeen to me.”

The stranger wrapped his arm around his niece, chuckling almost to himself, “She does like Hunger games. I’m Phil by the way, and this is Katie.”

“It’s Nice to meet you, Phil. You too, Katie. I’m Clint. I own Hawkeye’s Collectables." He widened his smile, just a little, to somehow make himself seem amicable to the max, hoping Phil would get the hint, "Here’s my card.” Clint hoped that the fact that his cell number was written on the back of the card was hint enough to call him. He didn’t want to blatantly ask this stranger out in front of his niece. Now that’d just be rude, right?

Phil smiled down at the card and Clint loved it, felt his stomach bloom as Phil spoke, “Thanks, Clint. So you make these all on your own?”

“Yeah, from start to finish at my studio.” Clint tried not to sound like he was boasting, but well, he was very proud of his craft.

Phil examined a nearby bow, “They’re amazing.”

Clint couldn’t help but smile, “Thank you so much. And y'know, I really like your costume.”

Phil smiled, so fucking wide it was unreal. Clint was gonna go for it. He really was. Just ask outfront, not wait for all that complicated dating subtext. The signals were there, right?. He just had to go for it, “Listen, I couldn’t help but notice-,”

But then he stopped because a beautiful redhead dressed as one of those people from Star Trek appeared seemingly out of nowhere and wrapped her hand around Phil’s elbow in such a familiarly intimate way that it made Clint’s stomach do a nose dive.

“Phil! I was looking everywhere for you!”

“Oh, Nat! Look at these bows! Aren’t they amazing? Clint here made them himself,”

Nat really looked at them, leaned over Phil to do so, like she was judging them, ranking them in her head, and maybe Phil wasn’t single afterall, this woman was certainly beautiful enough to be Phil’s girlfriend or wife or whatever. Nat smiled and Clint felt himself burn, almost vicariously, “These are really cool,”

“Thanks... I guess.”

Nat turned back to Phil, “Come on, the cosplay contest is about to start. You can totally place again, maybe even win!”

Katie got excited, too, started tugging on Phil’s sleeve, “I wanna see you win, Uncle Phil! Come on! Come on!”

Phil rolled his eyes at the two girls and looked at Clint, “It was nice to meet you.”

“Good luck with your contest,” Clint replied and slumped against his table. There was once again no point to Comic Cons apparently. Not without the hopes of hot guys dressed as Captain America.

////

The next day when Clint received a text from someone saying that they were Phil From The Con, he was ecstatic for approximately 0.2 seconds before he remembered that Phil was most likely completely and utterly Straight and Taken. Damn.

So he did what any mature and reasonable adult would do. He ignored the messages. Dealing with his problems would obviously be too difficult. Obviously.

When Clint was laying on his couch watching Dog Cops and his phone rang, the caller idea reading the number that Phil had texted him with, Clint (very maturely, by the way) threw his phone to the other side of the couch, conveniently underneath one of the ratty purple throw pillows so that the ringer was muffled, and pretended that he had no idea what that ringing sound was.

Clint received three more texts before the end of the week when they just stopped coming altogether.

Clint went back to his everyday life. He crafted some more bows, made replacement arrows, scheduled his next con, did whatever he could to take his mind off of the texts dinging from his phone. Thankfully, Clint received a particularly expensive request through his website that allowed him to take his attention away from Hot and Straight Phil and onto working on the order.

He liked to personally deliver the more expensive orders himself. It was sort a place of pride for him. So as he finished up the customized product, Monday came around and he packaged up his work and set out for the address on the email. It was nearby anyway, only a 15 minute drive. Once at the correct address, Clint maneuvered the package to the door and waited patiently for the customer after hearing a muffled, “I’m coming! Hold on!” From within the condo.

It was a medium-sized, modest, uber-modern condo that looked barely lived in, like the owner had somewhere better to be all the time. It was entirely different from Clint’s apartment, that looked like a tornado had hit it no matter what the time of day it may be. The door opened just as Clint began contemplating how many items he left out just on the path from his front door to the couch and how long it would probably take to tidy that area up (too damn long).

Clint gasped, “Phil?”

And sure enough, Phil stood there, smiling like he was the smoothest motherfucker in the entire world and well, granted, Clint had not seen that coming. But here Phil, the very person he had been avoiding for over a week and a half, stood in his nice and tidy house with his probably-girlfriend probably somewhere in there, answering the door wearing a ratty old t-shirt with a faded Captain America logo printed across the front.

“Hey, Clint. How’s it going?”

“You- um-,” Clint seemed to be having difficulty speaking, “You ordered something?”

“Yes, I believe I did,”

And before Clint could stop himself he found himself blurting, “Why?”

“Because I like you,” Phil said, so effortlessly, so easily, like it wasn’t something that Clint had been struggling to put into words for over a week and a half.

“What about your girlfriend?”

“Girlfriend?”

“You know,” Clint said, gesturing, “Nat?”

Phil honest-to-god snorted aloud, “Natasha is not my girlfriend. And trust me, she never will be. We just work together and well, let’s just say that neither of us exactly swing that way.”

“Oh. Oh.” Clint said dumbly, “So you-?”

“Yeah, Clint, Yeah.”

“Oh. Well, um, in that case, would you like to go out sometime?”

That trademark Phil Smile that Clint found himself loving returned again, “If you promise to respond to my texts, Clint, yeah, I’d love to.”

“Good,”

“Would you like to come in?”

Oh boy did Clint ever want to. But, nerd or no, Clint knew nothing real about him, and he had kinda liked the mystery, the waiting while it had lasted, “Not today, Phil,” Clint said, like some sort of half-promise, “Not today.”

Clint left, inadvertently forgetting all about the bow that he had made for Phil, leaving the wooden masterpiece on Phil’s doorstep, like part of his heart or his soul or something, left right outside of Phil's home to face the weather and all its irony. Clint only remembered it after he had already started the car, considered it a gift to Phil, and drove off.

At the end of the month, when Clint was looking over his bills (Phil made him do things like that, it was cute how heated he got about Clint doing Adult Things because they were Important), he found a mysterious entry of money without identification, equal to the price of the bow.

Almost like somebody had hacked his accounts and imputed just enough money to repay him for the bow. Weird. The name said something like Fury, but Clint didn't know a Fury. He'd certainly remember a name like that. Oh well.

[:en]”Well, you’ll come back totally changed!”

No matter who I told two years ago that I just wanted to hike through the entire state of Arizona for two months, the reaction was almost always the same. For many, it was usually associated with the idea of a pilgrimage. Self-discovery and so on. I always tried to put that into perspective in the best possible way. I just wanted to go hiking, enjoy nature. And that just once longer than the usual two to three weeks annual vacation. What difference does that make to me?

Exactly one year ago I finished my thruhike of the Arizona Trail at the Utah state line. Has nothing really changed?

Simplicity

On March 18, 2019 I started my adventure at the Mexican border. On my back a 65 liter backpack with a tent, sleeping pad, quilt, some extra clothes or layers, a solar panel and stuff that I would need on such a trip on foot through the desert. The amount of clothes and utensils was no different than if I had only been on the trail for four days.

My daily routine was absolutely simple: take down the tent, put everything in my backpack, start hiking, eat, find water sources, hike, hike, hike, enjoy the view, find a place for the evening, cook food, prepare sleeping quarters, sleep. And again and again. After a while, every piece of equipment had a permanent place in the backpack. And when nothing was lying around in the morning, everything was packed. It’s as simple as that.

Shopping was just as easy. Go into the general store, get a quick overview. A few cookies, lemon cake, tortillas, tuna and chicken and something warm for the evening for X-days. After ten minutes I was usually done. The smaller the shop, the faster the resupply.

Mile after mile of great landscapes, unique postcard motives. Wow-thoughts only alternate with where the best place for a break is. Where is the next water source? How many layers do I put on today? What do I eat from my food bag tonight? Can I pet this snake?

Making contact. No problem. In the outdoors everyone is with the same purpose: get out, enjoy nature, leave the daily routine and the masses behind. Some in their RVs and some – like me – just with their backpack on their back. Somehow, despite the remoteness, I was never alone and yet only surrounded by the people I wanted to spend time with. On the trail, you quickly figure out if you are on the same wavelength and you end up hiking together for weeks. Or you let go after a few hours or even minutes.

This simplicity soon becomes a habit.

Back to reality

From the Hike to the holiday

After these wonderful 800 miles from Mexico to Utah the break from everyday life was not over yet – but it was different. With the rental car we wanted to go from Nevada via Utah to Colorado and California. A great plan, but at the beginning I was totally overwhelmed.

The arrival in Las Vegas with my sparse equipment and the dirty hiking gear put me into a world where I suddenly felt like an alien. With my trekking poles in my hands, the satellite messenger on my backpack and the crumpled water bottles, the dressed-up Las Vegas travellers in the colourful glitter world gave me scornful looks.

During the first big shopping for the big road trip I fled from the huge WalMart after twenty minutes of complete lack of planning. Too many people, too much choice, too much of everything. Switching from my small 65-liter backpack universe to this confusing SUV rental car drove me crazy. Clothes everywhere, which I found superfluous in this amount. Two tents, two sleeping pads, two sleeping bags, boats, paddles, waterproof vests, ice axes, bear canister, fire bowls, wood and gas stoves. And tons of small stuff without system. So much time wasted searching for things. I wanted my simplicity back and more than once I stood frustrated in front of the jam-full car for the first days.

From vacation to everyday life

At some point, every holiday and sabbatical comes to an end. In order to make my return home a little softer, I had planned on another week of buffer time in Berlin – my place of residence – instead of going straight to work the next day as usual.

The return to my apartment felt strange. I had sublet it for the duration of my absence, but there was no sign of that anymore. It was as if I had never been away. Doing the laundry, unpacking luggage, shopping, going through the mail. Everyday life was back. From 100 to zero.

From everyday life to work

“Hello, welcome back. We have some very urgent tasks waiting for you.”

Whether I was gone for a week or five months, the reaction of my colleagues was basically the same. Certainly I hadn’t expected a huge welcome party. But I would have appreciated a little more interest and care after an unusually long absence with a lot of adventures. Isolated in my (involuntary) individual office I felt quite out of place and excluded.

It took almost a month until my boss had a kind of return conversation with me. Time enough to realize: it can’t go on like this. I have to change something. Something that will increase my motivation in the sometimes pointless everyday life of administration. My attempt for an internship in corporate communications in my own company was rejected by my then department head. He thought I would only want to pursue my hobby. It’s strange that this can be interpreted as a disadvantage to want to do what you are interested in and studied for. What you “burn for”.

Other employers have (also) nice jobs

So the job advertisement of a freelance editor at the provider of route planning and navigation in the outdoor sector „komoot” came out just in the right moment. Komoot – in the southern German language area that means as much as practical and simple. Simplicity was exactly what I was looking for now. So I updated my 13-year-old CV, made an appointment for application photos and sent my documents digitally. About three weeks later I had a video conference with the chief editors and another week later the digital freelancer contract fluttered into my email inbox.

My task: planning exciting tours, creating and describing suitable routes, researching great areas and thus preparing unique adventures in nature for the users. A job that is fun, that makes sense for me. After my self-imposed trial period of one and a half months, I reduced my administrative job to 30 hours a week to have more time for the freelancer job.

  After a good eight months now I can say for myself: the change was absolutely right and important. In the meantime I work much more than before my sabbatical. 48 to 50 hours a week are less the rarity than more the rule. Nevertheless I am much happier and more balanced. It’s worth a lot if you can work at least partly with passion on one thing – while the rest pays the rent and secures further sabbaticals.

Komoot as a hundred percent remote job also shows me that it can be absolutely pragmatic on the job and that a company can be successful despite or exactly because of this. An approach from which many companies and administrations can cut a slice. For me it is the step into a changed present and the way into a new future. Germany forever? Certainly not.

A new attitude to life

But it’s not only the job that has changed. The weeks in the wilderness, with all its beauty and challenges, have made me extremely relaxed and calm. With the new attitude, not to get upset or annoyed about things that you cannot change, life is much more relaxed. That starts with the weather. It won’t rain less if you mope all the time. Instead, there is much more positive energy to look forward to a warm dinner, a dry hut or the next rays of sunshine. Or the new contact lenses, if you’ve been hiking in the backcountry with just one in your eye for three weeks because the other one broke.

In the meantime I am also ready to leave things to themselves. At the beginning of June 2019, I hiked with my boat into the desert for a five-day river trip to the other end of the Canyonlands National Park – without knowing how I would get back to the car that was parked 80 miles away in Moab. Before the Arizona Trail it was unthinkable for me to get involved in complete lack of planning. But the trail showed me: There is always a solution! 

  After I had hiked back from the Colorado River through the canyons for two days after the tour, I sat – in the shade of a small bush – next to a trailhead. I made myself a cup of coffee, because I was waiting for the German tourist I had met during the hike, who had offered to take me back to Moab by car. At that moment an older couple asked me if they could give me a ride. Just like that. There is always a solution.

And that’s it with hiking?

Of course not. Before I started the Arizona Trail, I asked myself if I would be tired of living in a tent after that. On the contrary. Weeks before crossing the state border to Utah it was obvious to me: the next trail has to come. And it must be longer. 800 miles are gone too fast. So since October I have been saving for the next sabbatical: six months in 2022. The Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada is firmly planned. Because: Home is, where you pitch your tent.

 [:de]„Na, da wirst du ja total verändert wiederkommen!“

Egal, wem ich vor zwei Jahren erzählte, dass ich mal eben zwei Monate durch den kompletten Bundesstaat Arizona wandern will – die Reaktion war fast immer dieselbe. Für viele war das meist mit der Vorstellung einer Pilgerreise verbunden. Selbstfindung und so. Ich versuchte das dann immer bestmöglich zu relativieren. Ich wollte doch nur wandern gehen, die Natur genießen. Und das einfach mal länger als die üblichen zwei bis drei Wochen Jahresurlaub. Was soll das schon groß in mir ändern?

Exakt vor einem Jahr beendete ich meinen Thruhike auf dem Arizona Trail an der Staatsgrenze zu Utah. Hat sich tatsächlich nichts geändert?

Einfachheit

Am 18. März 2019 startete ich mein Abenteuer an der mexikanischen Grenze. Auf dem Rücken einen 65-Liter-Rucksack mit Zelt, Isomatte, Quilt, ein wenig Wechselklamotten beziehungsweise Schichten, einem Solarpanel und Kram, den ich auf so einem Trip zu Fuß durch die Wüste brauchen würde. Dabei war die Menge der Klamotten und Utensilien nicht anders, als wie wenn ich nur vier Tage unterwegs wäre.

Mein Tagesablauf war absolut simpel: Zelt abbauen, alles im Rucksack verstauen, loswandern, essen, Wasserquellen finden, wandern, wandern, wandern, die Aussicht genießen, einen Platz für den Abend finden, Essen kochen, Schlafquartier herrichten, schlafen. Und wieder von vorn. Nach einer gewissen Zeit hatte jeder Ausrüstungsgegenstand einen festen Platz im Rucksack. Und wenn am Morgen nichts mehr herumlag, war folglich alles eingepackt. It’s as simple as that.

Einkäufe liefen genauso easy. Rein in den Laden, kurzen Überblick verschaffen. Ein paar Kekse, Zitronenkuchen, Tortillas, Tunfisch und Huhn aus der Plastiktüte und etwas Warmes für den Abend für X-Tage. Nach zehn Minuten war ich meistens fertig. Je kleiner der Laden, desto schneller das Resupply.

Kilometer um Kilometer großartige Landschaften, einzigartige Postkartenmotive. Wow-Gedanken wechseln sich nur damit ab, wo der beste Pausenplatz ist. Wann die nächste Wasserquelle kommt. Wieviel Schichten ziehe ich heute an? Was esse ich heute Abend aus meinem Futterbeutel? Kann ich diese Schlange streicheln?

Kontakte knüpfen. Kein Problem. In der Natur ist jeder mit demselben Zweck: Rauskommen, den Alltag und die Massen hinter sich lassen. Manche in ihren Wohnmobilen und manche – wie ich – nur mit dem Rucksack auf dem Rücken. Irgendwie war ich trotz der Abgeschiedenheit nie allein und doch nur von den Menschen umgeben, mit denen ich Zeit verbringen wollte. Sehr schnell merkt man auf dem Trail, mit wem man auf einer Wellenlänge ist und gegebenenfalls auf einmal Wochen zusammen wandert oder wen man nach ein paar Stunden, gar Minuten ziehen lässt.

Diese Einfachheit wird recht bald zur Gewohnheit.

Zurück zur Realität

Vom Hike in den Urlaub

Nach diesen wunderbaren 1.300 Kilometer von Mexiko nach Utah war die Auszeit noch nicht zu Ende – aber anders. Mit dem Mietauto sollte es von Nevada über Utah nach Colorado und Kalifornien gehen. Ein toller Plan, der mich anfangs aber total überforderte.

Schon die Ankunft in Las Vegas mit meiner spärlichen Ausrüstung und den siffigen Wanderklamotten versetzte mich in eine Welt, in der ich mich plötzlich wie ein Alien fühlte. Mit meinen Trekkingstöcken in der Hand, dem Satellitenmessenger am Rucksack und den zerknitterten Wasserflaschen sahen mich die herausgeputzten Las Vegas-Reisenden in der bunten Glitzerwelt nur schräg von der Seite an.

Beim ersten Großeinkauf für den großen Roadtrip floh ich nach zwanzig Minuten völliger Planlosigkeit aus dem riesigen WalMart. Zu viele Menschen, zu viel Auswahl, von allem zu viel. Von meinem kleinen 65-Liter-Rucksack-Universum auf diesen unübersichtlichen SUV-Mietwagen zu wechseln, machte mich schier wahnsinnig. Überall Klamotten, die ich in dieser Menge überflüssig fand. Zwei Zelte, zwei Isomatten, zwei Schlafsäcke, Boote, Paddel, Wasserschutzwesten, Eisäxte, Bärenkanister, Feuerschalen, Holz- und Gaskocher. Und tonnenweise Kleinkram ohne System. Ewig viel Zeit verschwendet auf der Suche nach Dingen. Ich wollte meine Einfachheit wieder und mehr als einmal stand ich die ersten Tage frustriert vor der vollgestopften Karre.

Vom Urlaub in den Alltag

Irgendwann endet jeder Urlaub und jedes Sabbatical. Um die Heimkehr ein bisschen weicher zu gestalten, hatte ich mir noch eine Woche Pufferzeit in Berlin – meinem Wohnort – eingeplant, statt wie sonst gleich am nächsten Tag auf Arbeit durchzustarten.

Die Rückkehr in meine Wohnung kam mir seltsam fremd vor. Ich hatte sie für die Dauer meiner Abwesenheit untervermietet, aber davon war nichts mehr zu sehen. Als wäre ich nie weggewesen. Wäsche waschen, Gepäck ausräumen, einkaufen, Post durchsehen. Von 100 auf null.

Vom Alltag zur Arbeit

„Hallo, willkommen zurück. Wir haben hier ganz dringende Verfahren, die schon auf dich warten.“

Ob ich nun eine Woche weg war oder fünf Monate. Die Reaktion der Kollegen war im Prinzip gleich. Sicherlich hatte ich keine Riesen-Willkommensparty erwartet. Ein bisschen mehr Interesse und Kümmern nach doch ungewohnt langer Abwesenheit mit etlichen Abenteuern aber schon. Isoliert in meinem (unfreiwilligen) Einzelbüro kam ich mir direkt nach meiner Rückkehr ziemlich deplatziert und ausgeschlossen vor.

Fast einen Monat dauerte es, bis mein Chef eine Art Rückkehrgespräch mit mir führte. Zeit genug um festzustellen: so geht es nicht weiter. Ich muss etwas verändern.  Etwas, was meine Motivation in dem teilweise so sinnlos erscheinenden Verwaltungsalltag wieder hebt. Mein Versuch, im eigenen Unternehmen mal in die Unternehmenskommunikation hinein zu schnuppern, wurde von meinem damaligen Abteilungsleiter abgeschmettert. Damit würde ich ja nur meinem Hobby nachgehen wollen. Seltsam, dass einem das als Nachteil ausgelegt werden kann, dies zu tun wollen, wofür man sich interessiert und studiert hat. Wofür man „brennt“.

Andere Arbeitgeber haben (auch) schöne Jobs

Da kam die Stellenanzeige eines Freelance Editors beim Anbieter für Routenplanung und Navigation im Outdoorbereich komoot genau richtig. Komoot – das bedeutet im süddeutschen Sprachraum so viel wie praktisch und einfach. Einfachheit war genau das, was ich jetzt suchte. Also möbelte ich meinen 13 Jahre alten Lebenslauf auf, machte einen Termin für Bewerbungsbilder und schickte meine Unterlagen digital ab. Rund drei Wochen später führte ich ein Gespräch mit den Chefredakteuren per Videokonferenz und eine weitere Woche danach flatterte der digitale Freelancer-Vertrag in mein Email-Postfach.

Meine Aufgabe: Spannende Touren planen, passende Routen erstellen und beschreiben, tolle Gebiete recherchieren und so den Nutzern einzigartige Abenteuer in der Natur vorbereiten. Eine Arbeit, die Spaß macht, die für mich Sinn macht. Nach meiner mir selbstauferlegten Probezeit von anderthalb Monaten reduzierte ich meinen Verwaltungsjob auf 30 Stunden die Woche, um mehr Zeit für den Freelancer-Job zu haben.

  Nach nun gut acht Monaten kann ich für mich sagen: die Veränderung war goldrichtig und wichtig. Inzwischen arbeite ich weit mehr als vor meinem Sabbatical. 48 bis 50 Stunden die Woche sind weniger die Seltenheit als mehr die Regel. Dennoch bin ich um Längen glücklicher und ausgeglichener. Es ist viel wert, wenn man zumindest teilweise mit Leidenschaft an einer Sache arbeiten kann – während der Rest die Miete bezahlt und weitere Sabbaticals sichert.

Komoot als hundertprozentiger Remote-Job zeigt mir zudem, dass es auch im Job absolut pragmatisch zugehen kann und trotzdem oder genau deswegen ein Unternehmen erfolgreich sein kann. Ein Ansatz, von dem sich so manche Firma und Verwaltung eine Scheibe abschneiden kann. Für mich ist es der Schritt in eine veränderte Gegenwart und der Weg in eine neue Zukunft. Deutschland für immer? Sicher nicht.

Eine neue Lebenseinstellung

Aber nicht nur beruflich hat sich bei mir einiges geändert. Die Wochen in der Wildnis, mit all ihren Schönheiten und Herausforderungen, haben mich extrem entschleunigt und gelassener werden lassen. Mit der neuen Einstellung, sich nicht über Dinge aufzuregen oder zu ärgern, die man nicht ändern kann, lebt es sich viel entspannter. Das fängt schon beim Wetter an. Es wird nicht weniger regnen, wenn man die ganze Zeit Trübsal bläst. Stattdessen gibt es viel mehr positive Energie, sich auf ein warmes Dinner, eine trockene Hütte oder die nächsten Sonnenstrahlen zu freuen. Oder die frischen Kontaktlinsen, wenn man schon drei Wochen nur noch mit einer einzigen im Auge durch die Landschaft gewandert ist, weil die andere kaputtging und man in den USA ohne Rezept an keinen Ersatz kommt.

Inzwischen bin ich auch bereit, einfach mal die Dinge ihrem Lauf zu überlassen. Anfang Juni 2019 wanderte ich mit meinem Boot in die Wüste zu einer fünftägigen Flussfahrt zum anderen Ende des Nationalparks Canyonlands – ohne zu wissen, wie ich hinterher die rund 130 Kilometer wieder zum Auto zurückkommen würde. Vor dem Arizona Trail für mich undenkbar, mich auf völlige Planungslosigkeit einzulassen. Der Trail aber hat mir gezeigt: Es findet sich immer eine Lösung! 

  Nachdem ich nach der Tour zwei Tage vom Colorado River durch die Canyons wieder zurückgewandert war, saß ich – im Schatten eines kleinen Busches – neben einem Wanderparkplatz. Ich machte mir noch einen Kaffee, denn ich wartete auf die deutsche Touristin, die ich während der Wanderung getroffen hatte und die angeboten hatte, mich wieder nach Moab zum Auto zurückzubringen. In dem Moment fragte mich ein älteres Ehepaar, ob es mich irgendwo hin mitnehmen könnte. Einfach so. Es findet sich immer eine Lösung.

Und das wars mit Wandern?

Natürlich nicht. Vor dem Arizona Trail habe ich mir die Frage gestellt, ob ich danach erstmal satt bin vom Leben im Zelt. Ganz im Gegenteil. Schon Wochen vor dem Überschreiten der Staatsgrenze zu Utah war klar: der nächste Trail muss her. Und er muss länger sein. 1.300 Kilometer sind zu schnell vorbei. Seit Oktober spare ich also auf die nächste Auszeit: sechs Monate in 2022. Der Pacific Crest Trail von Mexiko nach Kanada ist fest geplant. Denn: Home is, where you pitch your tent.

[:] [:en]How a thruhike changes your life[:de]Wie ein ThruHike dein Leben verändert[:] [:en]"Well, you'll come back totally changed!" No matter who I told two years ago that I just wanted to hike through the entire state of Arizona for two months, the reaction was almost always the same.

1000 Miles in under 24 Hours on a Motorcycle

One thousand miles in less than twenty-four hours, on a motorcycle.  It is a simple challenge.  Do it at your own timing, your own route, your own pace. I prepared for over a month and now I was between Ludlow and Barstow in pitch darkness being hypnotized by far away red tail lights lulling me to sleep.  This was the most dangerous moment of the entire day.  The mints I put in my mouth at the last fuel stop had just dissolved. Gotta stay awake.  I lifted my helmet visor to get fresh air on my face, the air was warmed by the desert’s 110 degrees that day and felt like being wrapped up in a warm down comforter. Blinked hard. “Knock it off, gotta stay awake, don’t stack it running off the road and die now”  Blue sign emerged from the darkness, REST STOP 20 miles. Cool, I can do it, I’m going to make it.  Motorcycle safety course, Atlanta, 2012, accidents follow a chain of events, break one of the links that you control, and you stand a better chance. Speed, fatigue or traffic.  There was no traffic, but I had no more stamina to give, so my speed was modest to compensate for the lack of reaction time.  The miles dragged on.  Then the exit, I took my Indian Scout into the rest area, laid on a picnic table and grabbed fifteen minutes shut eye.

The first time I had ever heard about the Iron Butt Saddlesore 1000 challenge was in Atlanta 2013. I saw another motorcyclist with a license plate cover declaring his membership in the association. One thousand miles at one go felt insurmountable for my 1987 Honda CBR600.  The most I ever got was seven hundred miles from South Carolina to New Jersey one summer, and man, I felt that for days after.  I filed the challenge in the back of my mind and when I had a ride that could handle it, I’d make my attempt. 2018, now was the time, I’d do the challenge on my 2016 Indian Scout, 1133cc would be perfect to cut down the highway.

The route would tell me the rest of the necessary preparations.  I needed something that would minimize traffic congestion.  Nothing would kill my attempt faster than trying to lane split my way through bumper to bumper cars and trucks.  Even then I would only be able to lane split in California. Easiest route would be a loop, do it in twenty-four hours on a Saturday and then Sunday to sleep and back to work on Monday. To make one thousand miles in one day, the average speed would need be between 60-65 mph, that’s including stops for fuel and rest.  So I was looking for an interstate out from Orange County, into rural low traffic that could loop back home by the evening.  Not that many options given those parameters so I went with east on Interstate 15 past Barstow, to 163, 93, etc. then Interstate 40 to Winslow Arizona and back via Interstate 40 west direct to Barstow I15 and Orange County. 

Then there was the approach to timing.  Should I ride for five hundred miles, get a hotel, sleep for four to five hours and then ride back?  Or ride straight through but then how to get in and out of LA basin and the traffic timings.  I poured over traffic statistics online for my area.  Saturday, when does peak traffic hit on the route I had chosen,  when does traffic die off in the evening when I’d be riding back.  How can I fit this into my diurnal rhythm for the best use of energy.  All factors dumped into the calculating mind box and out spat: Sat five am start, back by nine pm, missing traffic both east bound and west bound.

Next consideration was that I’d need a witness.  The Iron Butt Challenge is offered by the Iron Butt Association.  This is not just something to do on my own for bragging rights. I’d need to document the effort fully and credibly to peer review. A witness would need to be at the start and finish of the event.  I’d need to log my odometer and location at each and every stop and I’d need to collect verifiable receipts as a paper trail detailing exactly where I was and when.  I put a call out to friends and one answered. I’d need you at five am on Saturday and late night that same day.  No problem. This friend was fully in to action sports and the clock was just a reference.  

Week before go time.  The timing fit with my witness and my availability.  My Indian just had new tires and I was down to final preparations.  At a week out the weather forecast was more or less reliable.  I went through the process of logging the weather predictions for half a dozen locations on the route, by time of day.  I knew Barstow would be hottest, hitting a high of 110-114 degrees but I’d be riding through at seven am and past eight pm.  The rest of the route was at a more or less comfortable 92-98 degrees.  Here’s a twist, Flagstaff Arizona was 62 degrees around the times I’d be passing east and west. wow that’s nice, unexpected but nice…wait a minute, the reason it was so cool was from thunderstorms.  I’d have to make sure all my gear was waterproof.  Should I wear the rain coat insert? It would mean I’d be overheated in the one hundred plus degree spots or I could stop and put that on then stop and take it off…each direction but that would be a time kill on the clock.  I’d bring it but wear it only if absolutely necessary or if I broke down in that area. 

Last thing but most important, water.  I’d bring a soft sided cooler that I sometimes used on road trips and lash that to the back rest on the Scout.  It was lightly insulated and would allow for a bag of ice and a couple liters of water, plus the camel back’s liter gave me four and a half liters of water with ice to put in the camel back when I hit the hot zones.  

The night before go time and I knoll all my gear. The tool roll, the bag of food with protein, dried  fruit, crackers, gum and mints. The para-cord bracelet, full face helmet with mirror tint face shield, the Olympia four season riding jacket and riding pants with armored knees.  Under the riding gear I would wear a compression base level and a pair of gym shorts.  Finally, the inflatable air cushion.  I had a gel seat cushion but I knew that would wear thin after four hours.  So this trip I’d also bring this air cushion, shove it down my motorcycle pants and only look like I shat my pants when I stood up during fuel stops.  Small price to pay for avoiding excruciating pain in my lower back. 

I wrote out route numbers on PostIt notes to put in the clear sleeve pocket on my riding jacket.  405S, 55N, 91E etc.  The most challenging section would be east bound after Barstow.  In order to make the entire route over a thousand miles and apex at Winslow I’d be riding a slightly different route eastbound versus westbound, not just interstate 40 there and back again.  It would be challenging but in a good way, variety being the spice of a good trip.  Once past Barstow I’d need to find Nipton Road and exit there, then on to 93S to 163E, a short ride on 95S and merge to I40E. Based on a cursory Google Maps view, that whole section appeared to be a four lane highway, two in each direction with a median.  Perfect.

Four fifteen am.  There’s no dragging ass now. I’m up, shower, dress, put the ice and water in the bag and I’m on the way to start point, a Chevron in Costa Mesa where I’d meet my witness. It’s dark, little traffic and my mind is hyper focused, did I remember to bring my wallet? yes I checked it five times, did I lock the door, yes, is there enough air in the seat bag? Did I give the cat enough food for the day.  And all that evaporates as the Chevron comes to view.  Naomi is already there. I pull up to a fuel pump so I can get a start receipt.  We fill out the log, grab a photo together, I take a picture of the odometer and the receipt and I’m off.  Back on the highway and at cruising speed in the darkness of the morning. 

For me the first part of any long road trip is a blur.  It’s like one of those films where the camera is in the car and the film speed is set extra fast and you see the highway snake along in curves with changing scenery blur by left and right.  The Scout has an effective range on highway of one hundred and ten miles.  Then the fuel light comes on and you have thirty more miles after that.  I brought two half liter fuel bottles in my bag, not to use but to give me mental security to push the limit as far as I could otherwise my fear of running out of fuel would put me in stops every seventy-five to ninety miles and I needed to limit stops and maximize road time today.  This first section, traffic got a bit thick at places but did not slow.  I climbed up I15 canyon and onto the high desert plateau at Victorville and watched the sun rise as I rode for Barstow and my first fuel stop at a Chevron at the first exit.  About two years prior I was driving my 1990 Ford F250 en route for Las Vegas. I stopped at Victorville for fuel and about midway between Victorville and Barstow the alternator stopped working, snapping the belt.  It made a tremendous noise but the truck seemed to keep going so I gritted my teeth and kept moving, trying to make it to a place I could get help easily.  I made it the twenty miles or so, took the first exit and swung into this same Chevron, I remembered how the brakes were super sluggish, probably the power interface was affected by the snapped belt. At the time, I literally stood up on the brake pedal to get the six tons of truck to a stop off to the side parking lot of the fuel station.  I looked at that same spot while filling up the five hundred pound Indian Scout.  Here I put my earphones in and started listening to music to keep my focus.  Nothing more dull than long straight desert highways on a motorcycle.

Back on the highway and I co-rode a little with two other early morning motorcyclists. A BMW GS1200R and a Harley.  We played tag until they exited at Baker.  Once I got off I15 I didn’t know where the next fuel would be so I stopped short of my one hundred and ten mile optimum at Mountain Pass. I took a moment to refill my camel back and have a protein bar breakfast.  Chatted with a old rider on a early 80’s Harley that he had a for sale sign on.  We talked about Indians and the novelty of it, he was curious about it but uniqueness in corporate products just doesn’t exist anymore like it did when Harley and Indian started. I didn’t have the heart to tell him Indian was owned by Polaris which made Victory motorcycles and snow mobiles. Or maybe he already knew that and we both basked in the illusion of a conversation about the qualities of Harleys and Indians that could have happened a hundred years ago. 

A couple miles outside of Mountain Pass was Nipton Road exit.  I followed a Crown Victoria sedan on to a two lane road with wash out sand residue in places.  It was long and straight and very straight. In the distance were some foot hills.  Even at eight in the morning it was heating up.  I didn’t take any chances with the wash out sand, it would be stupid to wipe out now.  I blinked and rode through Nipton, for the glimpse I saw, it looked quaint.  I’d have stopped if I wasn’t on the clock. Desert mining towns have a likable nostalgia all their own.  Nipton Road’s highway number is 164.  Past Nipton there were more severe road washouts and there was repair work.  It was down to one lane with a traffic lead. Luckily the sedan and I timed our arrival at the stop point with the arrival of the east bound traffic lead and we got underway at twenty miles per hour.  Parts of the road were halfway gone, washed away from flash floods during the season.  The construction was a slow down but I’d made good time and besides, the rest of the route should be clear.  

I rode into Searchlight where the connection between 164 and 95 was just a corner like one might find in the suburbs.  Stopped to take a photo of the crossroads and got behind a Honda sedan.  As I rode through town, behind the car, I thought I should probably get in front of them, 95 construction was coming up and well, the road was wide open ahead of them but prudence from getting a small town traffic ticket and faith that the driver in front of me would speed up outside of town held me back.  I was wrong on both points.  There were no police to be seen and when we got into the construction lane, no room to pass, the elderly driver in front of me slowed down to 53mph and would not budge for forty miles.  I was like water in a kettle.  Energy building, constrained, increasing pressure, moving forward then holding back trying hard not to get too close. Look in the mirror behind us, we had four miles of traffic backed up.  Still the driver would not budge.  

Nearly missed the exit to 163 east through all the orange construction cones and lack of signs if it wasn’t for the PostIt note on my sleeve reminding me of the highway number and spotting a tiny sign with that number on the other side of the road.  The elderly driver was also making a left onto 163 and I wanted so badly to go straight and leave them on their way.  But I followed left, the construction dissipated and two lanes opened up and flash, I was five miles ahead of them before they had accelerated up to their bodacious cruising speed. 

Couple of fun highway sweeper curves and I was down into the valley at Laughlin and across the Colorado River for the first time.  It was eleven am and hot. Pushed up into the hills on highway 68 and made my interchange to 93S.  That airbag was starting to give way.  My back starting to ache. I shifted around through the red lights down 93 finding a fuel stop, took the chance to add some air, a lot of air.  By the time I got on I40 I realize it was way too much air. I was bouncing around like a toddler in an air castle.  Every single bump sent me skyward and corners were a dicey proposition.  I still had massive miles to go so nothing for it but to pull over. Found an off highway/on again spot and let out some air, what a relief.  Got back going and shifted around, yep, absolutely perfect.  Now that the pain in my ass was gone, from there to Flagstaff it was as meditative as road trips should be. Mind clear of any specific thoughts, just road, sky, land and music. 

The scenery changed as I neared Flagstaff, more pine trees, interesting hills left and right.  I was slowed by two big sections of construction but it didn’t feel like I was losing time, although I definitely was.  On the east side of Flagstaff, the rain hit.  I could see the dry and wet points on the road ahead as I came down the hill.  The coolness was welcomed and I knew the next stop was Winslow and I’d be switching from eastbound to westbound and home.  Now it was fuel calculation time.  I was already at eighty miles on that tank, could I make it to Winslow which I figured would put me at one hundred and sixteen miles on the tank to refuel or should I be conservative.  What the hell, I’d go for it, I still had my two bottles of auxiliary fuel.  As I rode to the outskirts of Winslow ‘Take it Easy’ by the Eagles came on my random music feed.  “Standing on the corner in Winslow Arizona…”  I was there within the hour.  

My route looped Winslow so when I got to “The Corner” I was already heading west.  I had planned an hour in Winslow but I was running two hours late.  Plus I had the road energy.  The kind where you just want to keep moving.  I had downed five hundred miles and I had five hundred to go.  The air bag was working great, the cool water from the insulated bag with ice refreshing during the hot spots and I was feeling damn good.  Got a couple tourist photos at the Eagles statue and mural, nice old lady helped with that.  In the restaurant for lunch and I was itching to get on the road.  Everything was clicking and I felt more comfortably relaxed in motion than I did sitting at a table.  

Always the road back feels faster than the road away.  I’m sure it has something to do with seeing the familiar. I was counting on that effect to keep my stamina and focus up and the fatigue at bay.  The rain was much worse heading west.  Clouds had moved toward the road while i had lunch. I could see one very large storm off to the left (south west) with lightning flashes across the valley. Wish I had a helmet camera so i could share the impressiveness of nature.  I rode into the rain curtain and visibility dropped to a few hundred feet. Slowed down to a gingerly pace, that is the kind of rain that puts the oil on top and hydroplanes you right off the road.  Kept my distance from other vehicles, not trusting anyone’s skills but my own. Up the hill and into the next valley and that was the rain for the day.  West of Flagstaff and I gotta pee. I’m thinking through whether or not I could make it to the next fuel stop. I still have sixty miles left on the tank. That’s another hour. Nope, I gotta stop.  It is difficult to see if an exit is a quick off/on when there are hills and trees so I take a blue sign at faith and take the exit.  There was no fuel station around for miles, the directions led me back east for Flagstaff ten miles away. Not wanting to do that and kicking myself for the delay I loop toward an onramp and a quiet area.  I stopped in front of a highway repair equipment yard that was closed for the day and went walking off road in search for a lucky tree.  It is not a road trip unless you pee on a tree. Back on the Scout and continue on.

From there on it was a checklist of towns. Ash Fork, Seligman, Kingman. counting the miles to each. Throughout the day I was conscious of the need to keep drinking water. Staying hydrated is the best way to manage fatigue and keep mental acuity.  The increasing temperatures would heat up the water hose and I’d drink warm water for the most part, which is fine, easier to absorb. The knock effect of that was the bite nozzle was getting lose in the warmed hose.  As I was going 85mph, I start taking another sip and the bite nozzle comes out. Water starts spraying everywhere lifted from the wind draft and splashing it on my face shield, the motorcycle tank and windshield.  I take my hand with the hose, and get a better bite on the nozzle so I don’t lose it, then raise the open ended hose up high enough so the water stops running out, pinch it and shove it in my mouth, all while continuing at over 80mph. Then get my hand back to clutch so I can slow down and pull over and get it all sorted out.  Reminded me of the time I was riding in South Carolina on I95 on the Honda CBR, first time riding that bike on a long trip. I looked down, my eye caught by motion and I see the clutch handle screw rimming the edge. I took my hand off the handle bar to grab it just as it popped into the air…and straight into my hand.  I pulled over, secured it and continued on my way. 

Then into new unseen territory between Yucca and Needles.  It’s a barren, straight featureless section that is hot and just gets hotter.  Only thing going for it was the increase in average speed and the few number of cars.  Occasionally I’d be passed by someone going 110mph, 120mph or more but for the most part it was just me.  I found that the Scout with a windshield really helps with road fatigue but slows the average speed.  It will do bursts at 100mph or a little more but stay up there and it starts to wobble. Crossing the Colorado River here on I40 was just as hot as up north on 163. So hot that it was starting to hit my fatigue hard.  Stopped in Needles for an extended break, fill up ice in the camel back and prepare for the home stretch.  There’s no illusions here. I was hitting the seven hundred mile wall where you have to dig deep in mental strength just to stay awake.  Sun was setting so it would start cooling which was good because it was 109 degrees.  I was running an hour late but that still got me back to start point by 10pm and to fulfill the challenge I had ample time. It was a thousand miles in twenty-four hours after all.  As long as I didn’t stupid it, and go off road I’d make it.  Conditions change, approach change. I’d allow myself to rest at every stop available if necessary, I’d focus only on the twenty or thirty miles right in front of me. The next town, the next off/on fuel stop, the next rest stop.  Fenner next, then Ludlow. After Ludlow I was in trouble. There was nothing to focus on, no one around me only darkness, warm air to the face, and a hypnotic red light of some vehicle in front of me.  I knew I just needed to get to Barstow and more traffic, more activity to wake up my brain and stay reasonably alert.  I slowed way down as compensation for reaction time.  Coming toward Daggett was like emerging from the desert. Well actually it was exactly that, emerging from the desert darkness. 

Barstow to Victorville was all activity.  Still not trusting my reaction skills I was in the slow lane with people passing all over.  My goal now was to stay out of their way and figure out where I could fuel one last time before finish point.  Made it down the canyon hill into the LA valley and like a ball rolling, my momentum picked up.  My mental focus came back with the traffic and activity, and the knowledge that I was almost done.  The ride back to Costa Mesa went smooth enough, every familiar landmark giving me more energy.  There was 91W, there is 55S, 405N and Costa Mesa exit.  

Slowly I got off the Scout. Stretched a little. Filled the tank, sluggishly went inside to get my receipt.  It was done. Sixteen hours and nine minutes. The excitement would sink in later.  Naomi showed up with plenty of excitement for both of us. Sign the log, go home and sleep. 

A Day In The Life of my Supposedly Frugal Stomach

Kicking Ass with Money is much like healthy eating and joyful living. It’s a series of daily habits that get you ahead, rather than a one-time heroic effort that fixes all your problems so you can go back to whatever you were doing before.

Because of this parallel, the subject of food is one of the nicest examples of Mustachian living, and one of the most powerful and efficient things to master.

Your eating choices will drastically affect your budget (especially if you are raising a family), but they also affect your health, energy levels, productivity, and happiness. The path a great life goes directly across your dinner plate, so it is important to take this shit seriously and not mess around with your nutrition.

I’ve written about food several times before, sometimes with a focus on recipes or costs or general principles. But people often don’t believe me – they think I am either lying about my family’s grocery spending, eating a diet that is poor in nutritional value, or at least spending an inordinate amount of time on meal planing and preparation.

The truth is none of these things, although the actual story may still surprise you. So I thought that instead of issuing vague commandments like the preacher I am, I could share my functional and (somewhat) affordable eating style, even though it’s unusual and surely not for everyone.

So I’ll lay out a single day’s nutrition strategy, and why I think it is a good one. And then you can choose whether to ridicule it on Reddit, or adopt any tricks from it that you like for your own family. Are you ready? Then let’s take a trip into the MMM kitchen!

Alongside the Table Saw, the Cutting Board is also a favorite tool.

The first bit of crazy is that when I’m home, I eat almost the same thing every day. My son eats exactly the same thing every day* for now, and Mrs. MM runs her own show, perhaps with a bit more variety than either of us. This is a unique situation in our family that is different from most, and it adds extra complexity but fortunately not extra cost. You play with the cards you are dealt.

Most Important is your Eating Philosophy

For most people, food is just an automatic routine. They eat whatever seems tasty whenever they are hungry. People with stronger passions (sometimes known as Foodies), spend a large part of their day and mental energy seeking out perfect ingredients and flavors and meals. And for many, eating is an addiction – food calls to them (epecially desserts and snacks), and they fight this addiction with varying degrees of success. People with a busy urban social life like New Yorkers get most of their food from restaurants, which throws both the nutrition content and the monthly cost into a randomizing hat.

The problem with all of these philosophies is that each is a huge gamble, with your life as the stakes. Because depending on your body chemistry and the foods you choose, you can end up anywhere on the health scale – I have met sweating car bound 25 year-old office workers who could barely stroll from the parking lot to the building, and also know a ripped 65 year-old carpenter who can still frame a three-story house by himself. The difference in the diets of these two men is as stark as the contrast in their physiques.

So my eating philosophy has always been that of the Engineer/Robot. Design each meal and each day’s food intake, according to my body’s current needs. Since my activity level changes drastically (yesterday’s mountain hike requires several times more calories than today’s work on this blog article), the food intake has to change accordingly. And since I don’t always get things exactly right, the mirror tells me when it’s time to make adjustments.

And finally, I’m a big fan of high standards and not fooling yourself. Stay lean and keep your body in condition to work hard. Learn to use the mirror, the measuring tape, and the scale as allies rather than generators of guilt and fear. If you’re not there yet, keep yourself moving in the right direction rather than being complacent. For example, if my abs get paved over with fat, I’ll adjust the variables below to go into fat loss mode until the problem is corrected. On the other hand, if I’m getting too skinny and trying to put on strength and weight, I’ll add the extra meals back in.

The Weird MMM Meal Plan

Breakfast

I have come to think of Breakfast as the time of Breaking the Fast.. but by now we all know that fasting is good for you, right?  So the design of your breakfast presents an interesting life-boosting opportunity: When you wake up, you’re already in a nice low-blood-sugar state, which means your body is beginning to think about burning fats as a source of energy (ketosis). This means that you can just prolong the fast by skipping breakfast and just enjoying some coffee or water, or take a softer approach and at least have a breakfast that is very low in sugar. So I do this:

Coffee with Whole milk and Coconut oil

A handful of mixed nuts

A few squares of dark chocolate (85%)

Subjectively, I find this breakfast is satisfying and delicious, but also keeps my body in low-sugar mode so I can begin a day of physical labor without hunger – and potentially work as long as I want, even skipping lunch and running on stored bodyfat if desired.

The end result is this nutrition profile:

At this point, you may be asking, “Wait, does Mustache really weigh and analyze his food?” – and the answer is “sorta.” While I endeavor to lead a relaxed, hippy lifestyle, the Engineer/Robot side is always in the background running the numbers. If you have at least a rough idea of the nutrition content of what you are eating, you will have a far easier time getting the results you want.

Mid Morning Snack

After breakfast, I usually bike downtown to a mixture of construction and weight training in the back “prisonyard” of the MMM-HQ Coworking space. After a few hours of this, I am ready for a bit more nutrition:

A giant salad

Plenty of water, or even the indulgence of a second cup of coffee

These big salads are a big part of my daily food expenditure and effort, but probably an even bigger part of my health. So they are definitely worth it. I make it easier by making salad in bulk every few days, and starting with a base of a pre-made $2.28 Kale Salad Kit from Sam’s/Costco. This provides a bunch of greens and saves much chopping. But I discard the crappy sugary dressing that comes with the kit and use my own olive oil-based dressing, also made in bulk from high quality ingredients also bought in buly, (like 3 Liter Jugs of olive oil!)

I may throw in a protein bar (30g protein, $1.00) to this snack, depending on the intensity of the work.

Lunch

After the midmorning snack, I am back out for quality time with the saws and ladders for a few more hours, which feels great on a relatively light load of food because the body is burning clean and lean. The low carbohydrate nature of everything I have eaten so far keeps the hunger level so low that I could even work right through and skip lunch if needed, or if I were trying to lose fat. But since I’m currently at roughly right fat level and not wanting to be any lighter than I am, I break at around 2PM for something like this:

I have been on a bit of a Tilapia binge in recent months, because they are almost too convenient and tasty and easy to prepare. So much so, that I jokingly refer to them as “marriage savers” – there is no need to fret over whose turn it is to prepare dinner, if something with such a good nutrition profile is always in the freezer and just 15 toaster oven minutes away from your tongue.

While the nutrition profile is good, they are still a bit of an expensive source of protein. $2.00 sounds like chump change, but the same protein can be had for under fifty cents from other sources like bean and rice combinations, eggs, or even whey protein supplements.

A cost difference of just $1.50 per person per meal, multiplied over a four-person family’s 372 meals per month makes a difference of $558 per month, or about $96,000 per decade after compounding.

Yes, that is a hundred grand, and this is just the difference between a semi-frugal $2.00 meal component and a fifty cent equivalent from, say, your crockpot.

Imagine, then, the effect that impulse grocery purchases like those little $7.49 packs of sushi would make, if you casually toss them in the cart on a regular basis? A decade of a family’s innocent-seeming Whole Foods indulgence could pay for a house outright, while leaving them no better nourished than wiser meal planning with bulk ingredients.

Put a crockpot and a Costco membership to good use, and just watch what happens to your bank account.

Now, I took that sushi picture on my own kitchen table, so we too are guilty of this indulgence. But we are long past financial independence, and even then it is a rare purchase. The overall lesson is just, again, to take this shit seriously – make sure you appreciate every food purchase above beans-and-rice level as a concsious luxury rather than just a habit. And if you are in debt, no sushi for you!

Dinner

Another typical dinner – main dish is based on potatoes/veggies plus fancy sausages baked into a cheese-laden casserole.

Around 3:30pm in the afternoon, I’ll walk or bike home from “work”, so I can be there when my son returns home from school – one of the biggest rewards of early retirement. One of us parents will cook him a homemade pizza at this point (I pre-make the personal size shells and keep them in stacks in the freezer), so he can recharge with about 480 calories from a delicious meal that costs only about 50 cents to make.

Then us Adults will usually collaborate to make something like pulled-pork tacos:

  On the side, we might add chopped fresh vegetables, more salad, or something more substantial as the appetites require. Like the filets, it’s not the cheapest possible way to get a meal, but at least it is reasonable. Also, we are omnivores, which is a more expensive and polluting way to get protein – but if you’re not badass enough to eat vegetarian you can at least make a substantial dent in your eco footprint by making beef your last choice of meats.

Adding it All Up

Although it took me quite a few hours to collect all this data on what I eat and add it up in a spreadsheet, the results have been quite interesting because I had never done it before. With just the stuff described above, I arrived at this point:

  And the numbers were a bit surprising to me, in the following ways:

I am spending a lot more on food than I thought. If all three of us ate the way I do, our annual grocery bill would be $8600, not counting additional indulgences or food for parties. Since our real bill is closer to $6000, you can see that I am doing more than my share of the spending. Then again, I do weigh more than both Little MM and his mother combined , so perhaps this is fair.

My base calorie level is about right for my age and height for a moderately active person, but on active days I need closer to 4000 calories (if you look up a 185 pound male “athlete” for the baseline)

My base protein level is also about right for moderate activity, but on highly physical or weight training days I like to boost that to one gram per pound of bodyweight.

So while everything in this article is detailed and accurate so far, I tend to eat a variable amount of additional food to meet hunger needs, scaling it all up and down depending on what the mirror says. I use one or more of the following boosts.

Boosts

Handfuls of Nuts (1 ounce worth, 160 calories)

Protein Smoothie (banana, peanut butter, plain yogurt, tiny bit of milk, ice, water, and vanilla protein mix – about 1000 calories and 40 grams protein)

2-3 simple eggs cooked in olive oil with a bit of cheese: 500 calories, 20 grams of protein, 50 cents or so.

Avocado toast: 3 eggs, some shredded cheese, avocado, all on a piece of whole wheat toast with butter. A truly decadent weight gainer of a snack, although quite cheap. Leave out toast if you are not trying to maintain or gain weight. 1000 calories, plenty of nutrients about a buck.

    *and while I won’t explain this in detail here, parents of children with his personality type will understand without question. It is something people do tend to grow out of as they get older and gain confidence with new experiences.

  from Money 101 http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2018/05/15/a-day-in-the-life-of-my-supposedly-frugal-stomach/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

A Day In The Life of my Supposedly Frugal Stomach

Kicking Ass with Money is much like healthy eating and joyful living. It’s a series of daily habits that get you ahead, rather than a one-time heroic effort that fixes all your problems so you can go back to whatever you were doing before.

Because of this parallel, the subject of food is one of the nicest examples of Mustachian living, and one of the most powerful and efficient things to master.

Your eating choices will drastically affect your budget (especially if you are raising a family), but they also affect your health, energy levels, productivity, and happiness. The path a great life goes directly across your dinner plate, so it is important to take this shit seriously and not mess around with your nutrition.

I’ve written about food several times before, sometimes with a focus on recipes or costs or general principles. But people often don’t believe me – they think I am either lying about my family’s grocery spending, eating a diet that is poor in nutritional value, or at least spending an inordinate amount of time on meal planing and preparation.

The truth is none of these things, although the actual story may still surprise you. So I thought that instead of issuing vague commandments like the preacher I am, I could share my functional and (somewhat) affordable eating style, even though it’s unusual and surely not for everyone.

So I’ll lay out a single day’s nutrition strategy, and why I think it is a good one. And then you can choose whether to ridicule it on Reddit, or adopt any tricks from it that you like for your own family. Are you ready? Then let’s take a trip into the MMM kitchen!

Alongside the Table Saw, the Cutting Board is also a favorite tool.

The first bit of crazy is that when I’m home, I eat almost the same thing every day. My son eats exactly the same thing every day* for now, and Mrs. MM runs her own show, perhaps with a bit more variety than either of us. This is a unique situation in our family that is different from most, and it adds extra complexity but fortunately not extra cost. You deal with the cards you are played.

Most Important is your Eating Philosophy

For most people, food is just an automatic routine. They eat whatever seems tasty whenever they are hungry. People with stronger passions (sometimes known as Foodies), spend a large part of their day and mental energy seeking out perfect ingredients and flavors and meals. And for many, eating is an addiction – food calls to them (epecially desserts and snacks), and they fight this addiction with varying degrees of success. People with a busy urban social life like New Yorkers get most of their food from restaurants, which throws both the nutrition content and the monthly cost into a randomizing hat.

The problem with all of these philosophies is that each is a huge gamble, with your life as the stakes. Because depending on your body chemistry and the foods you choose, you can end up anywhere on the health scale – I have met sweating car bound 25 year-old office workers who could barely stroll from the parking lot to the building, and also know a ripped 65 year-old carpenter who can still frame a three-story house by himself. The difference in the diets of these two men is as stark as the contrast in their physiques.

So my eating philosophy has always been that of the Engineer/Robot. Design each meal and each day’s food intake, according to my body’s current needs. Since my activity level changes drastically (yesterday’s mountain hike requires several times more calories than today’s work on this blog article), the food intake has to change accordingly. And since I don’t always get things exactly right, the mirror tells me when it’s time to make adjustments.

And finally, I’m a big fan of high standards and not fooling yourself. Stay lean and keep your body in condition to work hard. Learn to use the mirror, the measuring tape, and the scale as allies rather than generators of guilt and fear. If you’re not there yet, keep yourself moving in the right direction rather than being complacent. For example, if my abs get paved over with fat, I’ll adjust the variables below to go into fat loss mode until the problem is corrected. On the other hand, if I’m getting too skinny and trying to put on strength and weight, I’ll add the extra meals back in.

The Weird MMM Meal Plan

Breakfast

I have come to think of Breakfast as the time of Breaking the Fast.. but by now we all know that fasting is good for you, right?  So the design of your breakfast presents an interesting life-boosting opportunity: When you wake up, you’re already in a nice low-blood-sugar state, which means your body is beginning to think about burning fats as a source of energy (ketosis). This means that you can just prolong the fast by skipping breakfast and just enjoying some coffee or water, or take a softer approach and at least have a breakfast that is very low in sugar. So I do this:

Coffee with Whole milk and Coconut oil

A handful of mixed nuts

A few squares of dark chocolate (85%)

Subjectively, I find this breakfast is satisfying and delicious, but also keeps my body in low-sugar mode so I can begin a day of physical labor without hunger – and potentially work as long as I want, even skipping lunch and running on stored bodyfat if desired.

The end result is this nutrition profile:

At this point, you may be asking, “Wait, does Mustache really weigh and analyze his food?” – and the answer is “sorta.” While I endeavor to lead a relaxed, hippy lifestyle, the Engineer/Robot side is always in the background running the numbers. If you have at least a rough idea of the nutrition content of what you are eating, you will have a far easier time getting the results you want.

Mid Morning Snack

After breakfast, I usually bike downtown to a mixture of construction and weight training in the back “prisonyard” of the MMM-HQ Coworking space. After a few hours of this, I am ready for a bit more nutrition:

A giant salad

Plenty of water, or even the indulgence of a second cup of coffee

These big salads are a big part of my daily food expenditure and effort, but probably an even bigger part of my health. So they are definitely worth it. I make it easier by making salad in bulk every few days, and starting with a base of a pre-made $2.28 Kale Salad Kit from Sam’s/Costco. This provides a bunch of greens and saves much chopping. But I discard the crappy sugary dressing that comes with the kit and use my own olive oil-based dressing, also made in bulk from high quality ingredients also bought in buly, (like 3 Liter Jugs of olive oil!)

I may throw in a protein bar (30g protein, $1.00) to this snack, depending on the intensity of the work.

Lunch

After the midmorning snack, I am back out for quality time with the saws and ladders for a few more hours, which feels great on a relatively light load of food because the body is burning clean and lean. The low carbohydrate nature of everything I have eaten so far keeps the hunger level so low that I could even work right through and skip lunch if needed, or if I were trying to lose fat. But since I’m currently at roughly right fat level and not wanting to be any lighter than I am, I break at around 2PM for something like this:

I have been on a bit of a Tilapia binge in recent months, because they are almost too convenient and tasty and easy to prepare. So much so, that I jokingly refer to them as “marriage savers” – there is no need to fret over whose turn it is to prepare dinner, if something with such a good nutrition profile is always in the freezer and just 15 toaster oven minutes away from your tongue.

While the nutrition profile is good, they are still a bit of an expensive source of protein. $2.00 sounds like chump change, but the same protein can be had for under fifty cents from other sources like bean and rice combinations, eggs, or even whey protein supplements.

A cost difference of just $1.50 per person per meal, multiplied over a four-person family’s 372 meals per month makes a difference of $558 per month, or about $96,000 per decade after compounding.

Yes, that is a hundred grand, and this is just the difference between a semi-frugal $2.00 meal component and a fifty cent equivalent from, say, your crockpot.

Imagine, then, the effect that impulse grocery purchases like those little $7.49 packs of sushi would make, if you casually toss them in the cart on a regular basis? A decade of a family’s innocent-seeming Whole Foods indulgence could pay for a house outright, while leaving them no better nourished than wiser meal planning with bulk ingredients.

Put a crockpot and a Costco membership to good use, and just watch what happens to your bank account.

Now, I took that sushi picture on my own kitchen table, so we too are guilty of this indulgence. But we are long past financial independence, and even then it is a rare purchase. The overall lesson is just, again, to take this shit seriously – make sure you appreciate every food purchase above beans-and-rice level as a concsious luxury rather than just a habit. And if you are in debt, no sushi for you!

Dinner

Another typical dinner – main dish is based on potatoes/veggies plus fancy sausages baked into a cheese-laden casserole.

Around 3:30pm in the afternoon, I’ll walk or bike home from “work”, so I can be there when my son returns home from school – one of the biggest rewards of early retirement. One of us parents will cook him a homemade pizza at this point (I pre-make the personal size shells and keep them in stacks in the freezer), so he can recharge with about 480 calories from a delicious meal that costs only about 50 cents to make.

Then us Adults will usually collaborate to make something like pulled-pork tacos:

  On the side, we might add chopped fresh vegetables, more salad, or something more substantial as the appetites require. Like the filets, it’s not the cheapest possible way to get a meal, but at least it is reasonable. Also, we are omnivores, which is a more expensive and polluting way to get protein – but if you’re not badass enough to eat vegetarian you can at least make a substantial dent in your eco footprint by making beef your last choice of meats.

Adding it All Up

Although it took me quite a few hours to collect all this data on what I eat and add it up in a spreadsheet, the results have been quite interesting because I had never done it before. With just the stuff described above, I arrived at this point:

  And the numbers were a bit surprising to me, in the following ways:

I am spending a lot more on food than I thought. If all three of us ate the way I do, our annual grocery bill would be $8600, not counting additional indulgences or food for parties. Since our real bill is closer to $6000, you can see that I am doing more than my share of the spending. Then again, I do weigh more than both Little MM and his mother combined , so perhaps this is fair.

My base calorie level is about right for my age and height for a moderately active person, but on active days I need closer to 4000 calories (if you look up a 185 pound male “athlete” for the baseline)

My base protein level is also about right for moderate activity, but on highly physical or weight training days I like to boost that to one gram per pound of bodyweight.

So while everything in this article is detailed and accurate so far, I tend to eat a variable amount of additional food to meet hunger needs, scaling it all up and down depending on what the mirror says. I use one or more of the following boosts.

Boosts

Handfuls of Nuts (1 ounce worth, 160 calories)

Protein Smoothie (banana, peanut butter, plain yogurt, tiny bit of milk, ice, water, and vanilla protein mix – about 1000 calories and 40 grams protein)

2-3 simple eggs cooked in olive oil with a bit of cheese: 500 calories, 20 grams of protein, 50 cents or so.

Avocado toast: 3 eggs, some shredded cheese, avocado, all on a piece of whole wheat toast with butter. A truly decadent weight gainer of a snack, although quite cheap. Leave out toast if you are not trying to maintain or gain weight. 1000 calories, plenty of nutrients about a buck.

    *and while I won’t explain this in detail here, parents of children with his personality type will understand without question. It is something people do tend to grow out of as they get older and gain confidence with new experiences.

  from Finance http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2018/05/15/a-day-in-the-life-of-my-supposedly-frugal-stomach/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

The Fantastic Top Secret Of Great Quantity.

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I grew up watching a show called Ali G. It’s undoubtedly one of the greatest masterpieces of the early 2000s. If you haven’t seen it you’re either 13 years old, over 65, or have terrible taste in TV. Seriously it’s that good of a show.The show involved a guy interviewing a bunch of intellectuals and acting like a complete dumbass during it. Guests even included a young Donald Trump [1], to who Ali pitched the idea of an ice cream glove. Needless to say The Don didn’t invest.Ali would dress like a moron, mispronounce the simplest of words, and say the most absurd roll-on-the-floor-funny things. If you’re not familiar with the show go to Youtube and watch a few clips. [3]Here’s the crazy thing. 90% of interviewees came away thinking Ali was the moron. The idiots couldn’t identify the clear-as-daylight joke being played, nor could they see the fun side of it all. They were so rigid and detached from reality they took everything literally. In turn they came of looking like complete morons..The Dumbest People Always Think They’re The Smartest.Despite the interviewees coming off as stick-up-the-ass stiffs to anyone who watched them, rest assured they came away believing they were smarter than ever. After all meeting such a buffoon like Ali only reinforced how smart and intellectually superior they were.In short they were blind to reality.This is exactly how 90% of the entrepreneur community is. Complete morons. Yet they can’t see it. Let me explain.The whole theme of the entrepreneur sphere is work work work. Focus focus focus. Sacrifice everything. Work 18 hour days, work 7 days a week, work holidays. Don’t buy coffees – instead save the $3 and invest it. Discussions about whether being married or having girlfriends affects success. Don’t take vacations. Sleep 3 hours a day…. And so on.Basically live a life like shit.Don’t get me wrong, I get the premise. The thought being work hard and sacrifice a good time now, for a phenomenal time in the future. I understand the theory completely.The problem with this is two-fold.First, less than 2% of budding entrepreneurs ever become even financially well-off. By this I mean having enough money and savings to live out the last 15 years of their lives without working. The success rate is rock bottom.Second, it’s nothing short of insanity to work away the best years of your life. Time can’t be replaced my friend. It’s about the only thing that can’t. If you’ve ever look back on periods of your life and thought you should’ve used them better – or ever felt old – then guess what this horrid mentality will bite you in the dick later on. This high-work mediocre-pay setup is the ultimate waste of life..Don’t Work Away The Best Years Of Your Life. But Also Don’t Give Up On Earning Money.The world is beautiful baby. Friends, people and lovers are what makes life worth living. There’s fun in the simplest of things. Splashing about in a beautiful clearwater ocean, “wasting” a lazy Sunday afternoon watching a dumb comedy eating pizza, getting drunk and acting like clowns with your friends. That’s what life’s about.NEVER sacrifice all of that just for money. But at the same time understand pizzas, vacations, and hauling your drunk asses into taxis cost money. And the more money you have the more you’ll be able to enjoy the world.Money matters my friend. Anyone saying otherwise is deluded (or wishes it were true so they could be at ease with their lack of money).I’ve always hated the saying “Money can’t buy you happiness”[3]. That’s asking too much from money. But there’s no doubt money helps support happiness if you used smartly – whereas poverty doesn’t..So… What Should You Do?.I didn’t write this article to give you a step-by-step solution. It’s simply a reminder to balance what matters in your life.I quit my office job three years ago because it was killing my soul. I was working something I hated, and giving up my health, relationships and livelihood to do it. I was missing out on the world and what really mattered to me. It’s why I left to work for myself.Admittedly I much preferred working for myself, but it was still at the expense of everything else. I was working every day and barely did or met anyone else. At least before I had my weekends.My bliss came from learning to cut down my hours, by learning to charge a shitload more.In 2014 I was charging between £20-30 an hour – and worked around 45 billable hours [4]. It brought me around £3600 a month. It was mayhem. I felt burnt out. It was shit.Compare this with last year where I worked 19 billable hours total per week. I charged between £100 to £205 per hour and got all the work done from Mon to Wed, giving me four days off to do what I wanted. I brought in close £11,000 a month, and had the time to do more of what I loved. As a result my friendships and relationships with my wife and family have deepened, not to mention I look and feel great.This year I’ve got 4 hours billed at £280 an hour a piece (that’s £4480 guaranteed a month). And I’m hoping to pick up 4 or 5 hours more. And I’m going to get all my work done and dusted on a Monday, and take the other 6 days off to do whatever I want. I’m expecting to earn £8,500 a month.It’s less but who gives a fuck when I get 6 days off. It’s more than plenty to cover expenses, live a life of relative luxury, and put away a big chunk so I can retire hopefully in my 40s (I’m currently 30 years old).For me learning the skill of charging more for what I do has single-handedly transformed my life..The Art Of Charging (Lots) More Money Per Hour.Not everyone is comfortable with charging more money. They either feel secretly guilty to charge so much more than they currently are, or think it’s not possible to get anyone to pay them the kind of fees I’ve talked about.The guilt is a personal issue. Some people mentally can’t bring themselves around to charging a higher fee – even if they have someone who’s willing to pay them. They just wouldn’t be able to quote the fee. If that’s you, I can’t help with that. Either you feel guilty or you don’t. If you do I doubt it’s possible to charge the “super-fees” I’m talking about.If you’re ok with charging the money, but don’t think it’s possible to charge that much – then my friend you are wrong. I understand the thinking, but it’s absolute rubbish.Most people think you need to be an expert to charge mega bucks. They think it takes years of qualifications, experience or you need to have some sort of “reputation” before they have the right to charge even double the average. This is utter crap. You’re self-employed. Nobody chooses this but you.For the record I work in the UK, in an industry where the national average is £22/hour for what I do. You’ll barely see anyone charge even £35/hour. For some reason £30/hour is considered the top-end.As mentioned I have charged £205/hour for what I do. In October I have 4 hours confirmed at £280/hour. Grab a calculator, that’s over 12 times the national average. And remember I only have 3 years of the supposedly sacred “experience” under my belt.Don’t make any mistake about the quality of my work. I’m good at what I do. Truth is most people in any field are shit at what they do. The “average” market rate reflects crap work. If you’re not shit at what you do you should be charging more.There’s always someone willing to spend big money to find the right person. Believe me people piss away big money on dumber things all the time… (Just think of low income people queuing up in their thousands to buy the newest iPhone).Anyway that’s enough for now. Hopefully this little ramble has opened your eyes to the dumbness of working your life away, and more importantly to that you can and should charge more (assuming you can actually do what you claim to).SIDE RAMBLE POINTS FROM POST ABOVE[1] I’m not pro-trump nor am I anti-trump like much of the fundamental left-winged corners of internet and by no means want to be associated with that crap on either side. I respect any man who’s made something of himself – but have absolutely no care for politics. Saying that watch Ali Pitch to Trump here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkuOuxRD1Bc[2] Who knows, maybe this birthed Dragons Den (or Shark Tank for you American readers)[3] Trust me it’s better than the poor ball-less excuses for comedies like Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mum[4] A tired cliché spewed by many including my mum. Did I mention we grew up kinda poor for a while? (Now I think about it, she seemed to say it less once my dad made some more money. Hmmm…)[5] I say billable hours, because I worked outside of that preparing stuff. I estimate it was around 15 hours, so likely worked 60-odd hour weeks. It was a piece of shit time..If you want to learn what I've learnedIf you liked the post and found it helpful or insightful in some way then please upvote and leave a comment. It takes a buttload of time and effort to churn out one of these articles. You pour your heart into it, and a comment means the world to a writer. Otherwise it's like writing for a brick wall.I'm also in the process of writing my new ebook The 10 Dark Laws of Charging (and Getting) Monster-Fees.You can grab it by heading over to my site The High Fee Club and entering the asked details in the sidebar (or bottom of page if viewing on mobile).I warn you in advance that I will ask for your email. That's completely your choice. Remember, I'm not sticking a gun to your head.The book contains the methods and strategies which have worked for me. Every word in the book comes from personal experience. The material inside isn't always pretty, but it works. You won't see me regurgitating material I know nothing about. It's 100% Free but I do ask for your email address. (Simply enter your details into the website sidebar - or at the bottom of the page if you're viewing it on a mobile device)By all means feel free to ask any questions. I'm out and about the whole day so won't be back for a good few hours, but I'd love to answer any cool questions once I'm back.

I wish people asked me questions more, so imma just answer these:

1. You woke up naked next to the last person you texted, what would you say? Damn. Bout time. 

2. What’s going on between you and the last person you kissed? Man FUCK if I know lol. I’ve been thinking about that today and have come to the conclusion that I have literally no idea. 

3. If your boyfriend or girlfriend was into drugs, would you care? I wanna say no to this, but like yea, I would. I think the thing about drugs for me is that I never think people are responsible with them like I am. I’m bad at having a double standard in relationships with this, but I realize it and work on it. It’s just if you’re doing much other than smoking weed often, I’m disinterested. If you fuck with prescription pills I’m out, stuff like that. 

4. Is your last name longer than six letters? It’s exactly 6. 

5. Was your last kiss drunk or sober? Sober

6. Have you ever wanted to have someone but you messed it up? Sure, hasn’t everyone?

7. What does your last received text say?”It just seemed very aggressive”

8. How many times have you kissed the last person you kissed? Not many.

9. Where was your last kiss at? A house downtown.

10. When is the last time you saw your sister? Weekend of the 12th

11. What do you drink in the morning? Water. I don’t drink much else these days unless I want something alcoholic. 

12. Where did you sleep last night? My own bed. 

13. Do you think relationships are hard? I don’t think they should be, but I do think they can be. 

14. If you could go back and change something in the past 5 months, would you? Maybe. But I won’t ruminate on it since it’s not an actual possibility to change it. No point.

15. You’re locked in a room with the last person you kissed, any problems? Nah. Maybe me having sex with him, depends if you consider that a problem lol. 

16. Would you rather it be sunny or rainy? I enjoy both. Lately sunny has been helpful though. 

17. Do you know anyone with the same middle name as you? Probably but not off the top of my head. 

18. Are you wearing jeans,sweatpants,or pajama pants? None of the above. 

19. Do you think you will be in a relationship 3 years from now? I don’t fuckin know.

20. Does anyone like you? Also don’t know this. 

21. Have you ever kissed someone with a name that starts with an S? Yep, first kiss was with a guy with an S name actually.

22. Is the last person you kissed gay? Nope

23. Is there a person you CANNOT stand? lol yep

24. Have you ever considered getting a tattoo? I have one

25. In the past week have you cried? Yea. I did actually, pretty hard. 

26. What breed was the last dog you saw? German Shepard

27. Do you dry off in the shower or out of the shower? Depends on the day

28. Have you ever kissed a football player?Actually I don’t know that I have knowingly done that, no. 

29. Do you think you’re old? Nah

30. Do you like text messaging? If there’s an actual conversation happening, yes. 

31. What type of day are you having? A fine one. A little weird. But all my days have felt weird lately. 

32. Have you ever thought about getting your nose pierced? Not much.

33. Do you prefer warm or cold weather? Warm, although cold isn’t bad as long as I’m dressed for it. 

34. Is there a person of the opposite sex who means a lot to you? Yes, absolutely.

35. Would you prefer a relationship or a fling? Right now? I really don’t know what I want. I think a fling, if it turns into something else later then alright. 

36. Are you a simple or complicated person? I think in many ways I am both and neither. 

37. What song are you listening to? “Skin” by Rihanna

38. When you say you’re sorry do you mean it? I only say it if I mean it, unless I’m like saying sorry while walking by someone or something, that’s reflex.  39. Is there a girl that knows everything or almost everything about you? A couple of them.  40. What made you start liking the person you like now? I don’t know if I could say I “like” anyone, but rather my interest is intrigued by someone. And plenty of things, their mind most of all.  41. When did you last receive a text message? A few minutes ago.  42. What is wrong with you right now? I feel lonely/isolated/ugly. Idk, it’s a low day for me but it’s okay, they always pass in time.  43. How well do you know the last female you texted? Not very well.  44. Does anyone disgust you? Nah. I don’t have the energy to feel that way.  45. Would you date someone right now if they asked? No.  46. Are you in a good mood right now? I’m just kinda here, not in a mood one way or the other.  47. Who was the last person you talked to in person? My roommates. 48. What color shirt are you wearing? A flannel over a black tank.  49. Has someone recently told you something you didn’t want to hear? Not really, no.  50. Anyone you’re giving up on? A few people I recently let go of, but I already gave up on them so I’m not sure this applies. 51. Do you hate the person you fell hardest for? I used to think about this a lot. I let myself hate him for about a year, something I should have done long ago. Now I’m just pretty indifferent. He’s not who he could of been, no reason to hate him for not living up to his own potential. Life will hate him enough for that in time. 

52. Have you ever thought about giving up on someone but couldn’t? Yea. Turned out they’re to important to let go of.  53. Do you like rain? I do. 54. Do you care if your boyfriend/girlfriend drinks? I don’t and I do. I was recently dating someone who drank what I considered too much and too often. I think people in my age group fail to recognize how easily alcohol become a habit.  55. Have you ever liked somebody and never told them? Sure.  56. Do you like to cuddle? Love it. Wish I was doing it now.  57. Are you shy?The older I get the more I think deep down that yea, I am.  58. Do you get along with girls? Ugh I hate this question.  59. Have you dated the person you texted last? No 60. What do you carry with you at all times? phone (ew me), pen, paper, typically a hair tie.  61. If you were paid 1 million dollars to spend the night in a supposed haunted house, would you? Fuck yea.  62. Do you think you can last in a relationship for five months? Can and have.  63. Think back to October, were you in a relationship? Yea 64. The person you like kisses you on the forehead, do you find this cute?Like I said, can’t say I “like” them. But I think the person I’m intrigued by has once, either way I do indeed find forehead kisses cute.  65. Did anything “cute” happen in the last week? Sure. 

66. How old are the last three people you kissed? 22, 21, and I guess he just turned 21 yesterday, so 21 for the last one too.

67. Would you rather pay to get your nails done or do them yourself? do them myself 68. Which do you like better- Zebra print or leopard print? Neither 69. Do you have any stickers on your car? Nope     70. Would you rather listen to Luke Bryan or Lil Wayne? Uhhh probably Luke Bryan 71. Blackberry, Anroid, or iPhone? iPhone    72. When’s the last time you had pizza from Pizza Hut? months ago    73. Do you like diet soda?meh     74. What color are the walls in your room?  white and tan and white again   75. Are you 16 or older?    si 76. Do you watch Pretty Little Liars? I have    77. Do you have a job? I have like 3+ right now lol       78. What are your initials?eeh     79. Did you ever have braces? yea    80. Are you from the south?  indeed  

81. What does your last status on facebook say?  fuck if I know   82. Do you still talk to the first person you ever kissed? occasionally, yea. I actually ran into him DT not that long ago     83. Are you closer to your mom or your dad? I’d say equal with both of them    84. Have you ever done cheerleading or gymnastics? gymnastics a long long time ago.     85. What’s the last movie you saw in theaters? 50 shades darker    86. Do you smoke? sometimes     87. Would you rather wear heels or flip flops?  flipflops   88. Is your phone touch screen? yea    89. Do you normally wear your hair straight or curly? I wear it natural, which is straight 90. Have you ever snuck out of your house? yea    91. Would you rather swim in a river, lake, or pool? ocean.      92. Have you ever made out in a car? lol yea 93. …Had sex in a car?  lol yea   94. Are you single or in a relationship? single    95. What were you doing last night at midnight? I think I was sleeping    96. When’s the last time you saw fireworks? shit. I don’t know, New Years?    97. Do you like the camera on your phone?  sure?   98. Have you ever had a friend with benefits?  a few times, yea.    99. Have you ever passed out from drinking? this question is vague.    100. Are you friends with people on facebook that you actually hate?   no? why the fuck would I do that?  101. Have you ever had a pregnancy scare? not a real one.    102. Name your favorite Kesha song:  “sleazy”   103. Do you have any tan lines right now? nope. I wish     104. Would you ever wear cowboy boots with shorts? HAHAHAHAAHA. Probably not, but if the occasion arose I’m not opposed.   

Can’t Buy My Love – 5 Reasons To STOP Buying Likes NOW [And What To Do Instead]

http://ift.tt/2jFup5s

Your real estate page is setup and it’s time to get more likes on Facebook.

So…

You’ve committed to a consistent post schedule.

And invited your friends, family and network to Like your page.

The only problem is you’re still looking at something like this every morning when you check your numbers.

Does the number of people who Like your page actually matter? OF COURSE IT DOES! The more people who choose to interact with you on Facebook, the greater your audience will be. A sizeable audience means more website traffic and can ultimately get you more leads.

After all, that’s the point of staying active and engaging your community on social media. Right?

Why put all this time and energy into Facebook marketing if no one is seeing your content?

There’s no question that you’ve got to focus some attention on growing your page in order to ensure your continual success and relevance on Facebook. So, what’s a realistic solution to get more Likes on Facebook?

Buying Them?

WRONG!!!

Whatever you’ve heard about the benefits of buying Facebook Likes, I want you to forget it. Right now. For every fake Like you add to your page, one real person will see less and less of your content. So, if you spend X amount of dollars purchasing 100 fake likes, you can kiss 100 potential leads goodbye.

Today we’re going to go through the top 5 reasons you should never buy Facebook likes again and what you can do instead to grow your page organically and connect with real leads.

Let’s go!

Here are the top 5 reason why fake likes are TERRIBLE for your business.

#1) Kill Engagement

If you think your content is aimlessly floating in cyberspace now…just wait until you start raking in those false fans. Getting people to Like your page is only the beginning. Your fake likes will never engage with you. I mean, sure you can pay extra for that, but then you’ll never hear from them again. So really, you’ll be in the same predicament you’re in now, only instead of trying to push your content to a few hundred real people, you’ll have to comes to terms with the fact that your page has thousands of Likes, but none of them are interacting with your content.

#2) Diminish Credibility

Your audience is smart. And if you think you’re going to get away with adding a bunch of bots to your network without them noticing, then shame on you. I’m sure part of your motivation to buy Likes in the first place is actually to try and boost credibility. And it makes sense, in theory. When a new lead comes on your page and sees that you have 1 million fans, they’re bound to be impressed. A large numbers of followers is an indirect referral, really. Gaining likes can totally help you to appear more trustworthy and knowledgeable, but only if they’re quality Likes. And all I mean by quality, in this case, is that they are real people. Imagine what a prospect would think when they first see that you’ve got 100K likes but zero interaction on your last 3 posts. Would you do business with someone like that?

#3) Destroy Relationships

You can’t  buy relationships. Period. And by trying to pull a fast one on your real customers, you’re going to end up harming your current and future relationships. If you’re buying likes to try and show that you’re a more popular or qualified agent, what else are you faking? Are your testimonials real? Are you accurately representing the properties you’re selling or homes you’re showing? These are just a few examples of the first questions returning clients or future prospects might ask themselves before moving on to the next agent. You need to be authentic in order to build relationships in your area.

#4) Drain Your Budget

No matter how little you’re paying per like, there are literally dozens of better places for you to sink your marketing dollars (and cents) into. But the more you rely on bought fans, the more all of these other, more effective actions are going to cost you. You will never get more likes on Facebook or get to know your target audience better if the majority of your Likes aren’t even in the same country. And if you’re buying Likes, I guarantee you this is the case.

#5) And Most Importantly…

Fake Likes Will NEVER Do Business With You

You shouldn’t need any further convincing than this. These fake Likes will never turn into leads or convert to sales. So why are you bothering with this at all? You’re much better off continuing to speak directly to your audience (however small) and invest in advertising to reach more people who could benefit from your services. Building a solid community on Facebook takes time and is worth investing in.

Now it’s time to take action and start advertising to get more likes on Facebook. Here’s the one activity you can do today to make sure that your page and content get directly shown to your audience.

Take these 5 steps to complete 1 activity that you can repeat as many times as you want. This 1 thing is going to keep your audience engaged and keep you from ever having to buy likes again.

#1) The Meat And Potatoes

The first thing you need to do to get more likes on Facebook is choose a recent blog post you’ve written to share with your audience. Your content is the fundamental piece of this strategy and should really be at the core of all of your ad and marketing tactics.

For this post, you want something that will appeal to a lot of people and is more general and not related to a specific real estate topic. Remember, the goal here is to get more likes on Facebook and build a quality community on your page.

Minnesota-based Leadsite user Chase Binnie posted this awesome blog last year and it’s a perfect example of the kind of content you’d want to share to get more likes on Facebook.

It’s specific enough that folks in his area will know that he is talking directly to them, yet doesn’t focus on a single topic that is relevant to only buyers or sellers. Everyone loves Christmas lights!

It’s almost February 2017 so this exact post obviously wouldn’t be the most timely piece of content to share, but there’s a ton of ways to reframe this.

You could talk about:

The Best Romantic Places To Spend Valentine’s Day

Top 10 Pubs To Crawl For St. Patrick’s Day

Best Parks To Host An Easter Egg Hunt

There are a bunch of holidays coming up and you can easily take the same approach as Chase.

Now, if you do already know your audience pretty well on Facebook, or at least who your ideal audience would be, you can share a more specific post. This one that Chase recently published is a good example.

You’re narrowing your audience by only talking to those who have a garden on their property and are interested in gardening.

We’re going to use the first blog as our sample Facebook post. Make sure that your blog has a high-quality image like either of the ones above so it’s easily shareable on Facebook. When you’re ready, copy the URL and go to your Facebook page.

#2) Don’t Fake It

Now you’re going to share your blog to get more likes on Facebook. Don’t try to dress it up into something it isn’t or make false promises. Give your readers a true sense of what they’re getting and what value you are providing.

Open a post and paste in your blog URL. It should look something like this.

At the bottom, Facebook will show you all of your options for usable images. If you don’t like your options, you can click the + sign in the square next to the picture and upload another one. Once you are feeling good about the image or graphic, go ahead and delete the link. The preview will still stay so all folks will have to do is click the image and they’ll be taken to your blog.

Now you can write your post. Keep it simple and honest. Use the first sentence to tell your audience what you’re talking about. And then end with a question or call to action. A question will encourage your fans to start talking on the post itself. Here’s what we wrote.

When you’re done, click the blue Publish button and get ready to get some views!

#3) Give It A Boost

Right after you publish your post, boost it. Just click the Boost Post button.

The first thing you’ll need to do is choose who you want to see your post. You’ll either want to create an audience of People you choose through targeting or select the option “People who like your Page and their friends.” If you’re really unsure who to target, go ahead and pick the second option. Otherwise, click Create New Audience.

We’re going to name this audience “Christmas Lights” based on the post content. That way, after the boost is done running, we can see how well it performed. For now, keep it simple. Target both men and women from ages 25-65 who live in and around your area.

If you’ve run a Facebook Ad or two already, you can get a bit more specific with your targeting, but we’re only trying to get more likes on Facebook and up our engagement with this post.

You can see exactly what your post will look like. This is not going to run like an ad. It will show just like any other post you’ve published on your page, only it will say “Sponsored” beneath your name.

Before you complete the boost, you need to decide on your budget and timeframe. Let’s say you want to run the boost for one week and spend $20 total. You’ll be spending just under $3 per day and you can pause your promotion at any time if you’re not getting the results you want. That said, you may have to try this a few different times to determine what your audience best responds to.

Finally, select your payment method and click Boost. Your promo will then go into review and Facebook will notify you as soon as it’s approved. There’s always a small chance it could be rejected. This can be something as simple as having too much text on your featured photo or graphic. Whatever the case, Facebook will let you know so you can edit it and resubmit the post.

#4) Take Your Relationship To The Next Level

Keep an eye on your post. Whenever someone Likes, Comments or Shares it, open up your Messenger App and send them a message. This is not a sales pitch. You’re simply starting a conversation. The best part? You’ve already got something to talk about.

  From this conversation, you can see that I asked open-ended questions about my blog. Even if folks don’t respond right away, chances are a friendly message will get people talking. Do this each day for every new person who engages with your post during the promotion. This is how you will begin to truly create a connected and interactive community online.

#5) Rinse, Repeat, Convert

It’s entirely possible that the people who engage with you on social media aren’t ready to buy or sell…yet. Keeping in touching via Messenger in an excellent way to make sure you’re their first call the second they or someone they know are ready to make a real estate transaction. You can repeat this action as often as you want. Every time someone new interacts with you, send them a personal greeting via Messenger. If you continue to take action on this, you’ll soon have an entire new log of contacts and potential leads. Plus, you’ll get more likes on Facebook.

Sure, this activity isn’t as easy as buying Likes, but the results will real and trackable. Try it out.

Not convinced about the power of Facebook Messenger? Check out these 5 amazing stats!

With 1 billion unique users, Messenger is the most popular iOs app of all time, after Facebook itself of course. (Source)

And now powers 10% of all VoIP calls. (Source)

68% of Facebook users in the U.S. access it via mobile. (Source)

Each month 17 billion photos are sent through Messenger and 22 million GIFS are exchanged daily. (Source)

Messenger’s new platform now has 18,000 bots, and 23,000 developers have signed up for Facebook’s Wit.ai Bot Engine. (Source)

Read More On The Blog

Can’t Buy My Love – 5 Reasons To STOP Buying Likes NOW [And What To Do Instead]

Easy Agent Pro’s 2016 Year In Review (What to expect in 2017)

Steal These 4 Facebook Ads That Are Getting Real Estate Leads Right Now

The Inman Teaser, Juggling Different Facebook Pages and Chris Turns Bitter.

The post Can’t Buy My Love – 5 Reasons To STOP Buying Likes NOW [And What To Do Instead] appeared first on Easy Agent Pro.

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