Stories, musings and moments
Between Movie Sets, Faith, and Granite – A Winter Day in the Mojave When a national park like Joshua Tree sits practically at your doorstep—about an hour from La Quinta—you don’t mind visiting for the fifth time. Not rushed. Not routine. This time, we save it for the drive back. As our finale. We like […]
Shake it, Baby – An Earthquake in the Coachella Valley Prologue – An Evening That Wanted Nothing In all the years we’ve been coming to California, we had never experienced this. This January was our first time. The day had already slipped into evening mode. Deep into the second season of White Lotus, a fire […]
Tahquitz Canyon – Between Water, Stone, and Legend Prologue – Arriving We had been here once before, years ago. Back then, too, we walked this demanding loop trail. How strenuous it truly is—we had forgotten. “We’re here, let’s meet at the Visitor Center,” Tanja texts via WhatsApp. With her are Sam, her husband — our […]
La Quinta – A Different Light Between palm trees, mountains, and a winter that breathes more slowly Prologue – Arriving La Quinta doesn’t welcome you. It’s simply there. Wide streets, palm trees lined up neatly, mountains in the background. No ceremony. No promises. Just light. And time that doesn’t hurry. Perhaps that’s the greatest luxury […]
Los Angeles – Arriving Between Routine, Reality, and a Shift on Perspective Between passport control, pizza, and charred palm trees A Smile at the Border Sometimes, arriving begins with a smile. Passport control in Los Angeles is unusually relaxed this time. At the counter, an officer with humor, curiosity, and that particular tone that immediately […]
One Seat, One System, and Twelve Hours of Time Prologue – Between Check-in and a Character Test Sometimes a journey doesn’t begin with anticipation, but with a small imposition. Nothing dramatic. Just a subtle pinprick to one’s composure. And because by now we know how quickly an “Oh, it’ll be fine” can turn into a […]
Silvester without a Magic Moment – a very personal year’s end Prologue – When a year ends in jet lag Not enough that a long transatlantic flight is behind us—Christmas has already packed up and gone, too. And here we are now: once again in California. New Year’s Eve in Los Angeles. I can’t quite […]
A Year Between Vastness & Everyday Life Prologue – When a Year Feels Bigger Than You Sometimes a year begins like an unopened suitcase: full of possibilities, full of surprises — and with a small tremor in your hands, wondering whether you’ve packed what you truly need along the way. 2025 was exactly that kind […]
When Winter Longs for Sunlight Prologue – When Winter Runs Too Long Before winter even begins, the heart sometimes knows exactly where it wants to go. Our annual escape to California, for instance – Reinhold’s quiet masterpiece. Long before we set off for India in the autumn, I could already read a certain truth in […]