Narrative
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How to Wake Up Earlier (And Not Hate Yourself for It)
I used to try to squeeze in as much sleep as possible before frantically waking up, getting ready for work, and running out the door. The problem was that by the time I reached work I still hadn’t mentally prepared myself for the day. So I decided to start waking up a little earlier in…
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A Week in Japan
As promised in my last post, I’m finally getting around to writing about my recent trip to Japan. The memories are still fresh, and I want to get it down before everything I did starts blending together. Below you’ll find a brief itinerary from my trip and some of the best highlights (there were many).…
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Color and Monochrome in Taylors Falls
I took advantage of a free schedule yesterday with a trip to Stillwater, Minnesota. After breakfast at Oasis Cafe (highly recommended) and a stop in Valley Bookseller (also recommended), my friend and I decided to make the 30-mile drive north to Taylors Falls. The little town across the river from Wisconsin boasts some pretty challenging…
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Reviving My Love for the NBA
It’s 1997. I’m six. And two nights after Michael Jordan’s improbable “Flu Game,” I watch as Steve Kerr sinks the game-winning shot to give the Chicago Bulls their second-straight NBA title, the team’s fifth in seven years. The Bulls’ league dominance started before I was even born, but I feel a part of it nonetheless.…
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Nerstrand Big Woods State Park + Valley Grove Church
I drove an hour south of St. Paul yesterday to explore a Minnesota state park and take some photos. The sun had raised the temperature to just below freezing: the perfect weather for a hike. Still, I went prepared. Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park is a relatively small natural area (only 1,646 acres). The forest was once…
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A Foggy Morning in Minneapolis
I haven’t posted anything since the election. Frankly, it’s been hard to think of what to write in the wake of the devastating results. Others have put forth some of their best work in response to the election. Masha Gessen’s widely praised piece, Autocracy: Rules for Survival, laid the groundwork for how we adjust to and fight back in this…
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The Threat of High-School Journalism
This story came out of my hometown yesterday: Staff at the Palmer Ridge High School student newspaper expected “significant reaction” when they endorsed Democrat Hillary Clinton for president, but they’ve been surprised by the vitriol they’ve received. “Some of the stuff we’ve seen on Facebook is quite disgusting,” said Evan Ochsner, a Palmer Ridge senior and co-editor-in-chief. “There…
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My Passion is Directionless (and I Think That’s OK)
I had a minor epiphany tonight. A few months ago, I started a blog with some friends. It was essentially a way for us to compile and discuss the stories that we shared with each other on a daily basis anyway. It lasted about four months. Eventually, we all just stopped writing. If you were…
Timothy Pate 