The best sentences I read this week: A whimsical high-waisted silence

“Kitschy as he is, he is one of my most cherished objects, a constant, visible reminder of things I learned from and loved about my dad: whimsy, patience, discernment, a willingness to try something new. He taught me to trust silence and my own instincts.”

–Off the Wall: Reflections on the Old Year

“High-waisted trousers in all manner of substantial, tweedy fabrics.”

–Don’t Dress Like a Man Who Is Dating His Mobile Device: Addressing Spike Jonze’s ‘Her’ and His High-Waisted Vision for Men’s Pants

“People related to the desire to do something creative, and to the myriad ways in which the world will try to stop you before you even begin.”

–‘Girls’ Is More Implausible Than Ever in Season 3 — So Why Are We Still Pretending It’s Realistic?

“Some of America’s most productive cities for medium- and low-income families—Boston, Honolulu, San Jose, New York—are also the most expensive. This is often due to (or at least, exacerbated by) exclusionary zoning and housing regulations that limit the number of available units, which drives up the price of housing, ensuring that low-income families can’t afford to live there. The sad irony is that density is a good predictor of upward mobility, but sunbelt cities with affordable housing often sprawl deep into the exurbs, where families aren’t anywhere near the best jobs. The very thing that makes those cities attractive places to get to also makes them bad places to get ahead.”

–Why Americans Stopped Moving to the Richest States

“The sinking is fastest in the Chesapeake Bay region. Whole island communities that contained hundreds of residents in the 19th century have already disappeared. Holland Island, where the population peaked at nearly 400 people around 1910, had stores, a school, a baseball team and scores of homes. But as the water rose and the island eroded, the community had to be abandoned.”

–The Flood Next Time

642 Things to Write About: Write about an arrival that caught you or your character completely unaware

The flight in was short and uneventful just an hour or so from London. It already seemed likes ages since I’d been back home a mere week ago.

Me and my sister both left for new places on the same day on flights two hours apart. She was bound for Moscow, me for Copenhagen. I sat at Heathrow for the two extra hours more bored than nervous.

Copenhagen’s airport struck me as unimpressive upon arrival. We wandered through dingy corridors through an abandoned terminal, past a 7/11 (I did not yet know how commonplace these were or how much I would miss them when I left). At customs they said nothing to me and didn’t even ask for the visa I’d gone through so much to get.

The luggage carousel had nothing on the shiny glamour of terminal five. It was simple and old. I wandered into the main area lost and looking for a cab. I was not about to brave an unfamiliar transit system with my luggage. I paid handing over unfamiliar bills to receive unfamiliar change. I have no idea how much that cab cost.

It wasn’t until I reached the hotel that it hit me. I had just moved halfway across the world to a strange city with dingy luggage carousels. Everyone here seemed to speak Danish and I did not. The whole foreign language thing did not hit me until then. The letters looked strange. Prices were in numbers that were absurdly large. What was 100DKK worth anyways? Would I ever adjust? Where was I anyways? Where was my housing? How was I going to make friends? What was I doing in this strange and foreign place?

I spent the evening freaking out and facing a reality that was exciting and terrifying. I was an exchange student, the next day I moved into my housing and started at a new university. It all seemed completely overwhelming.

I later experienced the exact same feeling after moving to Washington, DC, that what am I doing here. I imagine I will feel that way for a few days in every new place that I make my home.

We always feel the need to sugar coat travel. We say our trip was good because it is usually too many things to say at once. I later told my sister about this feeling. My sister agreed with me. We were taking the harder route by moving away from the familiar comforts of home and our social networks to a place where we had no idea how to take the bus. It was hard but it was worth it. Over time all of my questions were answered. I figured out the currency. I made friends. I found my way around. That feeling of what am I doing here was replaced by a feeling that there was no other place I was meant to be. 

A few things you should always pack

Sewing kit: sewing kits are solid gold. Believe me when I say that. You should never travel or do anything without one. They are the type of thing that comes in handy when you least expect them, or if like me you happen to be five centimetres taller than the ideal type for the pants that fit you and you need to hem everything they come in handy whenever you buy new pants.

A ruler: so maybe this isn’t useful for everyone but in many ways I am a living breathing stationery store. A former room mate used to come into my room and ask for things like glue sticks, tape, envelopes and was never once disappointed except when he asked for a ruler. I should never have overlooked that fact that someone like me will inevitably need to draw a straight line at some point in time.

Watercolour paints and paper: yes that is what I mean by “someone like me”. Watercolours are invaluable and a cheap set makes for large amounts of joy. You never know when you will need to under take a watercolour based illustration project for your travel blog.

Bedding: it is easier to just have it with you when you get there already. It is not a bad idea to bring unfitted double sheets because they will fit on most types of beds.

Basic eats of some kind: great to have when your flight is really delayed and you don’t have time to go to a grocery store.