1. Hot chocolate.
2. Surprises.
3. The concept of parallel universes.
4. Significant dates: December 25, January 1, February 14.
5. Finishing a torrent of The Beatles’ discography.
6. Stepping away from the cashier owning Something New.
7. Laughter.
8. Completing all chores in half the time allotted.
9. Winning.
10. Being distracted.
11. Is Oscar Isaac real? Yes, Oscar Isaac is real.
12. Delayed gratification.
13. Waking up, stretching, and turning to the other side to sleep again.
14. Long car rides.
15. Pouring tea into small cups.
16. More.
17. “This is what happy looks like.”
18. Nostalgia.

Llewyn opened the backseat, reaching over to get his bag and his beaten-up guitar case. He stops. The air is still. The camera shifts to the backseat where the cat, not his cat, as he reminds everyone who assumes it is his, stares at him.

It’s a quiet moment. I held my breath and wanted Llewyn to take the cat with him. Llewyn stares at it. He then shuts the car door. He then flags a new car down. And he leaves.

There are few redeeming qualities to this hero.

He made his way to Chicago, playing a heart-wrenching original composition for Bud Grossman. He just wants a break, but not even all that much. There’s no fight in him when Bud tells him, “I don’t see a lot of money here.” He takes it, he rolls with it.

“I don’t see a lot of money here.”
“Okay.”

But the thing is: he’s there. And isn’t that the most human thing to do? At this point in the film, Llewyn’s musical ambitions...

“Tell me about yourself.”

Don’t you hate being asked that? Not sure about you, but this always sends me into an existential crisis. How do you fit all you are into a couple of sentences?

In deciding to finally publish, a recurring tip was to decide what story to tell.
They call it branding.

This could be a travel blog.
This could be a movie blog.
This could be non-fiction, fiction, music, lifestyle.

It would certainly be easier for people to find me, but that isn’t the point. It would be easier to compartmentalize what merits writing about, but that isn’t the goal. These are letters thrown into the ether, sent just because, and the ether can accept that human beings are more complex than branding implies.

This blog will be of lies and adventures and of truths and magic.
So lovely to meet you.

A