July 4, 2022 Thanks for a brilliant post-covid return
Well, so far the 2020s have definitely been interesting. The decade began with my busiest tour season, and then quickly devolved into months and months of the world being in lockdown. Months turned to years. For those who have been following my work, you know that these past years have had a profound impact on me. I have always tended toward a critical view of society, but those last two years entrenched some strong views and made of me an even more avid reader and an ever bigger individualist marching to my own beat. By the time 2022 came around, I was weighing a major move from the city.
A part of what kept me here, and what forms such a deep attachment to this city, is my little walking tour business. I have such a wonderful time exploring the neighborhoods on foot, meeting people from all over the world, and slowly building little mountains of archival material that paint an ever more nuanced picture of one city subculture. But I had tried to reopen a few times post covid, in the summer of 2020, then the spring of 2021, so I had no idea if business would be back, if we might have more closures, or how a return of business would look.
I’m happy to share that we had an absolutely wonderful season. I’ve had terrific guests and a great time. To all of you who came, thank you! Among my great guests were several journalists, and the very special Shannon Kuta Kelly who helps me run this blog.
Shannon, who helps with the blog, on one of my tours this May
Most of the tours had a waitlist. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to accommodate all tour inquiries. I hope to have a little more availability come the fall season. For now, I am looking forward to a bit of downtime and travel and writing during the two summer months when the schedule is much lighter. I’ll still be running some tours, and I suggest you book in advance. Also, keep an eye on my YouTube channel for new content coming soon. I’m excited for the summer, and curious what the rest of 2022 holds!
Happy travels!