Read Me First

a guide to enjoying this publication

Welcome to The Adventures of Blake.

Here you’ll find stories and articles from me, Blake Boles.

Professionally, I’m an author, speaker, coach, and international trip leader for self-directed teenagers. Unprofessionally, I’m a partner dancer, outdoor adventurer, long-term traveler, and romantic idealist.

In 2020, following a particularly hard break-up, I started writing “secret scribblings” to my friends. The honesty and vulnerability felt good, and I eventually summoned the courage to share more publicly.

Here’s what I’ve written about:

Addiction to Novelty, Excitement, Travel, and Romanticism · The Lodge · Channeling Christopher McCandless · All I Want to Be When I Grow up is a Dirtbag · Ecstasy, Transcendence, Adventure · Guidebook to Anywhere · The Lure of the Foreign · The Permanent Adventure · Life is Either a Daring Adventure or Nothing at All

Living Without a Permanent Address · It’s Hard to Settle Down · “Where Do You Actually Live?” · Hungry Ghost · House, Room, Home · The Religion of Travel · A Packing List for Life

Alternative Education · Bus Station Interview · Reform Education with Adventure · Unschooling as an Adult · Teaching Adventure · Happiness is the Feeling That Power Increases

Bicycle Touring · European Bike Trip · The Camino de Sharkiago · Monday to Friday · How to Have a Good Time on the Sunshine Coast · A Gift from Patagonia · Am I On an Adventure?

Hiking, Trail Running, Backpacking · A Bloodsport for Poets · Love Letter to the Sierra Nevada · A Cheater's Guide to the Bay Area Ridge Trail · The Joy of Scheming · Trail Magic · Leaving the World to Rejoin It

The Entrepreneurial Journey · You Must Live on the Edge of the Wilderness · Ten Things I'm Glad I Did in my 20s · Dirtbag Rich · You Don’t Have to Go to Work · Revisiting The 4-Hour Workweek · Death of a Dance Trip

Connection & Gratitude · Love is a Diversified Portfolio · Grace · How Did I Get Here? · Against the Real World · Wandering for Connection

(Maybe Not) Becoming a Parent · Conflicted Thoughts About Having Kids · Crowdsourced Wisdom on Having Kids

Privilege · Avoiding the Cult of Retirement · How Do You Know When You’re Rich? · The Privilege of Wandering Europe · Only Rich People Can Go on Adventures

Aging · The “Could I Die Now?” Test · Vision of a Connected Dirtbag Future · Hobbled in Oaxaca · What is Midlife? · No More Goals · Living Safely is Dangerous and Deadly · Do What You Love and Die Trying

Deluding Oneself · The Moment I Knew I Was Free · Against Adventure · The Value of Selfishness · My Morning Routine · Lash Yourself to the Mast

Dance · Partner Dance is Magic · Notes from a Master · 30 Nights of Tango · Crème de la Connection

Romance · My European Summer · What Matters in a Partner · Monastery Roof · Pure Magic

This isn’t a complete index. Dig around the archive for hidden treasure.

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The Adventures of Blake is free, forever.

I’m glad you’re here.