Birthday trekking

Finding god in friends

“Stone City, Iowa” (1930), Grant Wood

I had a tradition when I lived in New York City, I’d take the day off on my birthday and do favorite things—read a novel from start to finish, eat good food, drink good drinks, and walk a ton.

It meant I’d get breakfast in a coffee shop and start a book, then lunch somewhere fancy. From there, a solo pub crawl, maybe …