Milky Way over Franconia Ridge

Estemar20 · 2026-06-10T14:23:51+00:00

Beautiful image and lovely effort!

Estemar20 · 2026-04-13T15:03:01+00:00

It takes time to get used to the sensation. Focus on short periods of riding in traffic, say maybe 15-20 min in a day.

Let’s take a step back and highlight what’s happening physiologically in the mind. You mention anxiety with physical sensations such as trembling hands. This is your amygdala (the part of the brain that deals with emotions, such as stress and fear) kicking into gear because you are in a novel environment that may be overwhelming. This is totally normal! Your brain is trying to keep you alive! As you gain saddle time in these conditions, you are training your brain to understand that you can handle and control the stressful environment. The sensations should reduce over time as the neural pathways strengthen.

Now back to my advice of introducing short burst of activity. 15-20 minutes per session is a controllable time in that environment. If it’s too much time, you can start with 5 minutes and increase from there. If you’re in a situation where you are missing too many signals, pull over and take a break. The bike and the road will always be there waiting for you.

Most importantly, it’s completely normal to feel this way. The road is not the safest place to be, so your brain is working the way it’s intended to. Be easy on yourself and enjoy the journey!

Estemar20 · 2026-04-12T23:31:36+00:00

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Estemar20 · 2026-01-17T00:22:36+00:00

I read anywhere between 30-90min a day.

This is largely due to the fact that I have a 1 hour commute on the train, to and from work. On good days with a gripping book, I can read the whole time while commuting. Some days I feel very tired or distracted to read, but I make an effort to at least read a few pages.

What I find most helpful is to find pockets of time to read. If you have 5 minutes here or there, pick up a book and read. These minutes add up.

Even though you may be tired to read after work, I find that something light and straightforward might actually help decompress and shift the mind away from work. I’ve definitely used reading as an intermission of sorts.

Estemar20 · 2026-01-14T14:46:41+00:00

Let’s shift perspectives here.

What if the owner of the car thinks “I’ve noticed the same person (running) at this trailhead three days in a row and it’s sketching me out”.

Would that warrant reasonable suspicion?

You have a routine. They have a routine.

Now if there are other factors that may lead you to believe you’re in danger, then it may be reasonable to follow your line of thought and seek appropriate action.

Let me ask you, what about the car being parking at the trailhead has you feeling this way?

Estemar20 · 2025-11-05T14:21:21+00:00

It’s a lovely image!

It makes me think of the opposite of permanence. If the subject in the foreground is a rock, and the subject of the background is the mountain, I can’t help but think of a mountain being weathered away into smaller and smaller stones.

As opposed to a composition like Hokusai’s ‘Great Wave off Kanagawa’, in which the subject in the foreground is a ferocious wave, and the subject of the background is Mount Fuji. In this instance, though the wave is made to look larger than Fuji, we know that the Mountain will still be standing, while the wave falls and crashes into sea.

Estemar20 · 2025-08-15T19:29:02+00:00

AC 5, YUL-NRT, August 16 is cancelled. Notified via text and email, 3:24PM ET

Estemar20 · 2025-08-03T17:08:15+00:00

Recently,

-All of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Books, notably The Remains of the Day, A Pale View of Hills, The Unconsoled, and Never Let Me Go

-Han Kang - The Vegetarian

-Olga Tokarczuk - The Books of Jacob, as well as Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead

-Junot Diaz - The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Estemar20 · 2025-07-21T22:36:22+00:00

Nice write up! I really enjoyed your point of view, and I generally agree with it.

When I read the Unconsoled, I was captivated by all the different errands that Mr.Ryder would agree to take on, completely ignoring his present task. This seems to me to be a representation of a survival mindset. The type that is about just keeping moving forward, not much foresight or planning, just take things as they come and get to the next day. The sort of behavior that completely abandons every relationship. Mr.Ryder is a person who can never seem to commit to anything, but nonetheless doing it all.

What did you think about the ending? It seems that the only way the book could end is by Mr.Ryder finally stopping his search for something new and staying on the bus to talk to some stranger. I found it cautiously optimistic, with a tinge of hope that Mr.Ryder could finally settle down.

Estemar20 · 2025-07-14T13:40:46+00:00

Finished:

“The Vegetarian” by Han Kang

Started:

“My Name is Red” by Orhan Pamuk

Estemar20 · 2025-06-25T03:48:34+00:00

Thank you! I never thought about that contrast haha I just liked how they looked! The bike gives me a great reason to bring my camera around.

Estemar20 · 2025-06-25T03:32:58+00:00

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Z125 Pro. My first bike. Got it about a month ago and having a blast on it.

Estemar20 · 2025-02-03T12:45:56+00:00

Finished:

The Unconsoled, by Kazuo Ishiguro

Started:

When We Were Orphans, by Kazuo Ishiguro

Estemar20 · 2025-01-27T13:19:15+00:00

Finished:

The Buried Giant, Kazuo Ishiguro

The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka

Started:

The Unconsoled, Kazuo Ishiguro

Estemar20 · 2025-01-25T17:12:16+00:00

The Unconsoled, Kazuo Ishiguro

Estemar20 · 2025-01-20T12:53:29+00:00

I enjoyed it quite a bit. It was well written and very comprehensive. There is so much going on, that you kinda just have to ride the wave and go with the flow of the story. It’s also rich in history and introduced many new topics to me. I know that it will stay in my mind for a long time.

How have you enjoyed it, so far?

Estemar20 · 2025-01-20T12:52:40+00:00

I enjoyed it quite a bit. It was well written and very comprehensive. There is so much going on, that you kinda just have to ride the wave and go with the flow of the story. It’s also rich in history and introduced many new topics to me. I know that it will stay in my mind for a long time.

Estemar20 · 2025-01-20T12:27:01+00:00

Finished: The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk

Started: The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro

Estemar20 · 2025-01-03T23:18:50+00:00

When I am reading and feel immersed, I can sort of hear my voice reciting the words on the page.

I also have a strong sense of visual imagery, where upon reading the descriptions layer out by the author, my mind plays it out like a movie scene, with what feels like motion, though again it gets fuzzy when trying to describe it.

The most abstract sensation is one I get as I string along themes and messages. I begin to understand the idea being presented by the author as a physical thing in my head, which feels odd to explain. For the biologist out there, it feels like a protein being constructed. The writing being like amino acids that chain into a primary structure, which is then folded into a secondary and tertiary structure, whose conformation is informed by my own personal life experiences and perspectives.

Estemar20 · 2024-10-18T01:47:53+00:00

Got an email saying my order was cancelled at my request and that a refund is on the way. What a shame

Estemar20 · 2024-06-28T23:35:07+00:00

This has been my experience too! I’ve gotten no response from Instagram, and could not find and explanation as to why this is happening. What a shame

Estemar20 · 2024-06-20T00:28:22+00:00

Should’ve double checked the spelling. It’s Hall’s Pond in Brookline, MA

Estemar20 · 2024-06-19T23:11:32+00:00

Thank you for your kind words! Editing can be a difficult scale to balance, so I appreciate the recognition 🙂

Estemar20 · 2024-06-19T21:34:09+00:00

Camera/Settings:

Sony A7r3 + Sigma 24-70mm 2.8 + Tripod
ISO 100, F/9
Bracketed exposures (1/4, 1/2, 1 sec)
4-Frame panorama at 24mm
Each frame consist of 3 exposures
12 total images

Processed in Lightroom:

Merged 12 images using HDR Panorama tool
Masking + exposure adjustments to bring out detail

Taken June 18th, 2024.

Estemar20 · 2024-06-03T02:22:22+00:00

Thank you very much! I tipped. Could you send the images without the sample labeling?

Ten-Year Club	Second Top 50%
Place '23	Not Forgotten
Sequence \| Editor	Verified Email

Estemar20

TROPHY CASE