An essay about Dad — From the road, Grande Grotta was impressive. I imagined a giant carving out a chunk of the mountain, leaving behind a cavity where stalagmites formed over the centuries. Climbers called it a cave but it looked more like a mouth. It was early in the morning and the air was…

A microstory about nothing — “Hey everyone! I’ll be visiting next week for my cousin’s wedding and am free that Friday to hang out — can anyone host at their place?” Most double-tapped the message and a heart would appear under it. No one responded for two days. “I can come help set up too” …

A short story about you, me, and us — They walked into the Leaping Lemur Cafe to get some drinks. The space was rounded and had a vaulted ceiling that tapered off to a triangular point. There was something about the cafe and he felt good there. The music played loud and clear. …

The first couple weeks of my trip to Kalymnos — Eight months after quitting my job, I booked a climbing trip to Greece. I’d met Charles online and he had been to Kalymnos twice already and was well acquainted with the island. Charles posted in a climbing group on Facebook and invited others to join him. …

A short story about the people you look up to — I didn’t sleep much the night before meeting with John. It was odd because I had a full day and thought I’d be tired. I climbed in the morning and had a good session. It was one of the better sessions I’d had in a while. I should have been…

Dating during the pandemic — It’s the middle of the pandemic and I’m lying in a bed that was too firm and uncomfortable. She straddled me as I lay on the firm bed. I didn’t feel anything and looking back, it would not have worked out. She wanted sex without love and I could only…

Good times don’t last — We stood on top of Indian Rock and looked out at the Bay, lit up and sparkling. I was surprised I had never been up here before at night. Mike said, “There’s something nice about the permanence of it, you know?” He was talking about the boulders at Indian Rock…

My climbing journey — Berkeley Ironworks is one of the smaller climbing gyms but it’s cozy. If you had a regular schedule, you’d start seeing the same people. If you were friendly, you could make friends. The desk staff greets people as they walk in and sometimes they remembered your name. It’s a bit…

A short story about the beach — The old man and his grandchildren went to the beach. There were no clouds and it would have normally been too bright but today the sun was welcoming. The old man set a blanket down near the large boulder. He was glad there were no climbers today. …