Brent Hartinger

1 week ago | brentandmichaelaregoingplaces.com | Brent Hartinger

For the audio version of this article, read by the author, go here. Thanks to smartphones and social media, attention spans are in free fall, and I’m worried about the consequences for our society if no one can focus on anything longer than ten seconds. I’ve started drinking peppermint tea because I heard it was good for a person’s digestion, and so far, it seems to be working. Oh, sorry — sometimes I worry about my attention span too.

2 weeks ago | brentandmichaelaregoingplaces.com | Michael Jensen |Brent Hartinger

This is a regular feature about where we currently are in the world: how we ended up there, what it costs, and exactly what we think. Hola from the Mexican state of Guanajuato, the birthplace of Mexican independence. Brent and I are currently in San Miguel de Allende, high on the Central Mexican Plateau — specifically, 1,910 metres (or 6,270 ft) up, almost 1,000 feet higher than Denver, Colorado. No wonder we sometimes feel winded walking up hills.

2 weeks ago | creators.yahoo.com | Brent Hartinger |Michael Jensen

In C.S. Lewis’ classic children’s novel The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, eight-year-old Lucy Pevensie steps through the door of a nondescript wardrobe into enchanted lands. Lucy’s first glimpse of Narnia in the movie version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The same thing happens in San Miguel de Allende, a Spanish colonial town located on the high plains of central Mexico.

2 weeks ago | lgbtqnation.com | Michael Jensen |Brent Hartinger

Pride — which is celebrated throughout the month every June — means different things to different people. For some, it’s a celebration of hard-won rights and recognition for LGBTQ people. For others, it’s a party: a chance to see and be seen. For many in our “older” generation, Pride has to do with the resilience and determination it took to make it through some pretty tough times. Basically, we’re proud we survived all the s**t that’s been thrown our way.

3 weeks ago | brentandmichaelaregoingplaces.com | Brent Hartinger

For the audio version of this article, read by the author, go here. Michael and I are currently living in San Miguel de Allende, a charming colonial-era town in central Mexico that’s become a bustling tourist hub and thriving center for the arts. We’ve rented a big, fabulous house, we’ve made lots of new friends, and we’re generally having a fantastic time. And every day, we’re surrounded by signs of extreme poverty.