Introducing, for the next two months, Élise Bedtime Stories.

"Oh wait," Élise said when she realized what my trip ending really meant. "When you go home, does that mean you're not going to write in your blog anymore??"

Normally, that wouldn't be a big deal. But Élise, my insomniac friend from a Quebec hippie island, couldn't bear the thought.


She is the only person I know who has read every single page of this thing.

"What am I going to do on those nights when I can't sleep for hours? Your blog is like reading bedtime stories."

I have spent three nights at her place in Ljubljana, and on two of those nights, she didn't fall asleep until at least 5 in the morning. All she had to keep her company and talk to her was her imaginary boyfriend, Ché.


So from now until July 1, when I leave the country again -- this time, to work in Tanzania for a year (many more details on that later, I promise) -- I will keep writing. Old stories that I never got down, new stories that pop up along the way, anything.

It's the least I could do to try and help Élise sleep at night.

(By the way, should I take it as a compliment that someone "needs" my blog to sleep?)