58th letter from Mihai Tue 7 Oct, 2025 Colmar, France My little rooted family Hey Reader, I just finished the Loire Valley trip, the one with the guest who broke her shoulder.She surprised everyone by coming back on the last day. She joined us for the castle visit in Chinon and for the farewell dinner that night. People couldn’t believe it. But it was good to see her there, smiling, finishing what she started. Now I’m back home, sitting at the café I come to often. The sun is warm. I’ve...
1 day ago • 2 min read
57th letter from Mihai Tue 30 Sep, 2025 Loire Valley, France Today could've ended way worse Hey Reader, I have an unusual letter today. I am writing from a small hotel room after a long day. Plan A did not work. It rarely does. I ate supermarket sushi while talking with Aurélie on the phone, then sat down to tell you about it. I am in the Loire Valley guiding a cycling trip with twelve travelers from the US and Canada. It has been a good group and I have enjoyed the conversations. This...
8 days ago • 2 min read
56th letter from Mihai Sat 27 Sep, 2025 Loire Valley, France My messy living room Hey Reader, I’m in the Loire Valley near the castle of Chinon, where Joan of Arc once met the future king of France to convince him to let her lead an army. My colleague, the one I wrote about in the last letter, went home for a few days for her cousin’s wedding, so I’ve been on my own here just before the trip starts tomorrow. That left me with my own place, a small fireplace, the woods right outside, and more...
11 days ago • 3 min read
55th letter from Mihai Wed 24 Sep, 2025 Loire Valley, France Hey Reader, It’s a quiet afternoon here in the Loire Valley.I’ve been checking out castles, buying tickets, getting things ready for the next cycling trip. I’m guiding this trip with a colleague I worked with a few years ago. We have a lot in common. We’re both big book fans, curious about philosophy, relationships, spirituality. She has a ten-year-old daughter and another baby on the way, so we also share a lot about family life....
14 days ago • 2 min read
54th letter from Mihai Tue 23 Sep, 2025 Loire Valley, France With Aurélie in the Loire Valley a few years back Hey Reader, Have you ever felt like you’re too much?Like you can’t really be yourself without worrying how others will react? For me, that feeling usually comes from two places. The first is what I was taught about emotions. Somewhere along the way I learned that feelings were wrong or bad. And if they’re wrong, then showing them must be wrong too. The pain in that is obvious: when...
15 days ago • 2 min read
53rd letter from Mihai Sun 21 Sep, 2025 Colmar, France It’s Sunday morning. I’m back home for a couple of days after the first cycling trip. I wanted to start a family ritual, pancakes every Sunday, so I used my friend Linda’s healthy recipe and made some crêpes with Cléo. We sat around the table with peanut butter and my mom’s jam, plus a plate of fruit. Cléo was dancing on her little table in front of us while we ate. I watched her, maybe a little in my head. I don’t remember what I was...
17 days ago • 3 min read
52nd letter from Mihai Thu 18 Sep, 2025 Kaysersberg, France At the top of Haut-Koenigsbourg Hey Reader, Today’s my birthday. I turned 33 and I’m sending this from my hotel room. I opened my favorite beer, an amber one, and I wanted to share some words to mark the moment. A bit about how the day has been and what I’m taking from it. As you know, I’m guiding a cycling trip. I’ve had the chance these past days to spend time with Dr. Seth Serxner, who is an author, speaker, and advisor on...
20 days ago • 2 min read
51st letter from Mihai Tue 16 Sep, 2025 Ottrott, Alsace, France This is where I spent the last 2 afternoons Hey Reader, I’m sending this letter from the spa.I’m guiding a cycling trip with a small group of nine people. The first two days have been very relaxed. Yesterday we finished at 3:30, today around three. We even had time for the pool. I’m sending this because it’s Tuesday. I’ve made a habit of writing you on Tuesdays, and I want to keep it. Even if I don’t feel like I have a big story...
22 days ago • 2 min read
50th letter from Mihai Mon 15 Sep, 2025 Strasbourg, France Hey Reader, This week something happened that showed me again how I show up in relationships. It reminded me of this idea that every lesson keeps showing up until it’s learned. For me, the lesson has been around a pattern that often plays out in my relationship with Aurélie. Whenever she expresses something emotional, I immediately make it about myself. I take it as if I did something wrong. I feel guilty. Yesterday the same thing...
23 days ago • 1 min read