Elliot 
There is a certain point where I realized that there was nothing I could do to save anyone. There’s no saving. There’s always suffering. And thinking otherwise is simply idealizing and overgeneralizing. Suffering is an unavoidable aspect of this world. You are not a victim, but instead an inhabitant; viewing suffering as against you or … Read more
Today I was lucky enough to visit the Dachau Concentration Camp for Memorial Day. World War II sites are places where I feel proudest to be American; honestly, while I am traveling it doesn’t happen as often as I would like. Dachau is just outside of Munich and took the better part of 5 hours to … Read more
Prague is definitely one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. By all standards, it has to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world, the architecture is incredible, the streets are cobbled and it’s just like you are stepping into a fairy tale when you arrive. Except for one thing; … Read more
Berlin was a breath of fresh air after a long time of journeying in Vietnam, taking night buses and trying not to get scammed every day. It was a bit weird to be completely anonymous again, but nice all the same; I was able to practice Ashtanga in the park all three days that I … Read more
The past few days have been a difficult adjustment period. The accumulation of stress over the past few months was nothing short of monumental and I needed time to allow everything to process. Budget traveling in Asia was fun, rewarding, and a life-changing experience. I would do it again, but I would have planned things … Read more
This story is part of a series, this is the twenty-second part. You can read the first story here: The Wanderer, Part 1 and the most recent story here: The Wanderer, Part 21 Tas woke up with a jolt. Chills coursed through his body; the alpine air was fresh and crisp and their fire had died down to embers. … Read more
Part 3: Micro-organisms in the Mouth Please see the other parts of the article; once they are completed the links will be active: Part 1: anatomy of the human microbiome Part 2: micro-organisms on the skin Part 4: micro-organisms in the gut Part 5: implications for modern medicine Your mouth harbors a diverse, abundant, and extremely complex … Read more
!["Rough diamond" by Unknown USGS employee - Original source: USGS "Minerals in Your World" website. Direct image link: [1]. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rough_diamond.jpg#/media/File:Rough_diamond.jpg](https://elliottelford.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Rough_diamond.jpg)
“A diamond has the highest hardness and thermal conductivity of any bulk material; it can be contaminated by very few types of impurities. Most natural diamonds are formed at high temperature and pressure. A material with superlative physical qualities, most of it original from the strong bonds between its atoms.” -Wikipedia Sometimes, people rise above … Read more
At this point, I am ready to leave Asia. This journey has been a long one; its been almost four months since I left sunny California to head to India. India was rough; I got food poisoning 3 times, the third time for an entire week before I was able to get my hands on … Read more