31- Lincoln

My mind does its best work when I’ve spent a couple hours pushing my body through hard labor. Whether it's hauling boxes in the warehouse or— my preference—putting in time under the sun along the endless marching rows of a vineyard, something about the physical activity helps my mind calm a bit.

I’d found that same kind of mental peace in the gym or through running. I wasn’t a guy who had a calm, quiet mind naturally. I’d actually tried meditation at one point in college when I was struggling with focusing for classes, but what I’d found was that the hamsters constantly turning those mental wheels only slept if they were completely worn out.

So when Mom called after I’d spent a few long sweaty hours in the vineyard working with Hannah, I’d accepted her dinner reservation as I imagined most normal guys who were interested in impressing a woman might.

But as I showered and dressed back at my house, recovering both physically and mentally from the day’s exertion, the hamsters got back to