Nick Miller

Travel is little beds and cramped bathrooms. It’s old television sets and slow Internet connections. Travel is extraordinary conversations with ordinary people. It’s waiters, gas station attendants, and housekeepers becoming the most interesting people in the world. It’s churches that are compelling enough to enter. It’s McDonald’s being a luxury.

It’s the realization that you may have been born in the wrong country. Travel is a smile that leads to a conversation in broken English. It’s the epiphany that pretty girls smile the same way all over the world. Travel is tipping 10% and being embraced for it. Travel is the same white T-shirt again tomorrow. Travel is accented sex after good wine and too many unfiltered cigarettes. Travel is flowing in the back of a bus with giggly strangers. It’s a street full of bearded backpackers looking down at maps.

Travel is wishing for one more bite of whatever that just was. It’s the rediscovery of walking somewhere. It’s sharing a bottle of liquor on an overnight train with a new friend. Travel is “Maybe I don’t have to do it that way when I get back home.” It’s nostalgia for studying abroad that one semester. Travel is realizing that “age thirty” should be shed of its goddamn stigma.

Posted at 9:54pm and tagged with: Thoughts, Travel, isn't it pretty to think so?,.

October 29th 2009

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In August, I was asked to write a letter of recommendation for a friend who was applying to graduate school at Northwestern University. He found out recently that he was accepted with a scholarship. His whole life is about to change.

I received a package recently from this newly announced grad school bound friend… After curiously unclasping, my eyes landed on a beautiful vintage typewriter. I later came to know that it had been refurbished and repaired to a workable unit. I also came to know that the machine is the same model used by an iconic 20th century novelist known as Ernie to his friends. This gesture is undoubtedly the most thoughtful I have ever known. I will treasure this gift until my last supper.

He may have believed that my letter was a positive influence on those that controlled his fate. However, I still hold the contention that his superlative qualifications were enough to garner that stamp of approval. Nonetheless, congratulations my friend. The west coast is sad to see you go.

Lastly, one of my favorite parts of this gift was the cleverly typed message on the page within the typewriter that read: “Miller, may you channel your inner Hemingway…”

Beautiful…

Posted at 11:46pm and tagged with: thoughts, nonfiction, commentary,.

October 15th 2009

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2,313 plays

According to my friends, I am obsessed with Conor Oberst. My response to that assessment: absolutely. I think he deserves to be considered among the greatest lyricists of our generation. A little emo? Eh, maybe. But listen to this song… Tell me he isn’t a fascinating poet… Tell me he isn’t a long, full-bodied, toe-curling, butt-tightening imagery orgasm…

Posted at 8:05am and tagged with: songs, thoughts,.

July 1st 2009

The Unavoidable, Obligatory First Post…

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Hello, my name is Nick Miller.

In the enthusiastic and counterintuitive spirit of avoiding waxing lyrical about how I am engaging in a mission to share myself with the world through this website, here is my way of introducing myself:

Who Am I?

I am writing something right now that is consuming my life. I hope I can finish it soon. I idolize Haruki Murakami. His book Norwegian Wood may have changed my life. I have a fiendlike love for literature. My current love affair is with Truman Capote. I think he might be The One. My fascination with early 20th century novelists is still unwavering. I may or may not read this letter from Hemingway to Fitzgerald every night before bed. I love the contemporary stuff, too—Franzen and Eugenides are damn talented. I adore independent films with troubled, misguided but talented protagonists.

See (for a complete list write me):

Half Nelson
Love Song For Bobby Long
Crazy Heart
Factotum

I am also obsessed with all Woody Allen films. If you have neglected seeing Annie Hall or Manhattan, please change your ways.

I once lived here in Italy for 6 months with a family and became conversationally-fluent in the sing-songy, beautiful Italian language. I have an insatiable appetite for warm, delicious food, and I secretly idolize people who know how to cook a tasty meal. I read cook books and watch cooking videos. Cooking a steak has never been this easy and enjoyable.

If I am passionate about something, I’ll be the hardest working person in the room. I’m also very fascinated with talented people. If you’re truly good at something, anything, I’ll take time out of my day to watch you, listen to you, or read about you.

I love Moleskines.

A Plan for Life.

To not die until I have accomplished something worthwhile. To not hurt anyone. To not let my beard get completely out of control. To have a few lovers here and there. To write about it. To travel. To buy things for my family. To stop making my Mother cry. To have a house in Victoria Beach. To have a ranch in Montana. To eat good fresh food. To cook well. To have barefoot excursions and hooded sweatshirt conversations with pretty-eyed girls. To have a huge bed. To have a collection of vinyl records. To have wine parties with old friends who have wondered where I’ve been. To be friends with the invisible people in the invisible towns. To have the local wine shop owner greet me by name as I walk into his store. To watch the sun rise a few times. To watch the sun set every time. To write a perfect sentence. To dream about what could have been. To see a perfect opportunity for love and walk in the other direction. To make people think.

Posted at 1:43am and tagged with: Facebook, Hulu, Huruki Murakami, Seth Godin, Steve Jobs, Twitter, YouTube, advertising, marketing, thoughts, commentary, nonfiction,.