Quintessence #1

Welcome to the first of Quintessence, a new series of posts where I espouse about 5 things that I have discovered today (and preferably like) using a maximum of 5 sentences.

1. People who run across the country: Katie Visco, 23, is an Illinois girl who is running from Boston, Massachusetts to San Diego, California. Boston to San Diego! She just finished a visit home and is now moving through Indiana. Her journey will help promote and raise funds for Girls on the Run. Follow Katie's journey.
2. People who bike across the country: As I rode on my bike home from work, I noticed a young man and woman with matching Giant bikes and biking uniforms strolling around the church on the corner of Edwards and Walnut. Curious, I pedaled over to them and asked them if they knew of any bike trails in Springfield. Turns out they weren't from Illinois at all! They're from a group called Bike and Build, which is devoted to constructing new, affordable housing while cycling across the U.S. You can also meet George and Marisa, the two kind souls I biked into, who are going from Providence, Rhode Island, to my old stomping grounds, San Francisco, California.
   
3. This article on how you're not a print journalist unless life's kicking your ass.
4. The appropriately titled "Warm" by Owen Jay, a deep house DJ from the Mediterranean island of Malta. I imagine I could produce this sort of subtle, easy-on-the-ears music if I were from a Mediterranean island. I discovered this track while listening to Deeper Shades of House podcast #299 by Los Angeles-based DJ Lars Behrenroft. "Peepshow" and its layered melodies also provide a good listen.
5. These ridiculously sick mixtapes, I mean, business cards.