<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Mental Sweat by Justin Markowitz]]></title><description><![CDATA[Mental Sweat by Just]]></description><link>https://www.mentalsweat.org/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Fri, 29 May 2026 17:44:28 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://justinsmarkowitz.wixsite.com/website/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[An Adventure Traveler's Biggest Mistakes]]></title><description><![CDATA[The most egregious mistakes a rookie Adventure Traveler can make while traversing the globe. As a prospective adventurer with or without...]]></description><link>https://www.mentalsweat.org/post/an-adventure-traveler-s-biggest-mistakes</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6399330e297b8c0fc9329e88</guid><pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2023 15:30:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/29e61d_6ea3247bff9045b2a25b8be0db41a8dd~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>justinsmarkowitz</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Being Unprepared: The Chilasco Fiasco]]></title><description><![CDATA[My least prepared travel experience? The Chilasco Fiasco,  my first solo adventure when my tent flooded in the middle of the night, sending ]]></description><link>https://www.mentalsweat.org/post/being-unprepared-the-chilasco-fiasco</link><guid isPermaLink="false">63a9bf61e3e0e4be7e71a8e8</guid><category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category><category><![CDATA[Storytelling]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 26 Dec 2022 21:56:22 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/29e61d_571b2f14ebaa40cb8873d3af970c0d79~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>justinsmarkowitz</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Is Adventure Traveling the World Right for Me?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Are you thinking about traveling the world? Do you want to travel the world as like an adventurer, not a run-of-the-mill tourist? This...]]></description><link>https://www.mentalsweat.org/post/should-i-quit-my-job-to-adventure-travel-the-world</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6398a1e0016c95ae5aae0911</guid><pubDate>Tue, 20 Dec 2022 20:36:31 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/29e61d_c52cc1018758430894fffb030fa4fc85~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>justinsmarkowitz</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[8 Minimalist Essentials to Pack for Adventure Backpacking]]></title><description><![CDATA[8 items to save room, improve health, and keep you safe while backpacking the world. ]]></description><link>https://www.mentalsweat.org/post/8-minimalist-essentials-to-pack-for-adventure-backpacking</link><guid isPermaLink="false">61d7b734d330610016b09d74</guid><category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 13 Dec 2022 15:01:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/29e61d_3cf4f98c0f1940038337ac91f0b5ae8a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>justinsmarkowitz</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Packing List: The Ultimate Guatemala Experience]]></title><description><![CDATA[Why is a packing list important? Packing lists help you save time planning and make sure your needs are covered. Packing lists, when...]]></description><link>https://www.mentalsweat.org/post/packing-list-the-ultimate-guatemala-experience</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6359c26767d6b818dcc5b784</guid><pubDate>Sun, 20 Nov 2022 17:40:50 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/29e61d_d14b3575d9c2448d90c1bebd6c5180c8~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>justinsmarkowitz</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA["The China Experience" by Justin Markowitz in Paperback, Hardcover, and Digital Editions!]]></title><description><![CDATA[Imagine yourself 10,000 kilometers from anything you've ever known, surrounded by a foreign language you can't understand, in one of the...]]></description><link>https://www.mentalsweat.org/post/the-china-experience-by-justin-markowitz</link><guid isPermaLink="false">633b742a66cccf5df9b62b2c</guid><category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category><category><![CDATA[Storytelling]]></category><category><![CDATA[Philosophy]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 23 Oct 2022 21:48:43 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/29e61d_1231eef95e6a4f0180cd9b101525f503~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>justinsmarkowitz</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Laguna Brava, Guatemala]]></title><description><![CDATA[lake, cenotes, camping, trekking, adventure The hills of Guatemala’s remote northwestern corner in Huehuetenango municipality conceal the...]]></description><link>https://www.mentalsweat.org/post/laguna-brava-guatemala</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6351b02716b844ff53b00f32</guid><category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 20 Oct 2022 20:41:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/29e61d_be2ac48a1b754ab1bd9d8e63a355d70a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>justinsmarkowitz</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Volcan Santa Maria, Guatemala.]]></title><description><![CDATA[camping, climbing, volcano, trekking, santiaguito, eruptions 30 minutes south of Guatemala’s second biggest metropolitan community,...]]></description><link>https://www.mentalsweat.org/post/volcan-santa-maria-guatemala</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6351aa6ce7f36bbc5d7fcbbb</guid><category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 20 Oct 2022 20:28:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/29e61d_38406fdfe8f342b391b221d14676069c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>justinsmarkowitz</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Laguna Magdalena in Huehuetenango, Guatemala]]></title><description><![CDATA[Camping, tourism, wilderness, trekking On the altiplano high above Huehuetenango and down a series of dirt roads lies Laguna Magdalena....]]></description><link>https://www.mentalsweat.org/post/laguna-magdalena-in-huehuetenango-guatemala</link><guid isPermaLink="false">62ba5151878c29e312200773</guid><pubDate>Thu, 20 Oct 2022 20:00:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/29e61d_cfbc024e56114dc28efcb317911a447d~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>justinsmarkowitz</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Review of Acatenango History and Trek ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Acatenango Volcano Hike Review and History Mount Acatenango stands 13,004 feet (3,976) meters adjacent to the extremely active Volcan...]]></description><link>https://www.mentalsweat.org/post/review-of-acatenango-history-and-trek</link><guid isPermaLink="false">621be9bac816399cedef5155</guid><category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 28 Feb 2022 19:08:47 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/29e61d_1914cca470034a149f70ff18d18db9e3~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>justinsmarkowitz</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Is Ignorance Bliss? ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Is ignorance really bliss? How do I know if I'm ignorant, and are there varieties of ignorance? These questions and more are answered on Feb]]></description><link>https://www.mentalsweat.org/post/is-ignorance-bliss</link><guid isPermaLink="false">620422e4b62a2d3c0b5dc061</guid><category><![CDATA[Philosophy]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 09 Feb 2022 20:42:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/29e61d_6b89b5fd24a44f318f76884ec9647d5b~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>justinsmarkowitz</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Travel, Routine, &#38; Mental Strength ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Discover how routine fits into a constantly changing lifestyle of nomadism. Making certain parts of your day second nature while...]]></description><link>https://www.mentalsweat.org/post/travel-routine-mental-strength</link><guid isPermaLink="false">61d3172615c3d300164572ed</guid><category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category><category><![CDATA[Philosophy]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 03 Jan 2022 21:28:58 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/29e61d_89911592158649e194c91acc7c8b89fd~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>justinsmarkowitz</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Optimistic Cynic ]]></title><description><![CDATA[The optimistic cynic: shielding yourself with hope against brazenly fruitless toil Take this story with a grain of salt, as a truth no...]]></description><link>https://www.mentalsweat.org/post/philosophic-storytelling-the-optimistic-cynic</link><guid isPermaLink="false">61ca0a12e5a5da001698e319</guid><category><![CDATA[Storytelling]]></category><category><![CDATA[Philosophy]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 27 Dec 2021 21:38:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/29e61d_f465b489dcc64085a5c711d33a23219a~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>justinsmarkowitz</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Mystic Writing Pad]]></title><description><![CDATA[Sigmund Freud wrote how The Mystic Writing Pad was an excellent metaphor for how human consciousness operates.]]></description><link>https://www.mentalsweat.org/post/the-mystic-writing-pad-freud-metaphor-for-consciousness</link><guid isPermaLink="false">61c0c962a43e580016275384</guid><category><![CDATA[Philosophy]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 20 Dec 2021 18:27:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/29e61d_59944777bac241e19e232ad598fc34b1~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>justinsmarkowitz</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Art of Love ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Discover how good portrayals of love exist in the epics of our time, and learn how to avoid unhealthy love! ]]></description><link>https://www.mentalsweat.org/post/the-art-of-love</link><guid isPermaLink="false">61b75281dcc9a200165dca84</guid><category><![CDATA[Philosophy]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 13 Dec 2021 16:43:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/29e61d_9701a2d0413849bb9f475bbd6617a71b~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_761,h_507,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>justinsmarkowitz</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[In The Big City]]></title><description><![CDATA[Prose about the big city, about disappearing and seeing the movements of life. Me, in front of the famous "Angel of Independence" I came...]]></description><link>https://www.mentalsweat.org/post/in-the-big-city</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6192e70374d8d90016115417</guid><category><![CDATA[Storytelling]]></category><category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 15 Nov 2021 23:30:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/29e61d_adc7b0741beb4a27939e6812607e80ed~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>justinsmarkowitz</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve Cacti Forest]]></title><description><![CDATA[A short tour of the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere delivered via Mental Sweat &#38; your future tour guide, Armando. Find the...]]></description><link>https://www.mentalsweat.org/post/tehuac%C3%A1n-cuicatl%C3%A1n-biosphere-reserve-cacti-forest</link><guid isPermaLink="false">618ee3753a15b10016862d45</guid><category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 12 Nov 2021 23:45:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/29e61d_50e7122e6ed54449bd0326896a382b8d~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>justinsmarkowitz</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Mean Can Be Nice]]></title><description><![CDATA[How correctly directing Meanness can Actually be the nicest thing to do A yearly ritual takes place outside of Shanghai, where fishermen...]]></description><link>https://www.mentalsweat.org/post/mean-can-be-nice</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6189898f2e2bed00173be7c6</guid><category><![CDATA[Philosophy]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 08 Nov 2021 20:46:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/29e61d_e53e65faf3094d1c9c0b4bf5023ba88a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>justinsmarkowitz</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Destination: Nudist Beach Zipolite ]]></title><description><![CDATA[All you need to know about getting to and from Zipolite, as well as some budgetary info. This place is legit all about the nudity....]]></description><link>https://www.mentalsweat.org/post/destination-nudist-beach-zipolite</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6185b90ca663c00016afbc0b</guid><category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 05 Nov 2021 23:50:47 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/29e61d_5e80b3798ff74264ab36bed12013544d~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>justinsmarkowitz</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Biological Warfare]]></title><description><![CDATA[An essay by an anonymous author about existence. During some years of my youth, I volunteered to help clean and rebuild a...]]></description><link>https://www.mentalsweat.org/post/biological-warfare</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6180785978c05d00161927ec</guid><category><![CDATA[Storytelling]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 01 Nov 2021 23:36:20 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/29e61d_59ce680263de4b7f80c38026e4262ed2~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>justinsmarkowitz</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>