Today’s technology is truly miraculous. It gives us the tools to communicate and work together over vast distances and get much more work done that we otherwise could…because of this, I’m a huge fan. Still, there are some things technology can’t replace, like passing time in one another’s presence.    
 
Yesterday, I had the great pleasure to spend the day with @dougkarr.  We’ve been working on the HardFork film series together now for nearly two months. Doug is based in New York City and I live in St. Paul, Minnesota so this is the first time we’ve met face-to-face.  

<center> ![](https://s26.postimg.org/yz1qng9w9/IMG_1383.jpg) </center>

After so many years in the business you begin to develop an instinct for people. I had no trepidations about Doug at any point in these last few months. Spending eight or so continuous hours with him only confirmed what my instinct told me was true.
 
The day began with a great breakfast at the Longfellow Grill in Minneapolis.  We sat on the patio under a bright blue sky, ate some great vegetarian hash with an egg on top, drank way too much coffee, and shared more about our individual backstories. We quickly learned we had a lot of similar interests. Both of us were drawn to creative careers at a young age and have been in the business for a very long time. We also both meditate (and have for a long time) and like to travel.  After the caffeine revved up our brain cells we trailed off in a discussion about details of our film’s plot and the exciting potential that augmented reality (AR) will lend to our series.  Anyone eavesdropping on our conversation probably suspected we were either:  1. Up all night doing copious amounts of hallucinogenics; or 2. time travelers from the distant future. We’ll be sharing much more about our augmented reality ideas soon, they’re going to give us some exciting possibilities in our film’s plot.
 
After we filled our stomachs we decided to take a drive to Minnehaha Falls and burn off those calories hiking. 

<center> ![](https://s26.postimg.org/pwmg7wowp/IMG_1376.jpg) </center>

Doug brought some of his filming gear with him, including the impressive Osmo high-resolution camera, so he also was able to shoot some footage for a marketing piece we’re working on.
 
<center> ![](https://s26.postimg.org/zed0ggvtl/IMG_1380.jpg) </center>
 
There were also a few cool moments of serendipity yesterday. Doug and I had just discussed contacting Noam Chomsky about our project, during our walk from the car to the waterfall.  A woman approached me (obviously because of my *Chomsky is my Homeboy* t-shirt) and told us that she wrote Noam a few years ago and asked him to attend a meeting she was holding in Wisconsin, to her surprise he accepted and showed up. Without us telling her about our previous conversation she said, “If you write him, he’ll probably answer.”  We took this as a message from the universe that we need to contact Noam asap.
 
We hopped back into the car to find another wooded path that I know about. This trail takes you to the top of a waterfall hidden within the woods and at the end of the trail you’re rewarded with a picturesque view from a perfectly flat rock perched high above the treetops.


<center> ![](https://s26.postimg.org/v0dpw400p/IMG_1386.jpg) </center>

During this hike, we found this strange insect that looked like it would be more at home in the Paleolithic era.
 
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After all of this hiking we burned off the calories from our breakfast, hours before, and we were extremely thirsty.  We could think of no better solution to this dilemma than a cold beer and a delicious lunch at the [Surly Brewing Company](http://surlybrewing.com/) in Northeast Minneapolis. 

<center> ![](https://s26.postimg.org/b5n2w8vfd/IMG_1396.jpg) </center>

We found a shady spot on their expansive patio and talked about life, cryptocurrency, filmmaking, and world domination (just kidding about that last one…maybe.)  As you can see, the food did cost (slightly) more than our beers…this means we were responsible, right? : ) 
 
<center> ![](https://s26.postimg.org/d7nkahteh/IMG_1393.jpg) </center>
 
Nothing in the world beats face time and I’m not referring to the Apple video chat app. We accomplished more in three hours than we could’ve in three weeks working remotely. The day was effortless, productive, and fun.  We both agreed that we can’t wait to get together with the other core members of the HardFork film series team in Lisbon for SteemFest2 in November…it will be epic. 

Doug stepped into my car at 8am yesterday morning a fellow Steemian, friend, and creative cohort but we departed brothers and if my intuition is correct, very likely lifetime friends. If only I had a crystal ball to see what all we will accomplish in the coming years but then that might spoil the surprise and that's half the fun.
 
## Please follow our film’s progress on the HardFork film series account by [clicking here.](https://steemit.com/@hardfork-series) ##


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*I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at [my website.](http://www.ericvancewalton.net) Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your information will never be sold or shared. 


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