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Dr. Matt
Writing
I needed to write, to express myself through written language not only so that others might hear me but so that I could hear myself ― Gabor Mate
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The Things She Left Behind
Zytkoskee, A. (2019). The things she left behind. In E. Kraljii (Ed.), Against death: 35 essays on living . Anvil Press. My late wife...
Mateo Zytkoskee
Sep 24, 20248 min read
21 views
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A Close Call?
Arya, Finn, and I are playing in the waves when conditions shift from fun to frightening...
Mateo Zytkoskee
Jan 27, 20245 min read
9 views
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Appropriate to Appropriate
I've taken to wearing Pakastani outfits (shalwar kameez) to work as they are considered acceptable work attire at this multicultural...
Mateo Zytkoskee
Apr 16, 20232 min read
55 views
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The Gift of the Unexpected
Some days are on script. Predictable. Not this one: In between classes, I dashed to the bathroom and, much to my consternation, found...
Mateo Zytkoskee
Apr 16, 20234 min read
29 views
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A Moment in the Fog
When I was 19 and commercial fishing in Alaska, I fell in love with a girl. For 15-seconds. It was 3am and within the brief window of...
Mateo Zytkoskee
Feb 27, 20232 min read
11 views
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The Anger Parasite (an experiment)
Sometimes anger is a gem. Driving us to needed reactions. Setting boundaries. Shouting no! Demanding yes! A valuable power source. Often,...
Mateo Zytkoskee
Feb 27, 20232 min read
12 views
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Used Car Shopping: Middle East Edition
We were being driven out past rubble heaps and old trailers that looked like they belonged in a nuclear test site. The guy driving us,...
Mateo Zytkoskee
Feb 27, 20233 min read
8 views
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International Barbers
I like barber shops because they tend to be old school with groups of dudes lounging around listening to music and bullshitting about...
Mateo Zytkoskee
Feb 27, 20232 min read
22 views
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A Bird to Remember
I'm biking to work when I pass a little dead bird on the polished granite tiles surrounding the front of the American University's...
Mateo Zytkoskee
Nov 1, 20222 min read
60 views
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Having Both
As I prepare a last-minute Halloween costume for a party in Dubai—I’m going as a guru, which feels beautifully absurd—I think about my...
Mateo Zytkoskee
Nov 1, 20221 min read
15 views
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Treasure Hunting!
I'm a treasure hunter. Which means--as I imagine is the case for 99.9% of treasure hunters--failure more often than feeling the shovel...
Mateo Zytkoskee
Nov 1, 20223 min read
4 views
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A Minute
Mind racing after work today. Getting from point A to point B on my bike as quickly as possible. Emails still to send. Kids to be fed....
Mateo Zytkoskee
Sep 28, 20221 min read
23 views
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The Nesto HyperMart
I'm a fan of deals. I hunt them and take great pride in telling the tales of my bargain related exploits. Therefore, you should know...
Mateo Zytkoskee
Sep 28, 20223 min read
14 views
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Child's Pose
The call to prayer begins at 5am—not loud but definitely audible enough to nudge me out of my incredibly light sleep (an unfortunate...
Mateo Zytkoskee
Sep 18, 20221 min read
20 views
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Remains
The man's teaching contract was not renewed when he turned 70. A general rule here. He was angry about it. Wouldn't vacate his office,...
Mateo Zytkoskee
Sep 18, 20222 min read
21 views
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The Screamer
I'm in the middle of playing "The wheels on the bus" on my ukulele for two Argentinian toddlers while their grandmother helps me with the...
Mateo Zytkoskee
Aug 2, 20223 min read
33 views
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The Unexpected Celebration
After a day packed with work and adulting beginning at 7am, I'm feeling a touch resentful as I make the 20 minute drive out to the local...
Mateo Zytkoskee
Aug 2, 20221 min read
8 views
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Moment of Defeat
A crowd of gangly pre-teens and tired looking parents watch as a boy—maybe 11 or 12—tries to coax himself onto a platform containing a...
Mateo Zytkoskee
Aug 2, 20223 min read
6 views
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Resiliency & Uncertainty
In my twenties, I worked a sketchy job with an old leathery man called Hollywood. No one would tell me how he earned this nickname, but...
Mateo Zytkoskee
Aug 2, 20224 min read
9 views
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Step Aside
One night when I was living in Dubai, a buddy and I were walking back to his car after an event in the heart of the city. The sidewalk...
Mateo Zytkoskee
Aug 2, 20222 min read
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