I just got my first newsletter of "The Island Chronicles" a series of notes from Mark Fraunfelder. With his wife Carla Sinclair, five year old daughter and an infant, they're giving up life in Los Angeles to move to an island in the South Pacific.

A former editor at Wired, now a freelance writer and illustrator, Mark has a tone verging on the sardonic considering his attempts at simple living. It's entertaining to read about someone in the media business, and likely surrounded by computers, books and CDs, compacting his life and moving. With family!

I spent much of last year living in Japan. I'd meet people back in the States, they'd say, "It's great you're travelling now [before you get a spouse/kids/real job/serious american life subscription]." In the face of that late-life resignation, it's quite heartening to see an entire nuclear family unit make a radical departure from the ordinary American in favor of a far-off full-fledged adventure lifestyle switch.

Their writing so far has been an affirmation of beauty and relaxation over efficiency and universal access. I'll be curious to see how they fare with that over the long term.

Island Chronicles - including a link to the recommended email journal.