Somewhere in the world walks a man born to different parents and a different time then Jacques Custeau. They call him Jacques Zcusteau - a twin from another life, wandering to remind you to return to yourself.
This is not a brand or an influencer. It is a quiet path back to presence, courage, and nature. Leave your phone for a moment. Walk a little slower. Try life again.
Begin the journeyJacques Zcusteau was not born next to you. Not in your city, not in your year. He took his first breath somewhere the sea meets the wind and has been exploring ever since.
He has no office, no title, no fixed address. Most days he has no signal. Jacques walks, listens, and writes. He sits with trees longer than with screens. He believes courage can be quiet.
Jacques exists for one purpose: to remind you that you are allowed to begin again at any moment.
These are not travel tips. They are footprints. Moments that asked to be written down before they disappeared.
I climbed without tracking my steps. No smart-watch, no app, no numbers to win. The mountain did not care about my pace. It simply waited.
Halfway up, I realized the only thing rushing me was a life lived in notifications. At the top, there was no signal. Only clouds.
I have never felt more connected.
Today I left my phone at home. It felt wrong, like walking without shoes. For the first ten minutes, my hand kept reaching for a device that was not there.
After twenty minutes, I started hearing birds I had never noticed in this street. After thirty, I forgot I ever wanted to be reachable.
When I came back, my phone was exactly where I left it. Nothing important had happened. Except inside my head.
You don't enter a forest. You ask to be let in. Today the trees said yes. The wind slowed down, and a lone ray of sunlight found my face.
I stood still long enough for my thoughts to sit down beside me. For a moment, I felt less like a visitor and more like a younger brother being watched over by older, wiser relatives.
You do not need to change your life. You only need to try small, honest experiments. One step, one breath, one moment at a time. Choose one. Try it this week.
Leave your phone at home for one short walk. Not on silent. Not in your pocket. At home. Notice how many times your hand reaches for it. That is how often your attention has been leaving you.
Tomorrow, spend the first 20 minutes of your day without looking at any screen. Drink water. Stretch. Look out of the window. Listen to the world wake up. See how it feels to meet the day before meeting the feed.
Find a tree. Any tree. Stand in front of it and place your hand on the bark. Take ten slow breaths. In through the nose, out through the nose. That is a minute of your life spent in honest connection.
Drink one cup of tea or coffee in complete silence. No scrolling, no music, no talking. Just warmth, smell, taste, and breath. See what thoughts visit you when you stop inviting distractions.
Choose one sunset this week. Treat it as a real appointment in your calendar. Go outside only to watch the light change. Stay until the first star appears. Remember how simple beauty can be when you let it be enough.
Choose one daily activity you already do - like walking to the tram, brushing your teeth, making coffee. For one week, do that activity with full attention. No phone. No multitasking.
Notice sounds, smells, textures. When your mind wanders, gently bring it back. Presence is not more complicated. It is just repeatedly coming back.
You do not need perfect boots or the right backpack. Start with the nearest park, hill, river, or small forest. Walk for 15-30 minutes without headphones.
Sit somewhere for 5 minutes and just look. Come back next week. Nature doesn't ask for performance. It asks for attention.
Pick one daily "no-screen pocket" - for example meals or the first hour after waking. Tell one person you trust, so they don't expect instant replies. Turn off at least one non-essential notification.
Notice what feelings come up: boredom, anxiety, curiosity. Your goal is not to become perfect. Your goal is to notice how your nervous system reacts when you stop feeding it constant stimulation.
Sometimes Jacques sends a note - a short email from a forest, a mountain, a quiet street. No marketing. No schedule. Only when there is something honest to share.
Leave your email if you'd like to receive occasional whispers from elsewhere.
This form doesn't need to promise replies. Some messages are meant only to be sent.