What Are Cookies Anyway?
Tiny files that websites store on your computer. They remember you visited, what you looked at, and sometimes what you're interested in. Most of the time you don't even know they're there.
Cookies I Use
The Necessary Ones — A few cookies that make this site actually work. Nothing sneaky. If you block these, the site might break.
Google Analytics — I need to know if anyone's actually reading this. Google's cookies tell me "someone from Portland spent 10 minutes reading the Mexico post." They don't tell me who. They don't know your name or email. Just behavior patterns. This helps me write better posts.
Google AdSense — Google serves ads on this site. They use cookies to show you ads related to stuff you've looked at before. It's not me spying on you — it's Google being smart about ads. You can turn this off if you want.
Third-Party Stuff
Sometimes I embed YouTube videos or Instagram posts. Those services set their own cookies. I don't control them. If you don't like it, check their privacy policies.
How to Turn Cookies Off
Your browser has cookie settings. You can delete cookies, block new ones, or block them from specific sites. If you block everything, some sites will break. It's your call. Browser settings: Chrome · Firefox · Safari · Edge
If You Really Don't Want to Be Tracked
Google Analytics: Install this browser add-on.
Personalized ads: Google Ad Settings or Your Online Choices.
If This Changes
I might add new tools or cookies if the blog grows. The date at the top of this page will tell you when I updated it.