David Sedaris on his Duolingo obsession: ‘“Today is the last day,” I told myself – but I was powerless to stop’

I decided to combine my need to top the leader table with my daily step count – which is how I found myself walking 10 miles a day while reading out sentences in Japanese, German, Spanish and French

Hugh and I were driving from Washington, DC, to the Sea Section, our house on the coast of North Carolina, when I noticed a dot with legs traversing the hem of my untucked shirt. “There’s a tick on me!” I said.

He looked down at my lap. “Well, throw it outside. It’s nothing to get hysterical about.”