Welcome to the OtherWays, original essays and stories from the edges of modernity, written and curated by the otherWise team.

Some ideas shape into sharp strategies. Others, over time, wear into ways of being. Cosmolocalism is one of those rare concepts that stretches from the practical to the poetic, from open-source design to planetary ethics. In this article, we explore what Cosmolocalism means to us and why it matters.

When Emily Shaljian’s friend sent a photo of her newly registered car—an old black Volvo—with the words Pleasure Vehicle stamped across the license plate, she laughed. The label felt absurd for a car inherited after her father’s death, worn down by time and memory. But it also felt oddly true. This car, once her father’s, had carried her through grief, across state lines, and into unexpected moments of joy. In this piece, Shaljian reflects on how a stubborn, aging vehicle became more than just transportation—it became a quiet companion through loss, transition, and the slow return of pleasure.