Heard a podcast once where they tore apart an unreliable narrator in a famous book. Never even considered that angle before. Made me realize group talks force you to see the hidden corners of a story. You get stuck in your own head otherwise. I definitely dug my old copy off the shelf after hearing that. Suddenly whole sections made a different kind of sense.

My own starter came from flour and water in my kitchen years ago and it's fantastic. The local yeast and bacteria in your area make it unique, which is kinda the whole point. Traveling is cool for the experience but not needed for a great starter. Just consistent care and decent flour does the trick.