I’m writing this on the day that Taylor Hawkins, long time drummer of one of my favorite bands, the Foo Fighters, died. He was just 50-years-old; gone, like many rock stars before him, far too early. I met Taylor, and…
This week–where we watched the U.S. Capitol Building overrun by fascist Trump supporters, in an attempt to prevent a peaceful transfer of power–was many things. It was tragic. It was deadly. It was dangerous and distressing. One thing it wasn’t:…
Anyone who spends more than, say, 30 seconds around me will hear more than they ever cared to know about my best friend and traveling companion, Sydney, a 4-year-old Australian Shepherd pup. The person in question will then be subjected…
I made a decision last week that I hope will have long-term positive consequences; I have decided to begin trying to find an agent for my book idea, Around the World on 80 Couches. This decision has led to a…
If I’ve learned nothing else since coming to Korea, I’ve learned this: when it rains, it pours. Rainy season began about a month ago, and it only seems to be picking up steam as it goes. Yesterday, my facebook blew…
Note: Originally written on July 21, 2011, but I did not post it until August 7. The journal entry was never completed, largely because I realized that I didn’t have much to say. Turns out being happiness is a difficult…
Thursday, Continued The knock on my door interrupted a few moments of quiet reflection. I put Sydney into her travel kennel and let the mover into my apartment. His English wasn’t great, but it was passable. We managed to move…
I spent a significant portion of today finally getting settled in my new apartment. I’ve even managed to amaze myself* with how well this apartment came together. It’s a nice feeling, seeing everything in place before the hustle and bustle…
“I kind of feel like this is Year One and last year was Year Zero. It was such a unique situation that we walked into last season, it didn’t feel like your first year. I feel like right now, this…
One of the things that drove me to the brink of madness in Japan was the difficulty of life. It seemed that every seemingly simple task had to be completed with as many unnecessary steps as humanly possible. The Japanese…
In less than two weeks, I will be moving and starting a new job. I decided to take a few precious hours out of my weekend to make the two-hour journey up to the “small” city of Paju (population 250,000)…
Last Thursday, I sat down with my director to discuss my exit strategy from Korea Poly School (Pentagon officials may want to take notes). I had sent him an e-mail asking what I could do to best help with the…
