Hi there. It’s been a while! So, a couple months ago we saw the final days of our compulsory mask policy at company-operated cafes with my current employer. Over the past almost four years of working in Japan, I have done so masked. I very much understand the importance of masks (however controversial that might be to say nowadays), es...

As I write, my right knee is feeling a bit achy. My mind is wandering to places like "Is my hairline going to be okay this year?" and "Exactly how long will I be paying off my student loans again?" I'm trying to remember if I forgot something pertaining to work or if I’ve forgotten anything at all. A part of me is surprised I’ve made i...

I don’t consider myself an artist. I feel like there are certain things I’m good at doing and I’ve been told I have a number of talents, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I’m anywhere close to the level of skills of the artists that I respect. Art is subjective and I'm well aware it’s easy to look at something like a picture of a...

I’d like to commemorate my 4th consecutive year in Japan with a little post. In reality, I'm rounding out almost 8 full years in Japan having lived here twice before. I could do the maths and get much more accurate with the amount of time spent in Japan, but I'd rather leave it a bit nebulous, much like how I feel I've been existing ov...

Something about myself that I’ve been trying to come to terms with, specifically in that past few years, has been my long-delayed diagnosis of ADHD and how it may (or may not?) drive my thought process. Expo Line platform sunset. Culver City, California I‘ll be the first to admit: I have more than a fair amount of unfavorable personali...

Over the years I've found a strong attachment to these two words. I can't recall exactly when I first started using them in this way or when it was that I started keeping it as a pet phrase in my repertoire... but there's a certain cryptic, alluring quality surrounding "nearly there..." that won't allow me to let it go. Forgive me for ...