As a way to share some of the other things I’ve done during the last few months in New Zealand, I decided to post some of my favorite day hikes. I tend to favor tougher, longer hikes, as they are usually a little quieter and a little more rewarding, but, as you shall see, all of these were photo-worthy.

New Zealand, being such a remote place, only has two species of land mammal, both being kinds of bats. This led to incredible biodiversity and proliferation of birds in the country, up to the point of human settlement in the 13th century. New Zealanders (or kiwis, as they are often called) nowadays show a great love and fascination for their avian compatriots.

I went bungee jumping for the first time in my life. I had been skydiving once before, as I’ve mentioned previously, but that was something I had always wanted to do. I cannot say the same about bungee jumping.

The best stories can inspire one’s real life decisions, often for the better.

There are some people who know exactly where they belong. For better or worse, I am not one of those people.

I have been asked by a number of people what I’m doing in New Zealand. In many ways, the same questions that are posed to me about my travel can also be applied to my writing.

The Auckland Art Gallery I am an avid museum-goer. Next to travel and hands-on experience, it’s one of the best ways to learn. They are more interactive than reading a simple textbook. But there is another level that I hadn’t considered until recently, and that is the role of storytelling in museums. It’s easy to allow a cliché term to lose its value, such as “a picture is worth a thousand words.” I tend to appreciate paintings and photos in museums more, however, when there

I consider myself to be very lucky, in the grand scheme of things.

It has been a quiet year in terms of posting on this blog. I have been working on two books at once, went on another adventure abroad, and adopted a new pet, all while continuing my work as a software developer. It has been a great year, and the books I've read have reflected that. My favorite books I've read this year 5. The Things They Carried I had actually read two of the chapters of this book back in my Junior year of high school. I remember vividly talking in my America

Another year of reading, another blog summing up my favorites. This time, my top 5 were fairly easy to choose compared to last year. These stood clearly out of the pack, excelling in both language and entertainment. 5. The Guide I feel very lucky to have discovered this book by R.K. Narayan, having never heard anyone else mention this book or author before, which is a shame. It is a great, short picaresque novel that follows a swindler who gets mistaken as a holy man, and peo

I just returned from a 2-week stint in Iceland. Typically, I do not vacation for rest and relaxation. While I can appreciate the need for...

Today’s the day! I am now officially an author. How does it feel? It’s actually a little difficult to say. As thrilled as I am, there’s a...

With less than 10 days before I publish Specks of Dust , I figured now would be as good a time as any to write a new blog post. (Myself...

It has been a very quiet year when it comes to this website. I began a new career path last year, and it took up much of my focus. I hope in the future to be able to post more regularly, now that I am somewhat established in that sector of my life. Nevertheless, though I did not read as much this past year as the two prior, I still accrued a modest number of books and wish to share my favorites. 5. David Copperfield A Christmas Carol aside (since I’ve acted in it twice, but

After the myriad pages and countless hours spent reading this year, I have assembled for you, dearest reader, my top 5 of 2021. Without...

I admit, when I began 2021, I did not anticipate turning my reading into anything thematic. While I’ll save the discussion of how I pick books and authors for a future post, I’d like to focus on tendencies I’ve noticed in this year of reading. Me, with my last book of the year First, unlike most years, I’ve doubled up on several authors in a short period of time. Usually, as with Faulkner, Hemingway, Steinbeck, and Roth, I wait a year or two until I return to them. This year,

For a little while now, I have had a free short story available for those who sign up for my email list. It took me multiple tries, however, to get the story right. First, I needed to decide what I wanted out of this story. I wanted it to be something new, not a sneak peek or scrapped piece of the book that didn’t make the cut. I also wanted the short story to flesh out a side character in the book. In my first attempt, I picked a character I was less comfortable with in the

It has been too long since I’ve written here. To get you up to speed on my activities, I decided to write a blog post about it. Most of my time in 2021 was spent planning and executing a 67-day road trip across the USA. This expedition was initially slated for the spring of 2020, but we all know why that had to be scrapped. However, anyone who knows me can tell you that I cannot stay in one place too long. Even when it comes to small things: when I talk on the phone, I pace;

As with many people, I've read more this year than any other in recent memory. Reading has provided a silver lining throughout this year of turmoil and quarantine. Though it's not yet the new year, I decided to go ahead and publish my favorite books I've read, and spend the rest of the month reflecting in other ways. If the New York Times can do it, so can I. 5. Between the World and Me by Te-Nehisi Coates Incredibly and thoughtfully written, I am grateful to have read this

Chances are that you, dear reader probably know me personally. But how well do you really know me?