A while ago I posted about one of my goals: achieving black belt.

Thankfully, I can now announce that I have successfully accomplished this goal!

Right before leaving on walkabout I undertook one of the most demanding trials I’ve every experienced–my black belt test in the martial art of Muay Thai, …

Thank You for 2013

At the top of 2014, I wanted to explicitly thank all my friends and family, in physical space as well as online, who followed and shared with me in my various adventures in 2013, such as:

• The publication of a short story in Surreal South ’13

* The display of a short story in …

For anyone who’s lived in most any large city or has done a lot of travel, you come to develop a certain “sixth sense” about people trying to scam you or otherwise part you from your money. You are not necessarily afraid of these people, but you learn to be wary.

The magic solution to their …