As the weather started to get cooler in Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan in late October, I realized that the time when it would be best to not be at Satoshi Manor was probably November. The issue was primarily that the great weather and wonderful colors of Autumn had almost ended and the cold and snow wonder…
I’m distinctly uncomfortable right now. Not physically and not emotionally – but mentally and possibly even spiritually. I’m unsettled. It’s November 14th here in Japan where I’ve just returned from an eight day trip to northern Vietnam. What I’m experiencing isn’t culture shock, it’s not that experience of being in a new place and and…
The first time Donald Trump was elected was a painful shock to many of us. The reason was hard to figure out at first, but ultimately it came down to the fact that we’d been lying to ourselves about what America represented, what it wants, and who it is. Don’t get me wrong, every person…
It makes me happy to say that Couchsurfing is not dead. I’ve been grateful for all the friends and experiences that Couchsurfing has brought me through the years and it was unpleasant to think of it as becoming irrelevant and a dying platform. It still might, but for the moment at least, my faith is…
I have to admit, there are many challenges so far to living here but one of the greatest joys has been the time and space to create art. Here are some of the things I’ve painted since I’ve been here. The latest to the earliest. The earliest piece I did here was the tengu (red…
Aloha Friends If you aren’t aware of Baoism, please take a moment to explore it. It’s a syncretic spiritual philosophical framework with an unlimited number of holidays, gods, and rules – because they are up to you. Explore more here (https://www.baoism.org) I hope that everyone is doing well and feeling the joy of life. I…
It occurred to me that some of you have not been on this journey with me from the beginning, so I want to take a moment to share my book writing career with you. At this point I have written more than twenty books and been a part of a number of anthology projects. Some…
First of all – this wasn’t a regular trip. The reason for the trip was for the teacher training but halfway through the training, I realized that the company was a bad fit for me. We parted ways amiably and not only did they pay me for the training days I attended, but the few…
My grandmother used to say “Boring people get bored” and I have to admit, I may have become a boring person because I am abored as fuck with tourism. At my house or anywhere I live, I don’t particularly get bored as I can usually find something to do but in a city that seems…
It’s been such a trippy year – full of unexpected adventures, changes, and challenges. As many of you know, I mark the seasons of the year with the solstice and equinox – which for simplicity, I count on the 21st day of March, June, September, and December. I also use full moons as a way…