Crazy Girls Racing In the Rain

A few weekends ago, the city of Taichung was informed that we would be having no work or classes.  That meant for the first time in my entire time here, I had a three day weekend that wasn’t a scheduled holiday.  Businesses and malls would be open, but I would not have anywhere or anyone to see.  No classes to teach.  Nothing.  And ironically, it also happened to be the same week I finished my latest manuscript and had given myself a proper break from writing my books.  I decided there was only one thing to do: reevaluate.

Why I Went Vegan (Again)

Way back when at the age of twenty-one, I was seeing a girl who was deep into veganism.  It was, honestly, the first time I had seen or heard anything about it.  And I was intrigued by the idea.  At the time, I was a little oblivious and ignorant to my own needs.  I thought I was healthy and continually found myself in a pattern.  I’d lose weight, get real close to where I wanted to be, and then I’d falter back, ending up right back where I started.  I was unhappy, not healthy, and I needed a change.

The Most Valuable Currency

*This is an excerpt from a longer story written in 2016, titled Forging a New American Dream, which is a nonfiction account of my personal relationship to money*
After three years of trying my best to save up, senior year turned out to be the one year I could afford to have a real spring break: tropical location, good friends, and some delicious drinks.  My best friend, Lucy, invited me to visit her parents in Port Saint Lucie, Florida.  It worked out nicely for everyone involved: we both got to see her family and get the warm, sunny spring break we imagined we would get at one point in our college years.