Flashbacks: Argentina and Thailand (and welcome to New Zealand!)

Last Thursday, I sat down in a deck chair and suddenly the intensity that's been this whole year - but especially the last few crazy months - hit me at once.

Time stretched out, and I found myself suddenly noticing that I still had two feet and that 2016 was drawing to a close.

I realized how long it's been since I've really felt I had time to take a deep breath, sit down, and chat.

So, hi. :)

It's good to write to you again.

I'm actually in New Zealand now - I landed late last week, looking for sun and some long summer days.

Leaving Kyoto was hard - despite all the craziness with finishing the book and the launches, I managed to make a few really close friends there, and I miss them.

I'm here now in Auckland, in a little cottage on top of Mt Remuwera, the city spread out in front of me all the way to a hinted cyan, whispering the Pacific goes deeper than you know.

This cottage is my place to look back. To understand and process a year that's been so full of moving and doing and just get on the plane/don't think/say yes, that I'm not even fully clear on what's happened.

But that will work itself out. In this moment, I just wanted to reach out and genuinely connect. In the whirr of all this stuff, it feels like it's been too long.

And as always, feel free to hit reply. I'd love to hear from you. :)

And without further ado, the flashback :)

Thailand:

Welcome to Thailand - On coming back to Thailand, and the beautiful, intense contrast that defines this place. The World's Biggest Water Fight - Songkran is the Thai New Year - and one giant water fight. But without the fight. Bees - Bees at my favorite coffee stand, Buddhism, and a staggering insight on life.

Argentina:

Looking Up - On a moment of looking up, and the wonder that's sitting in front of us. Poetry was my First Love - One of the things I found most palpably in Argentina - were words. Look at My Chest! - Learning to Tango with two left feet. Last Glimpses - A last look around Mendoza, in short flashes.

I hope you enjoy. :)

-Steven