I’d like to thank all of you who have stopped by this year. December 2013 had the highest number of visitors ever on my blog. I greatly appreciate it.

I started this blog in January 2012.

Why? Well, I felt like if I really wanted to put myself out there as a writer then I needed to have a blog.

Honestly, I had no idea what I wanted to do with it, so for the entire year of 2012 that completely showed. I did nothing with it. I didn’t know what to write about, and I didn’t know what the purpose of my blog should be. A purposeless blog might as well be a blank page.

After I published my first novel in December 2012, I thought I would try to kick start the blog as a means of promotion. Again, I didn’t know what I was doing, so I just posted whatever I had – an old essay – a thought about life – a review – a promotional post, etc …

As I continued to blog, the whole concept began re-morphing in my mind. Blogging isn’t about reaching out to the world, blogging is about reaching into yourself and letting your passions come out.

I have a few passions in life. I love writing. I love language learning and culture. I love Asia. I love food. I love history. I love live theater. I love life.

So this blog has become my writing oasis just to jot down whatever pops in my head. I love it when readers tune in and enjoy a post, but I no longer just blog to build my pretentious writer’s platform. I no longer blog hoping a stuffy literary agent will discover me. I blog for myself. Blogging is a really cool thing (how’s that for non-literary language)! It’s a place to be real, to have fun, to write about items that interest me, and (yes) to promote.

It’s really been a great year on this blog and I am very happy with the modest and steady growth I’ve seen all year.

Thanks for the kind words and support. I appreciate you putting up with all of my self-promotion – as uncomfortable as that is for me. What I enjoy more than anything else is to be able to share topics with others who have similar passions.

So in 2014, it will be more of the same on this blog.

History

Writing

Culture

Theater

Life

of yeah, and my books, of course.

Have a wonderful New Year!