It’s been a whirlwind few weeks as the holiday season flipped to the new year, and I found myself thrown back into the desert in Jeddah to finish up my final semester of teaching theatre here. Yes, it’s time to move on. Moving on to what is the next big question.

I’ve jumped into some side training at a new arts center here. They asked me to help them out as they lift off their new endeavor. I’ve taught two sessions so far on introduction to acting, and it has been really fun. Eighteen motivated and engaged students in their 20s and 30s. It’s the kind of setting I could be real comfortable in.

As I look ahead, there’s a variety of avenues I want to either pursue or at least take a gander at. Teaching in a school setting is not one of them. I’ll continue to pursue my creative endeavors as usual. I have two novels in the works. One an Asian fantasy based on my time living in Hanoi. It’s going to be crazy fun, I predict. The second is more of a long-term project, which has insights into life in 2023. I’m not ready to share on this one yet.

Another project I am super excited about is my brand new podcast, tentatively called Crossing Ideas. There have been people in the past who encouraged me to start a podcast, but I was reluctant. I wouldn’t want to do it without a strong direction which could sustain it into the future. The idea finally fell into place. Crossing two ideas together – my vast experiences living overseas crossing with topics and issues of today. Season one is entitled Vietnam – and I’ve already written out the first 6 episodes. There will be twelve (I think) in the first season. I’ve already mapped out season 2 (Historical Places) and season 3 (Bureaucracy) and I have some tangle ideas about season 4. It will be a while before I launch. Most likely this summer as I’m setting the groundwork for a successful launch while finishing my work here in Jeddah. Lots to do.

I have many other ideas as well, but we’ll see how they play out over the next few months.

I’m excited to move beyond teaching. A little nervous. But sometimes we just need to step out and see what’s around the corner.

Stay tuned for lots of exciting changes in 2023. As always, I appreciate all who read my stuff, leave reviews, or reach out to contact me.