Each of the following pieces has shifted something inside of me. Interestingly enough, all eleven are works of non-fiction. I am not one to get carried away by TV. There’s a certain limit to how “into” a series I can get. I love to read and constantly am, but that doesn’t mean I finish everything… Read More


    Day 1089 01 February 2021 ಗೋಕರ್ಣ (Gokarna) Six months ago, I was battling the standard of life that comes with $3 Indian guesthouses. Urban limitations fought against my willpower to get my bliss balls on the market. I had Женя trudge home the cheapest mixer-grinder from the main market. The plug wouldn’t reach… Read More


A crispy golden exterior yielding to a fluffy, doughy interior makes the banana bun from this modest stall an effortless win for the best breakfast in all of India.     The buns themselves are enough reason to pay a visit to Gokarna (ಗೋಕರ್ಣ), a beachy pilgrimage town located in the state of Karnataka.  … Read More


108 telltale signs that you’re hopelessly in love—a tribute to spending one full year in India.     1. “Chappals” is your word of choice for your open-toed footwear. 2. You eat dal-rice with your hands even when you are served with a spoon. 3. You say “ji” a lot. 4. You like to, and… Read More


A much needed trip update on the self-growth and life lessons of 189 days spent in COVID-19 lockdown. When COVID-19 had international borders sealed shut and I committed myself to India, I surrendered all notions of having plans. I opted to not go back to my birth country and instead chose to let life happen.… Read More


For those considering a full shave of their own, and to those questioning my mental stability or degree of boredom, here are ten intentional reasons to grab that razor and get depilated. To read about my real-time emotions and the immediate aftermath of shaving my head, see my related post Bald and Balder.   10… Read More


As the razor buzzed, I entered that zone of intense adrenaline that can only be accessed by departing my comfort zone. The recollection of these vulnerable moments are comparable to the memory of receiving my tattoo. For a while I had known that 2020 was the year to shave my head. I had expressed this… Read More


Options for body movement during India’s COVID-19 nationwide lockdown are severely limited in a city of two million. I’ve had more time than ever to offer to the creative and disciplinary sides of my yoga.   I feel impelled to share more on my personal journey with yoga, because I recently uploaded my second yoga… Read More


As COVID-19 swept from my dear China across the globe, my own life suddenly became far more interesting and restricted than I ever could have anticipated when I packed my backpack over two years ago, embarking on a dream to embrace the world. While I do my best not to give this own life of… Read More