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When alien monsters attack the United States, what three landmarks will they surely target for destruction? Obviously the Empire State Building in New York. Irresistible! Maybe the White House, a la Independence Day. How about Mount Rushmore? For my money, the first place that galactic invaders will obliterate is San Francisco’s prized monument: the Golden […]

I’m not sure what to make of castles. On the one hand, if you live in a war-like age, with enemies all around, it makes sense to live behind walls and fortifications. On the other hand, we’ve all seen fantasy movies like Lord of the Rings. The invading forces *always* manage to win. Always. They […]

Mark Twain once wrote, “Distance lends enchantment to the view.” I love this quote because it has a cool double meaning, both physical and psychological. When you physically pull back from something, you get a broader view, a deeper perspective. Metaphorically, when you have mental distance from something, it can look rosier in retrospect than […]

“Are you kidding me? They pay you to write this crap!!” Some years back, I found myself incensed while reading an article in which the author suggested that we should all just stop traveling. His argument wasn’t about the carbon footprint of air travel (which actually is a pretty decent reason to manage our wanderlust). […]

My Papa was a rolling stone. Sometimes I’d ask him, “What’s going on?” and he’s just say, “It’s a heat wave, Son. You gotta stop that superstition.” “Oh Dad, you keep me hangin’ on. Don’t you see the tracks of my tears?!!” “Ain’t no mountain high enough, boy!” “I second that emotion, Dad.” The list […]

I’ve talked quite a bit in these posts about Japanese hot springs (Wow Places #28, #61 and #159), which I absolutely love. One of the most unusual I’ve experienced, Yunomine Onsen, enjoys a prominent position on the famous Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route (Wow Place #25). Located near Hongo Town in southern Wakayama Prefecture, Yunomine is […]

I’m maybe 10 years old when, with a combination of anticipation and terror, I climb into my seat on the Giant Dipper. One of the most popular wooden roller coasters in the world, the Giant Dipper is old – I mean really old. It goes all the way back to 1924, when it was built […]

While living in Tokyo, Sundays were always my favorite day of the week. Just after lunch, I’d put on my shorts and running shoes, take the train to Yoyogi park and, for the next 4 hours, I’d play vigorous ultimate frisbee with my Tokyo ex-pat friends. Afterwards, we’d head out for dinner – often at […]

According to Wikipedia, “FOMO,” or “Fear of Missing Out,” is “the feeling of apprehension that one is either not in the know about or missing out on information, events, experience, or life decisions that could make one’s life better. FOMO is also associated with a fear of regret, which may lead to concerns that one […]

Wow Place #157: Awe Of late, I’ve been thinking a lot about the phenomenon of “awe”. So much so, in fact, that I delivered a speech on the topic a couple of nights ago at my local Toastmasters chapter. Here’s a copy of that speech, which references an “awe-some” experience you may be familiar with, […]