Finally!

I get this question a lot - Do you write? Journal? Blog? Mass emails?  To which the answer is sort of..I actually have had this blogspot since 2009 or something, but between shoddy wifi in ports the ships visit (you can go to the Starbucks in Nassau 3 times in a week and a half and never have a good connection...nevermind the entire island of St.Thomas or the Greenhouse in St.Maarten or the list goes on and on...), having to pay for internet ON the ship, not taking my laptop with me when traveling most of the time via land, and just in general having better things to do on tropical islands or whilst wandering around Oz, Europe or Central America, it just never seemed to go anywhere.  Wiping it clean and starting with a clean slate, this time around, I will make the effort to at least update once in a while and add some pictures- no promises on it being spectacular.  This is still going to be more of a "normal" "land" life and I really don't intend to fall of the face of the earth like I usually do communication-wise.  I have my laptop, I'll have internet everday, I'll have an apartment and play ultimate and use the subway and be able to eat Mexican food and do all the things I normally do, it's just that doing all those things will be much more entertaining since I will have no idea what's going on around me.  I'll work on that too - but I forsee Mandarin learning as a slow process.  I'm choosing blog form rather than mass emails because that gives you all the power and I don't have to spam people's inboxes if you don't really want to know.  If you do, come visit.  The blog!  BUT I also accept real visitors to Taipei!  I'm actually impressed that I do think I will see some of you for whatever reasons - and it's more of you than I ever thought would entertain the idea.  Anyhow, thanks to all of you who take such good care of me back in the States, those of you still out at sea, and those in their own adventures in other lands- it is always, always entertaining.