To say “I’m sorry this is so late” might be overplaying my importance, but the apology still stands. Upon arriving back to The States, I caught some bug (take your pick) and was laid out for nearly three weeks. Add to that a few other things—namely being a bit creatively uninspired here in Oklahoma (I think mainly it’s a mix of being lazy + the fact that I’ve documented Tulsa ad nauseam over the past few years; but maybe it’s more than that) —and thus, this issue took ages to complete. But when I’m not doing something, making something, I get into a bit of a funk, so that’s where I’ve been. I say that not to set a sad tone here, but you all have allowed me to be honest about everything else, so that’s where we’re at. Stuff like this is a lot easier to write about when I don’t run the risk of running into you on the street. January Blues, we’ll call it.

However…

There was a lot that went on since we finished the bike trip and spent a month exploring the absolutely fantastic country of Japan, so let’s get into it—photos from Osaka, Hakone and Tokyo, a little video compilation of the changing colors, another video of the nightmare-inducing alien overload spaceship disguised as a temple, why no self-respecting Japanese would be seen without a bucket of fried chicken for the (very romantic) holiday of Christmas Day, a 2023: In Review (quite a bit went on, actually) and why I’ve gone back to school for a change in career. 

Plus more. 

So let’s head back to Japan!