hungry in so many ways

over the past few months i’ve definitely missed the catharsis of digesting my exploits and regurgitating them as writings on this blog. there is a certain kind of understanding that comes with reexamining and analyzing occurrences that is crucial to fulfillment i believe. there are several reasons why i’ve lapsed, perhaps the most prominent being that my adventures in small town America seem decidedly unexotic, like they wouldn’t be of interest to anyone, especially not in the way that quirky and traditional Japan was. And the people who inspired me to blog, family and friends who were geographically and, at times, emotionally farther away than they had ever been before, are now within my sphere. i’m creating experiences involving the people who were once my target audience. when i began writing it was for me, a way to anatomize my new experiences and convert those episodes into life knowledge, and so it was with the blog. but the purpose of this website expanded and morphed until i realized i was writing as much for others as i was for myself, i was eager to share my adventures, to convey the bits of truth about human nature that i was mining from cultures in far away places. the lessons i’m learning now in myrtle beach seem terribly less romantic and, consequently, far less interesting. another reason for slacking on the blog is time- what a very interesting concept. it seems i just can’t find enough of it to sit, reflect and record right now. although i know that one is able to make time for things one deems important, which makes me question the role writing is coming to play in my life.
one of the things i miss writing about most, not surprising to readers who have followed this blog over the years, is food. (see the unwittingly included food analogy in the first line for evidence.) i’m relieved to say it’s the aforementioned restrictions and not a lack of restaurants or my waning appetite that has caused me to lapse on this subject. i’ve eaten well as of late.
thinking about my travels, be they to Bangkok or Baltimore, i realize how much i rely on 21st century word-of-mouth, the internet, for recommendations on food spots. it motivates me to offer praise and earnest criticism where due in the hopes that others could enjoy the same culinary delights or avoid similar gastronomic perils. maybe instead of theorizing about all this i should just cut to the substance. i had great sushi last night, proffered up by the snottiest waiter ever, a remarkably unsettling combo. that deserves writing about. i should just get on with detailing the best salad in town that i’ve come to rely on for my weekly fix. but unfortunately i don’t have time…i’m meeting my dad at magnolia’s for lunch. it’s a scintillating country cookin’ buffet that i’d put up against any grandma’s sunday dinner in a head to head taste test. that’s the problem with attempting to balance reflection of experiences with the opportunities to make new ones. fried pork chops and macaroni and cheese always win.