Sometimes you have to run far, far away to find your way home. That's what I learned when I abandoned the wreckage of my young adulthood in Minnesota for two years living in rural Japan. What happened next is the story I share in my memoir, The Same Moon (Camphor Press: 2020). My dear friend and artist Andria Villanueva created the image 'Loon Landing' to grace the book cover, reflecting my story's connection to both Japan and Minnesota. This piece of art has resonated with so many people that I decided to share it here, along with the Japanese characters for 'Same Moon' --...more