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How much can you realistically make self-publishing a book?
One of the most common questions I get as a self-published author is “how much money can I make by self-publishing?” This question is difficult to answer for a number of reasons, partly because it’s...
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It’s okay if you don’t like to travel
A couple months ago I had an enlightening conversation with my dad. It a while after I had written this bitterly honest and emotional blog post about my tendency to end up in the emergency room on a...
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HUGE Blog-y Updates
Things are going to be changing around here. I know I’ve said that twice this year (here) and (here), but both of those were really just leading up to this. I’m going to do this in listicle format...
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These are the biggest mistakes I made in early 20s – and I swear I’m going to...
Like any other twenty-something, I make bad decisions. Often. It’s an unfortunate side effect of being human. However, as my dad used to say, “it’s only a mistake if you didn’t learn anything from it.
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A Day in the Life of a Blogger and Comic Artist (in Japan)
When I tell people that I make my living writing about my life on the internet, they’re usually skeptical. Or envious. It’s fun seeing people’s reaction – especially when most assume I spend all day...
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A Day in Chichibu, Japan: Best Things to Do, Eat, and See
Chichibu is excellent. The city of Chichibu is located in the Saitama prefecture of Japan. It is a self-contained valley and popular native Japanese tourist destination, surrounded by gorgeous...
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My 2015
2015 was a good year. A lot of things happened. In 2015, in no particular order: Ryosuke and I have been married for longer than we were dating, now.
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The Cost of Living in Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo has a reputation of being one of the most expensive cities in the world. While it certainly is expensive, there are plenty of ways to live for cheap – if you’re willing to sacrifice some basic...
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My (slightly traumatic) time getting Lasik Eye Surgery in Tokyo, Japan
I got my eyes “fixed” with lasik eye surgery in Japan, about ten months ago. It was one of the best decisions of my life even though I nearly had a panic attack while they were doing it. The procedure...
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Why Are Japanese Kids So Calm? Parenting in Japan VS America
This month’s guest post comes from blogger Brian, who us currently pursuing a master’s in counselling psychology, focusing on expat issues and cross-cultural relationships. He writes: When arriving...
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Don’t ask your favorite bloggers for relationship advice (because seriously,...
As I’m entering my fourth year of blogging (wow, time flies) something that continues to confuse me is the sheer number of emails I get asking for relationship advice. Part of me understands it, I...
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Gorgeous Japanese Crafts (at Wonder500™)
One of the highlights of my morning was discovering the Wonder500™, a campaign in New York to showcase 500 unique (and lesser-known) Japanese products. The items come from all 47 prefectures in Japan...
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12 of the Weirdest Food I’ve Eaten in Japan
I love food. Cooking and eating together is one of my favorite ways of showing love – to my spouse, my friends, and my family. There’s very few things I won’t eat… and can count on one hand the number...
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Thoughts about the Upcoming 5 year Anniversary of the Tohoku Earthquake and...
I grabbed lunch with my friend Leza the other day (she’s also an author – you might recognize her from the guest post Teahouse Dreams). We chatted about life, books, future plans, and eventually the...
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EXCITING NEWS!!!
Twenty months ago, my life changed. Twenty months ago, we lived in Tokyo. Ryouske was working a job he didn’t really like and I had a part-time job that made me feel dead inside (all the while looking...
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I feel loved. And guilty. And grateful.
I have a lot of feelings right now. Love. Gratefulness. Fear.
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Thank you
This morning I did what I’ve been doing every morning since launching the Kickstarter campaign for my newest comic book, My Life in Japan: checked stats. It felt like my heart stopped when I saw that...
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I don’t want to be cute (in Japan)
Oh Japan, why are you so kawaii? Japan is the Mecca of cute-ness. Polka dots, pink, ruffles, lace not just in clothing, but in bags, phone cases, toothbrushes, stationary, and basically everything...
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On creating art when you’re happy
Recently I’ve struggled with writing. Part of it, of course, has to do with the fact that I’m running out of things to say. I’ve said a lot of things here on my blog (and later with my comics and...
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10 Things you should think about before Marrying Someone from a Foreign Country
I married a foreigner. So did my husband. Sometimes we like to get together and complain (mostly joking) about all the things that are difficult because we married someone who was born and raised in a...
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