About Robert
I am a writer (author and journalist), wanderer/gypsy/nomad/pilgrim, minimalist (since before minimalism was even cool), widower of a remarkable young woman, father of four great (and grown) kids and, most recently, a grandfather (still getting used to that one though).
A compulsive reader and writer since childhood, I finally made the shift in 2006 to become a professional writer. Prior to this transition, I worked in a variety of fields, the highlights of which were always travel and writing. My work in health care, computer programming and web design all required me to do considerable writing; I found that I always liked the writing better than the “real” work. Since 2006 I have worked as a freelance writer, journalist and author. Most recently my interest has been trending toward book projects.
About this site
This site serves as my virtual home on the web, a repository for my thoughts, essays, photos, project resources, and contact information.
The site has been through a number of iterations over the years, with the most recent occurring in 2013. During the summer of 2012 I lost one of the most important people in my life. The impact of that loss left me with nothing to say, in effect without words, and I shut down my blog and deleted the content. I am slowly reconstructing this site, and some older articles have been republished after being recovered from a cached source thanks to Google (nothing is ever truly deleted on the Internet). This, in part, explains why there are some gaps in the content between 2010 and late 2012.
Using this site (terms of use/service)
Content on this site typically reflects my opinion (it is a blog). Readers who browse the archives may notice that my opinion evolves and matures over time. This is as it should be. Readers are solely responsible for implementing any advice or adopting any opinion expressed on this site. I write honestly of my own experiences and conclusions, but I cannot know the individual circumstances that each person faces. The reader is responsible for considering whether my opinion or advice is appropriate for their own unique situation.
Comments are currently disabled on this site. While I love to hear from readers (please visit my contact page to send an e-mail), I do not care to deal with comment trolls and obnoxious, drive-by comment authors. My experience has been that readers who take the time to send an e-mail are typically more interested in a genuine conversation.
Blog posts are categorized into one (or occasionally several) sections or categories based on the content. (Thanks to Raam Dev for the inspiration for this category structure.) Posts are also tagged with relevant keywords. Posts can be browsed by date, category, or tag. Categories include:
- Journal – this category includes personal reflections, anecdotes, and journal-type entries
- Thoughts – this category includes random thoughts; these are often short and introspective
- Nature – this category includes nature, wilderness, and related entries
- Travel – this category includes anything related to travel and experiencing the world
- Lifestyle – this category includes lifestyle-related material
- Religion – this category includes religion and philosophy
- Technology – this category includes technology, computers, and the Internet
- Publishing – this category includes writing, publishing and related topics
Advertising
This site is reader supported and mostly advertising-free. The only exception to this is an occasional Amazon link. You can safely assume that any link to Amazon is an affiliate link. Note that I do not include links just to drive sales. On the contrary, I link only to books or products I am discussing or mentioning. Amazon does not pay me to include these links, nor does Amazon pay me if you follow a link and browse. I only receive a commission (a small one at that) if you make a purchase from Amazon after following my affiliate link. This does not affect the price Amazon charges you.
Please consider purchasing one of my books if you enjoy my writing and would like to support my work. Support from readers allows me to keep this site ad-free resulting in what I believe is a better experience for everyone.
Copyright
All content on this site is original unless otherwise noted and is protected by copyright. You are free, however, to print this material, share via e-mail or social media, bookmark, or otherwise archive the content in accordance with non-commercial “fair use.” You may also quote brief excerpts in any publication, whether print or digital, provided the material is properly attributed and linked back to this site.
Please do not republish larger portions or complete articles without obtaining prior approval. Contact me if you would like to discuss republication of any material on this site.