This is a collection of my writing on various topics that I’m interested in, from my adventures while traveling to aviation to psychology. I most enjoy writing from a personal perspective, sharing my experiences and observations of the world.

I deeply appreciate writing as a mechanism for organizing thinking on a subject. Part of this comes from many years as a product manager in the software industry, where writing is the role’s primary form of influence. It’s also a great litmus test for clarity of thinking on a subject. Paul Graham’s advice on writing simply resonates strongly with me, and I aim to edit for both clarity and a natural cadence in the language.

2024

Seeing things as they are

2 Jul 2024

An essay on how to access your potential via greater self-awareness, which allows you to foster empathy, understand deeper motivations, and make informed choices. Embracing curiosity and challenging your self-beliefs can enable you to transform your personal and professional life with enduring change.

Consulting in the UK as a US citizen

23 May 2024

I share my experience setting up a consultancy business in the UK, with emphasis on navigating competing tax regulations. I hope this will help others in a similar situation.

2019

Comedy of the Gods

19 Mar 2019

An ultra short fiction piece in the style of Joy Williams, an American author. I listened to her doing a reading of some of her short fiction and was inspired to try the format myself. It's amazing how much can be conveyed in just eight sentences.

2016

Cross-Country Adventure

20 Feb 2016

Kicking off a 3,750km journey where I piloted a Cessna 182T with a friend of mine from Michigan to California across 18 states.

2012

What is it like to be in a plane crash?

2 Aug 2012

A link to the title question, which I answered in a widely-viewed answer on Quora.

At the Edge of Fear

29 Jul 2012

While traveling in Ladakh, in nothern India, the area was hit by an unusually strong thunderstorm that completely cut off the town of Leh from the rest of the world for a few days. I also happened to be extremely sick with food poisoning at the same time.

2011

Night Crawlers of the Abyss

11 Jan 2011

One of my most vivid memories, I write about a night dive on the Great Barrier Reef where virtually everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong. But it was also one of the most magical experiences in nature that I've ever had.

Golf Sierra Lima: Lessons Learned

10 Jan 2011

Reflections on a gliding accident that I had in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. There's a long tradition of sharing accident information to improve safety for other pilots in the future.

2010

Mayday, Mayday for Sierra Lima!

2 Dec 2010

The most famous piece that I've written, I write about the experience of piloting an aircraft in a competition and crash-landing in the Southern Alps of New Zealand.

The Great Barrier Reef

14 Jul 2010

My first experience on a diving liveaboard ship, and one of the more remote journeys that I've taken, I write about the initial experience of getting acquainted with the ship and the diving routine.

What Lies Beneath?

2 Jul 2010

An essay on SCUBA diving and the magical, alien world that is the ocean.

The Land Down Under

28 Jun 2010

A short reflection on what land use and geography tell us about a country before we even set foot on the ground.

At the End of the Earth

23 Jun 2010

Reflections on my travels through the southernmost part of New Zealand, through the Catlins and across the Foveaux Strait to Stewart Island.

Exceeding All Expectations

6 Jun 2010

I had a magical experience on the Dunedin peninsula observing wildlife, including endangered penguins, and observing the quiet, timeliness interactions between geology and nature that came through so clearly in the area.

The Great Divide

13 May 2010

Reflections on the beauty of the natural world, with some splashes of humour thrown in, this is a cherished memory of mine. It also becomes clear that I'm not much of a planner when traveling solo.

Happiness and the corporate You, Inc.

24 Apr 2010

An essay I wrote after leaving my first job. I talk about the demands of corporate life, how employers are incentivized to extract as much as possible out of people, and how these behaviors leak into regular life, particularly in the US.

What is gliding?

8 Apr 2010

An interview-style piece that answers the question in the title. Most people are not aware that gliding exists in the aviation world, and this piece attempts to answer most of the questions that I've gotten on the subject.

The Journey

27 Mar 2010

Leaving for New Zealand and 12 months of travel was a huge event in my life at the time, and this first piece tells the first person account of what it felt like to fly halfway around the world, to destination mostly unknown, a town of only 250 people.

Initial Travel Plans

7 Mar 2010

I talk about my plans before leaving on a 12-month trip around the world.

Welcome to the Real World

17 Feb 2010