Some Highlights of the Tour Thusfar...(in no particular order)

1. Getting to simultaneously be the MC AND the main act at the Mallinalli Artist Residency Reading in Oakland, CA (thanks, Mica!)

Nazbah Tom

Michaela Bunny

2. Meeting up by chance with fellow poets Russell Raza Gonzaga (who I had not seen in a decade) and Ben Pistacio at an open mic at Harbin Hot Springs, CA

3. Recording a video of my story, "Big Being, Big Me, and Little Being" in front of a waterfall at Harbin

4. Reuniting with my bunny, Michaela (who flew in on United from Providence and whose arrival caused numerous people to mistakenly assume I had a new girlfriend named Bunny- lol)

5. Perching on the South rim of the Grand Canyon (with Tina Fernandes Botts) and shooting a video of my poem, "Some Wounds" (soon to be released)

6. Four hawks doing a dance in formation above me when I stopped at a scenic overlook halfway between Harbin and the Bay Area

7. Having a delicious home-cooked meal prepared by my sister, Jilchristina, in Oakland

8.  Wild deer, turkeys, rabbits, bluejays, squirrels, and hawks crossing my path

9. Writing in numerous cafes in an around Berkeley with my old friend Ariko Ikehara

10. Meditating with life coach and friend Donald Gerard in Oakland

11. Hangin at the Can't Fail cafe at 2 AM with Valerie and Donald after my dismal loss at the Berkeley Slam, talking about gender identity and life paths

12. Walking with Michele Remy and Remy's daughter through the beautiful streets of Lake Merritt performing poetry and  talking about life

13. Long chats with old friend Kara Frame about the joys and struggles of being a full-time artist


14. My own personal Pad Thai comparathon at a gazillion different Thai restaurants in Oakland, Berkeley, and San Francisco



15. Singing with some old and new  friends at the  after-gathering following the  Idle No More event in SF was over

16. Eating hot Japanese soup on a cold day and reconnecting with Sabrena Taylor at the Ferry Building in San Francisco

17. Laying on the couch with Bernadette Zambrosa at a party reminiscing about our early International Indian Treaty Council activism in the late 80s

18. Spending a whole day with fellow philosopher/old friend John DuFour, eating New Mexican food (Green Chile Stew) in Albuquerque, acting afool at the Pueblo Indian Center Museum, and debating the merits of Native American philosophy, while laughing copiously

19. Finding the indoor ax in the hogan (in Oaksprings, AZ) and being able to finally chop the wood small enough to get my fire really hot

20. Late night chatting about spiritual whatnots with Carrie House in Albuquerque

21. Dinner and breakfast with my dad in Phoenix, AZ

22. Swapping near-death stories with old friend/classmate Kieu Linh while her adorable children crawl all over us, play, scream and remind us why life matters

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23. Being able to write for hours and hours every day uninterrupted in the Stonefront room at Harbin

24. Meeting new friends like Natalie (Sausalito) and Amanda (Albuquerque)

25. Lotus seed Mooncakes in Chinatown





26. Endless miles (more like 2400 in 4 weeks, actually) of open road- just me and my car. Pure bliss.