Climbing Mount Hakkoda – And Conquering Fear

Climbing Mount Hakkoda – And Conquering Fear

Today’s climb of Mount Hakkoda–a volcanic range located in Aomori Prefecture, just south of Aomori City–actually involved three summits: Akake-dake, Ido-dake, and finally Ōdake (the latter being the highest peak in the Hakkoda volcano group). If you’re counting, that means I actually bagged three summits today, though for hyakumeizan purposes only Ōdake counts–and it counts as one.

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Logical Brain is a Follower, But Lizard Brain is a Jerk

Before my first novel was published, I lived in a happy fantasy world where publication represented the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Once an author was published, I thought, the black dog of uncertainty departed for gloomier pastures and the world became a place of joy and light. My logical brain understands that publication is a process, and that although there’s no such thing as a magic bullet, publication does represent success in a writer’s world.  Unfortunately, my logical brain is a follower … and my lizard brain is a jerk. For those unfamiliar with the

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