An Open Letter to my Readers, 2017

Dear Readers,

First and foremost, as always: Thank You! Without you, I am little more than a crazy person yelling at the clouds. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. In fact, yelling at the clouds can actually be a gratifying experience. Seriously, you should try it sometime, though probably not in front of people you’re trying to impress, unless you’re auditioning to portray a crazy person in a play or something, then I suppose it’s okay.  

This “open letter” has become somewhat of an annual tradition for me. I think it’s a good way to start off a new year—a little reminiscing of the past and a quick peek into the future. I know a lot people were unhappy with 2016. Sure, many of our favorite celebrities passed on, and one of my least favorite celebrities became the leader of the free world, but let’s try to look at the bright side of things: Cleveland won their first championship in ages, the Cubs broke a decades-old curse, and the Buffalo Bills…well there’s always next year. As for me, personally, I had a pretty great 2016. I saw a handful of my stories published, as well as my first book, The Road and the River: An American Adventure, which has received so much positive feedback that I have never been more encouraged to continue writing. Thanks to everyone who has read it! And if you haven’t, it is currently available on my website or on Amazon.com. Okay, okay, enough blatant self-promotion already. Also, in 2016, I had the immense pleasure to hike the entirety of the Oregon Coast Trail, which was an experience of a lifetime, and which also leads us to…

2017!!! I am super excited about this year! (If the exclamation points didn’t already give that away.) I will soon begin work on A Long Walk on the Beach: 420 Miles on the Oregon Coast Trail, segments of which I plan to feature periodically on my weekly blog. Any and all feedback will be much appreciated. But before I start on that, I’m currently wrapping up the final draft of my first novel, which I’ve been working on in one form or another since I was sixteen years old. I’m planning on releasing it this spring and then never looking at it again—working on one story for almost twenty years can drive a person crazy. Almost crazy enough to yell at the clouds. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks again to everyone who has taken their time to read my words. I wish you all a wonderful new year!

Sincerely,

Jon Penfold