Shake Some Dust: an American Expatriate Traveling in America

With the big story written and turned in, I’ve been going through some creative withdrawals and feeling a little lost. I find myself in the pine forests of Montana and historical 19th Century towns. Here I have gotten a chance to get my bearings again and ask questions about why I’m doing this and what comes next. Enjoy! Shake Some Dust: Travels with a Writer and His Dog is a reader-supported publ...

This episode talks about what I’ve been up to for the last six or seven months. Jeez…has it been that long? Anyway, there’s “likes” and “Ums” and lots of things about why I really got sick of being in the desert. Enjoy. If you would like to support my podcast and encourage me to produce more episodes, please BuyMea Coffee. You can find the link on my blog at www.shake-some-dust.com. Or hit me up h...

In this episode I talk about what I learned from a Town Hall meeting in Walden, CO where Sen. John Hickenlooper was the guest speaker and answered questions the locals had for him. One surprising thing about all of it was how little the Wolf debate entered the conversation, except to exemplify the rift between rural and urban, and how the will of the Cities is dictating the lives of the people in...

In this episode I get caught up about my experiences on the road since February. I talk about being stranded in California, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Hitchhikers, and the Road back to Civilization. Support the show Visit my blog at www.shake-some-dust.com Affiliate Links Check out the link for Origin , which made a damn fine pair of boots for my travels. Use the code HARRIS10 for 10% off yo...

What do you know about life on the road?  There are plenty of resources out there which are part of the culture. In this episode I talk about my recent visit to the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous, Bob Wells, and Homes on Wheels.  Check out my affiliates! Support the show Visit my blog at www.shake-some-dust.com Affiliate Links Check out the link for Origin , which made a damn fine pair of boots for my tr...

Back in the Arizona desert at my spot in Quartzsite. I talk about some Christmas presents I got for the bus to make life easier, I talk about my need to be around people, and some decisions I have made for 2024.  Happy New Year! Check out my storefront for useful items I've been using on the road.  Check out the Canyon Coolers 30L Mule The GasOne dual fuel cookstove and the Fish tank pump!  ...

Craggy Wash near Lake Havasu City starts to get crowded and after a week, I decide my neighbors are a lot of drama and sucking my will to live.  If you are sick of your neighbors, check out my affiliate partner, Booking.com .  Use this link to book your next adventure.  https://booking.tp.st/nSYcxk6P Support the show Visit my blog at www.shake-some-dust.com Affiliate Links Check out the link for O...

In this episode I ramble from finish to start about different places I've been in the Arizona desert.  It's not really worth your time to listen to.  Unless you've had insomnia, then it should do the trick.  Also, Merry Christmas! Support the show Visit my blog at www.shake-some-dust.com Affiliate Links Check out the link for Origin , which made a damn fine pair of boots for my trav...

In this episode I tackle the questions about how to keep yourself fed on the road without going broke or becoming morbidly obese.  I also complain about California and also fast food.  Here's the link where you can find my dual fuel cookstove and Canyon cooler mentioned in the show. https://wayward.com/shakesomedust Support the show Visit my blog at www.shake-some-dust.com Affiliate Links Che...

After a bit of a hiatus, I return with a new branding on the old podcast to work with my new life.  I've seen things out on the road you people wouldn't believe.  I believe I'm watching the American Dream unravel and most of us are too busy staring at our phones to see it.  Social media, the media media, and consumerism are a nice distraction from watching it all crumble.  It's...

In this episode, late night ponderings outside of the realm of internet connectivity lead me to asking the deep questions.  Am I becoming a hermit?  Do I even care?  What deeper conspiracy is afoot where we can't go through 48 hours without the internet before experiencing withdrawal symptoms.  Listen to me ramble in the dark here. Support the show Visit my blog at www.shake-some-dust.com Aff...

The first day out on the road started with some tough goodbyes and nearly ended in disaster.  Follow my misadventures as I attempt to live on the road in a converted schoolbus. Support the show Visit my blog at www.shake-some-dust.com Affiliate Links Check out the link for Origin , which made a damn fine pair of boots for my travels. Use the code HARRIS10 for 10% off your total purchase. I've...

New changes to my life are coming and this is where I talk about what's happening.  Nearly three years in the ancestral family home has come to an end.  What's next?  Living on the road in a converted schoolbus.  Right now I'm dealing with the learning curve of how to make this happen and ready to leave my old life behind. Support the show Visit my blog at www.shake-some-dust.com Af...

The idea of being a pro in a creative field can be scary.  This was my first tax season with the training wheels off and I survived.  Here I talk about the mindset I have had in making that first big step.  Support the show Visit my blog at www.shake-some-dust.com Affiliate Links Check out the link for Origin , which made a damn fine pair of boots for my travels. Use the code HARRIS10 for 10% off...

Have you ever hit a stumbling block in your creative process because you think you are an imposter and everyone is going to figure it out and hate you?  Yeah, me either.   Support the show Visit my blog at www.shake-some-dust.com Affiliate Links Check out the link for Origin , which made a damn fine pair of boots for my travels. Use the code HARRIS10 for 10% off your total purchase. I've been...

One day while meeting friends for coffee, the barista annoyed the hell out of me.  He told me he was more of a "freelance writer".  In this episode, I explain why he was wrong.   Support the show Visit my blog at www.shake-some-dust.com Affiliate Links Check out the link for Origin , which made a damn fine pair of boots for my travels. Use the code HARRIS10 for 10% off your total purchas...

Sometimes to get a better appreciation for where we are from, we have to leave that place at look at it from another point of view.  Of course we also run the risk of seeing so many flaws we have gotten used to.  Get your passport.  See the world.  See where you come from too. Support the show Visit my blog at www.shake-some-dust.com Affiliate Links Check out the link for Origin , which made a dam...

Bad weather is doing what it can to keep me at home, but sometimes it's hard to even get started. This time I talk about how to get over that BS you keep telling yourself that just keeps holding you back Support the show Visit my blog at www.shake-some-dust.com Affiliate Links Check out the link for Origin , which made a damn fine pair of boots for my travels. Use the code HARRIS10 for 10% of...

On the search for the perfect cable-knit sweater, I visit the world famous Cliffs of Moher, eat delicious food, and narrowly escape shenanigans at the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival.  Part of my series on my travels in Ireland, it's good to think back on those days as the weather outside is terrible up in the Colorado mountains. Support the show Visit my blog at www.shake-some-dust.com Aff...

The weather outside is more than frightful, it's godawful.  With temperatures well below zero and the holidays upon us, I take time to think outloud and try to focus on something better for the upcoming year. Support the show Visit my blog at www.shake-some-dust.com Affiliate Links Check out the link for Origin , which made a damn fine pair of boots for my travels. Use the code HARRIS10 for 1...

What is the difference between a first draft and a third draft?  Editing is a lot more than grammar and spelling. It's a way to craft the story and use language to give a story texture. Here I share two versions of the same scene to show the difference. Support the show Visit my blog at www.shake-some-dust.com Affiliate Links Check out the link for Origin , which made a damn fine pair of boot...

I discuss a brief overview of the last 100 years of American literature, its decline, and now the rise of the machines which are putting freelancers out of work who get their income for writing for content mills.  I'm probably wrong, but it's food for thought. Support the show Visit my blog at www.shake-some-dust.com Affiliate Links Check out the link for Origin , which made a damn fine...

In this episode I talk about having a long memory and why that is important in the creative process.  I also explore the idea of the stories choosing the best person for the job, regardless of what we tell ourselves. Support the show Visit my blog at www.shake-some-dust.com Affiliate Links Check out the link for Origin , which made a damn fine pair of boots for my travels. Use the code HARRIS10 fo...

In this episode, I talk about working on the book, bracing myself for life changes, and the possibility of becoming homeless.   Support the show Visit my blog at www.shake-some-dust.com Affiliate Links Check out the link for Origin , which made a damn fine pair of boots for my travels. Use the code HARRIS10 for 10% off your total purchase. I've been wearing mine for nearly 4 years and they ar...

I rant a little bit about snobs, gatekeepers, and doing things we want to do that make us happy because we aren't going to live forever.  It's a pep talk to keep me doing this show, and also I hope I can bring some folks along with me.  Who's with me!? Support the show Visit my blog at www.shake-some-dust.com Affiliate Links Check out the link for Origin , which made a damn fine pai...