I've been opening up the double doors to the balcony, which is right where my desk is in the living room. The cold keeps me alert and focused on my work. I've noticed a few fruit flies in the apartment over the past few days, obviously coming in from the outside now that the doors are open for long swaths of time. It got me thinking...we live on a planet of insects. There are there are quintillions of insects on this planet, everywhere there are people. It's pretty insane when you think about it. What an interesting planet.

Then I whimsically thought of my time in China, and the feeling I had when I decided to move there. I was intrigued by this ancient, exotic culture I knew nothing about. It might be that I've learned a good deal of Chinese culture, but there are thousands of cultures spanning the history of our civilization, spread out across the globe. There is so much to learn about the different histories and lifestyles our distant cousins have developed. It's mind-boggling. And it's still the same planet, the one with all the insects.

Contemplating my time in China made me think of all my travels, and the diversity of Earth's beautiful landscapes. As I've previously written, there are so many incredible geological features on every continent: mountains and waterfalls and plains and plateaus; rivers and lakes and oceans and deserts. The nature on this planet is astounding, and it's just waiting to be discovered.

What are the chances that the insect planet, that houses a 5,000 year old Chinese civilization, is also made up of inspiring physical phenomena? It sure is one big beautiful amazing world. How incredibly fortunate we are.