One is the loneliest number that you've ever known

One year, by the numbers:

Months in Palau: 13.5

Months overdue for a “year in review post”: 1.5

Dives: 91

Near death diving experiences: 2

Life-changing diving experiences: those 2 plus a good handful of non-mortal dives

Diving-related injuries: scores of bruises, but no broken bones or holes in my lungs (yet)

Non-diving-related injuries: 2 broken toes and a flesh-eating bacteria (unrelated)

Pounds lost: 60

Tattoos gained: 1

Family deaths: 3

Trials won: 3

Trials lost: 0

Defendants put in jail: 3

Marine WWII artifacts recovered for the Republic: 13

Cases making international headlines: 1

Great American Novels written: 0

Great American Novels (or memoirs) started: 3

Different hair colors: 4

Pairs of flip-flops in my “wear to work collection”: 7

Days spent wearing a sweatshirt: 0

All in all, despite its ups and downs, not a bad year. So much happens that can’t be put on the internet, so you’ll have to wait for the book to come out. Until then, I will be back with a post on crazy Palauan foodstuffs. With pictures!