State of the Union Address

Christopher Allen -- I Must Be Off!

Here's the skinny. I need to talk to you, the mysterious readers of I Must Be Off! You read, but very few of you comment on the posts. I think this is because it's easier to comment on Facebook and Twitter. Or maybe I haven't created a space conducive to commenting. The German in me is speaking Klartext right now, I think. I love you all, want you all to keep reading (the American in me). Maybe Blogger makes it difficult to comment? Whatever the case, I want you to know that you're welcome.

I Must Be Off! will very soon surpass the 1 million hits mark. In May--if the trend holds. There'll be a grand celebration. With wine. And party hats of course. You can have some, wear some if you come to my home in Munich. Maybe a garden party? I'm open for suggestions.

I Must Be Off! is incredibly old school right now. I tried the Blogger Dynamic templates, but they were buggy. I've thought about converting to the "travel blog" format, something more professional-looking with video. Would you like to see someething slicker, or are you happy with the way things are? I have always been more about content than format, but I feel the pull towards format. I need to hear from you.

This blog was started as an internet presence for my writing, and it will always be that. (Remember: it makes you 84% prettier to read my writing.) The odd couple of my mother and the writer Mel Bosworth forced me to start it. Bless them both. They are sweet people. That said, I sometimes feel the urge to split this blog into categories: travel, my publishing news, expat author interviews, gluten-free travel and photography. These are all parts of me; I Must Be Off! is me. I hope you'll keep reading, and I hope you'll comment more. I'd love to hear from you.

I'll be off to the Steiermark wineries in Austria tomorrow for a few days. I can't wait to tell you more about this incredible wine-growing region.

I must be off,
Christopher

PS: Have you started writing your entry for the Second Annual I Must Be Off! Travel Essay Contest? Check out the guidelines HERE.

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Christopher Allen is the author of Conversations with S. Teri O'Type (a Satire), an episodic adult cartoon about a man struggling with expectations. Allen's award-winning fiction, non-fiction and book reviews have appeared or are forthcoming in Indiana Review, Quiddity, SmokeLong Quarterly's Best of the First Ten Years anthology, Prime Number Magazine, PANK, Word Riot, Camroc Press Review, Bootsnall Travel and Chicken Soup for the Soul. A finalist at Glimmer Train in 2011, Allen has been nominated for Best of the Net and the Pushcart Prize twice. He lives in Germany.