Category: Life Journey
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Aromat
What do you crave when you are far away from home? For me (don’t laugh) it’s Aromat. It’s a Swiss-ism. A quite unhealthy, artificial salt thingy. Most Swiss can’t live without it. Neither can I. And I’m not even Swiss. I’ve only lived there, off and on, for 17 years. Wherever else I went during…
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Writers Resist
Beginning of this year, ‘Writers Resist’ events were held all over the world. These readings were to remind ourselves of the importance of human rights, freedom of speech, and mutual respect. Here in Zurich, on a mid-January evening, we spoke up as well, reading from many different works of literature (including our own) in front…
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Milestones
The road is the destination and every milestone serves a purpose. In my case, to name just a few, being orphaned and then adopted; living with my gay, often helpless father; surviving my paranoid, neurotic mother; having the greatest grandma of all; spasticity in my legs as a child which kept me from being able…
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Story of the Day
My post “You don’t Have To” is Story of the Day on Scriggler today! Read more here. Thanks @DSelemir and Scriggler! #Paralian #LiamKlenk #lifejourney #beyourself #nobox #nolabels
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Hello Mom
The unforgettable day I met my birth mom for the first time… and, at the same time, a rare photographic moment, captured just months before I had gender reassignment surgery… “My biological mom lived on the top floor of the four-story apartment building. There was no elevator. With every step up, my heart soared and…
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An Intricate Microcosmos
“I often hovered motionless and watched the coral reef for a while, contemplating reef fish behavior. Each organism was busy defending its way of life. Tiny fish would attack divers the moment we ventured too far into their territory. There were all kinds of characters: the camouflaged, the timid, the curious, the bullies, the cowards.…
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Home
A multitude of life experiences have helped me grow into the man I am today. The world is my country. The bodies of water spread all over its surface are my true home – the one place where I feel complete in body and soul, not at odds with anything, serene, elegant, and handsome.
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Wide Open Spaces and Faraway Places
Looking out at the snowy and, admittedly, romantic winter scenery in Zurich, I find myself thinking of far away places. All my life I’ve dreamt of living abroad. I’ve dreamt of wide open spaces, of being closer to wild nature. Thankfully, I’ve been there in the past and hopefully will find chances to venture out…
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Starry Skies and Daring Dreams
On May 28th this year, a dream came true: I published my memoir ‘Paralian’. It hasn’t been an easy journey. Far from it really. But, I appreciate the intensity of the experience. I haven’t sold thousands like I naively hoped to, either. Instead, I was reminded of why I began writing my story in the…
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Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to all of you out there. Wishing you many magical moments over the holidays and in the years to come! xxx
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Joy
My intensity has always been my greatest strength. But it has also always been my greatest weakness. The line between passion and obsession is razor-thin… Like recently, I finally woke up and realized I was making myself miserable by pushing way too hard to get my book out there. I forgot to remember the most…
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Unforgettable Journeys
Good stories touch you so deeply, your heart rate accelerates. You feel enchanted, glimpsing the entire meaning of existence for the briefest of moments. I’m addicted to finding those kind of tales. It can be anything from true life stories to fantasy. Be it immersing myself in 3D cinematic bliss, watching movies at home, binge-watching…
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Remembering Oma
Remembering my dear oma, who was born on this day in 1909 and passed away on 26th of December, 1996. What would I have done without you? “Frida carried herself with dignity. She was delicate, and small, but very strong. When she made spaetzle, a Southern German pasta delicacy, the recipe called for her to…
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Bookmuse Review of Paralian
Wonderful review of Paralian by Bookmuse. Take a timeout from whatever you’re doing right now and read it here 🙂 Heartfelt thanks to Bookmuse and reviewer JJ Marsh!
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Salt on my Skin
One week since I got back from the Red Sea… I still feel the gentle swaying of the boat under my feet, salt on my lips and skin. Need to get back to the ocean soon!
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Bedouin Brothers
I’d never been to Egypt before and wasn’t quite sure what I’d find. One thing was sure though: after thirteen months of working full time while at the same time publishing my book ‘Paralian’ I was more than ready for a bit of adventure as well as relaxation. Arriving at Lahami Bay resort three weeks…
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Help Me Reach The Front Page!
Look at what Bored Panda just sent me, dear friends and supporters!!! Can we try together and create one more large wave of shares of this link please? Please take a minute to go there, SHARE on your social media pages, and click the “UP-VOTE” arrow! We’re only a couple thousand k views and a…
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You’re Not Alone!
At the moment I am sharing this story on Bored Panda to reach as many people as possible – with your help. Can you please share this link, and also go on the page and give it an “up” vote? We got about 3’000k views so far and many good responses. I’ve received emails from people…
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Turbulent Seas
Another short excerpt for you from Paralian. I was only days away from saying goodbye to my Indian Ocean home when a group of experienced divers and I were out on a full-day boat trip to a neighboring atoll. Then a storm hit us full force: “… We clambered back onboard, which was no small…
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Indian Ocean Mementos
Just yesterday, I re-discovered this picture from 2008. It used to be posted on the staff board of the Maldivian dive center where I spent four profoundly inspiring years. Consequently, today, I am feeling even more nostalgic than usual about those turquoise years. Let me share another little tidbit from my book with you from…
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In Conversation: Liam Klenk
Diversity, change, and fluidity are a gift, a privilege, not a threat. Susan Platt talks identity and borders with author Liam Klenk. Source: In Conversation: Liam Klenk
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Ch-Ch-Changes
I’ve always been a big fan of CSI Las Vegas (well mostly the “Gil Grissom era”). I love the humanity, the thoughtfulness, and careful development of characters. The gentle fallibility, the dry yet always respectful and kind humor and, more than anything, I adore the always non-judgmental approach no matter which little corner of human…
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Only 7 More Days
Hellooo, good morning, and a resounding whoop from the geographical center of Europe! Only 7 more days until the official launch of Paralian. Just sayin’ 😀
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A Captivating, Powerful Story
“This is a fascinating and inspiring memoir from a man who has faced life head on and lived it to the full. Liam Klenk was adopted, had an unconventional childhood and as he became an adult, his differences made him search for answers. Klenk describes himself as being born into a female body, yet this…
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Countdown and Another Excerpt…
In exactly 14 more days Paralian will be launching! Nothing earth-shattering will happen when it does… Our planet won’t stop spinning. The sun will rise and set just like on any other day. I won’t get a phone call from Robert Redford or Ang Lee that they’d love to turn my book into a movie.…
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Paralian is just a click away…
Thanks so much for all the beautiful messages I am receiving lately! More and more people are getting in touch, asking, “Where can I order Paralian?” Let me answer this question here for all of you who can’t wait to get your own copy and dive into the story. Paralian is available for pre-order in…
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Intensely Alive
“Balanced on top of a pile of baggage, wind and dust whipping into our faces, we held on for dear life as our bus plummeted along rarely-traveled mountain roads and on through countless valleys. Never before had my ass had to endure such a continuous beating. Even low hanging branches and power lines became a…
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I am Liam
“As for the lingering psychological femininity, the successful surgeries had strengthened my resolve even further to embrace the person I had started out being. I would integrate my female side into the male adult I was becoming. I was Liam, and something inside my soul knew with absolute certainty he was who I had been…
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Great 1st Reading
Last week in London… I had the best audience I could wish for. Thanks so much to the Boston Consulting Group team for the warm welcome and genuine support! If this is how every book presentation will be then I want to give a whole flood of them 🙂
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First Reader Comments and The Bookbag Review
Like a magic literary carpet, Paralian has traveled around the world and found its first one hundred readers. So far I am being showered with positive feedback. Many say, “I’m staying up ’till 2am each day ever since I started reading. Just can’t put it down.” (which really is the best compliment a writer could…
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A Lesson From Mr. Bojangles
A little taste from Chapter 7, ‘Atlantic Ocean’: As I turned with Cinnebar to walk her out of the paddock, Mr. Bojangles closed the distance between us in a few powerful strides. Shocked, I turned towards him. He reared up and kicked me in the stomach with the full force of both his hind legs.…
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An Over-The-Moon Author
The enchanted moment when I saw my book for the very first time… with a touch of Twilight Zone due to having multiple copies of myself staring right back at me in high resolution 😉
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Don’t Wait…
I’m a regular fountain of wisdom 😉
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Arrival in Paradise
A little taste of ‘Paralian’ from my time in the Maldives… Arrival in paradise… “The staff accommodation set up was very amusing. I was reminded of Alcatraz as Judith showed me A-Block, B-Block, and C-Block as each small accumulation of staff rooms was called. My solitary confinement dwelling was located in C-Block, a long L-shaped…