Has it really been seven months? Like so many big shifts in one’s life, it seems like both shorter and longer in many ways. For better or for worse, a lot of things have changed in my life, and that means a lot of things have changed for the magazine too.

First and foremost, the attention that the last issue received, and even still receives now, has been overwhelming. So much so that I’ve decided I will continue with the magazine. In fact, a month or so ago I was struck with an idea for the cover to issue seven, but my decision to move back to Canada led to that being put on the backburner.

Rest assured, the new issue will happen, and hopefully in a much more efficient manner than the last few. However, I hope you will all bear with me as I make yet another move with my minimal belongings to once again try to settle. I’m moving to Winnipeg, Manitoba for plenty of reasons, and one of them is certainly all of the support the magazine (and I) have seen over the years from the veg folks there.

I’m looking forward to becoming more involved with the veg community in the Peg, as well as the community around the world. I know this blog has gone unattended for far too long, and I keep promising to do better, but if you have a chance to check out the Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram accounts you’ll notice I’m doing something at least!

So, as the clock ticks down for my time here on the other side of the world (29 days!), I promise it is also counting down to the time when I will be able to shift to focusing on a new issue. Building on the momentum of the last one, the focus issues will be tough, the recipes will be great, and the words inside will be from vegans all around the world. And yes, that’s where you come in!

thanks for sticking around,
Ryan

Of course, the whole issue would not have come together if it was not for the advertisers and contributors who got involved with this thing back when the summer was just a warm whisper on the wind. So, thanks to all of those fine folks who cared enough to write, hand me their money, and check-in every now and then to see if the whole thing was still alive.

That being said, I’m not done pushing this one yet! I’ll try to post another teaser or two of the stuff you can find inside the issue, and if I come across any great press-related blurbs from other folks I’ll post those too. I believe I’ve seen folks such as Jasmin Singer, Dan Hanley, and Sarah Kramer tweeting or blogging about it recently…

Otherwise, if you’re interested in such things, I’ve been trying to post as many pictures as I could from things I’ve been eating in South Korea on the Facebook fan page. Now that I have a fancy phone you can expect more. Well, as long as Facebook is willing to cooperate. I seem to have a few from this past weekend that just don’t want to show their face for some reason…

thanks,
Ryan

Photo credit: Ryan Patey | New Year’s Eve | Busan, South Korea

Needless to say, I’ve been quite busy gathering documents and figuring out other logistics to make this whole thing happen, and now it seems it will by the start of November.

What this means for T.O.F.U.

We’re still hoping to get the sixth issue out, and it may even happen before I leave the country. However, I can’t say where things will go from there. In many ways, this last issue helped me to realize why it is I even started the magazine, but it also made it obvious how much has to be sacrificed to get it out to people. Moving to another country is going to be an incredible experience, and I’m excited and gut-wrenchingly nervous about the whole thing. However, I don’t know where T.O.F.U. fits into all of it.

That being said, I will continue to update the various social media suspects with my adventures in Asia, and maybe even Australia if I can make it happen! So, although I’m sure you’re accustomed to it by now, please accept my apology for the delay with issue six and whatever comes after that.

Until then, I’m going to be busy trying to figure out my food options in a country where I don’t speak the language. Luckily, I have a few great resources already, such as this helpful blog.

Photo: Thorfinn Stainforth, September 2004, View of Daegu, South Korea from Mount Apsan Park