Hi, Reader We arrived in Bangkok on September 26th. The flight from Los Angeles to Xiamen, China, was about 15 hours, and the flight from Xiamen to Bangkok was about 3 hours. All told, it was probably 24 hours door to door. But we made it, and we love it here so far! Bangkok from our balcony in the neighborhood Thong Lo This is my second time in Asia. I lived with and worked for my Uncle in Hong Kong for a few months in 2011. This is Phil's first time in Asia. Both of us are enjoying Bangkok...
8 months ago • 1 min read
Hi, Reader I’m writing to you from Pasadena, and boy have I been busy in the last eight weeks. Me and Zappa, Marit’s new three-legged dog in Pasadena I meant to get around to sending an email last month, but between all the moving around, the wedding, getting COVID, resigning from the AEU, and some personal drama with friendships, it just didn’t happen. But now I’m back with big updates! Catsitting in Chico, CA Phil and I spent a week in June watching our friend Dan’s cat Scooter while he and...
11 months ago • 3 min read
Hi, Reader I'm writing to you from my dear friend Marit's house in Pasadena, California. If you read my last email, you might recall that this is not where I said I would be this month. I said I was still going to be in Oaxaca, Mexico. Well, I can explain. Marit's dog Loki imitates some kind of Renaissance painting Plans Change A few things happened in Oaxaca to end our time there early, but the driving reason behind leaving was the drought. Oaxaca can only supply something like 30% of the...
about 1 year ago • 3 min read
Hi, Reader I'm writing to you from Oaxaca, Mexico, where we arrived on April 10th. Backing Up A Bit... Before Phil and I arrived here, we spent 10 days in California, seeing friends and family and attending a wedding. Our friends Hannah and Scooter had a beautiful wedding on the Queen Mary in Long Beach. We had a great time, and we looked FABULOUS. We even got to spend the night on the ship, thanks to the bride and groom offering us the room that came with their wedding package, which was...
about 1 year ago • 3 min read
Hi, Reader I'm writing to you from Willemstad, Curaçao, where we arrived on March 10th. At Mambo Beach in Curaçao The truth is that while it is beautiful here, it is incredibly dystopian. Everything is built around people who, for the most part, arrive and leave on the same day. The economy in Curaçao — like many other Caribbean islands — would collapse if it weren't for the cruise ships. However, this intense dependence on tourism creates a very bleak living experience for locals. Living...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
Hi, Reader I'm writing to you from Medellín, Colombia, where we arrived on February 7th. This is my and Phil's third time in Medellín. We're staying in the most touristy part of the city (El Poblado) which is not an experience I generally desire. However, Poblado is very lush and walkable which is an experience I do generally desire. I actually took this photo in Jan 2022, the first time we were in Medellín. Medellín is known as the city of "eterna primavera," or eternal spring. Phil and I...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
Hola, Reader I'm very excited to announce that my friend JD and I are creating a children's book called The Ick Brick Story. This book is targeted at ages 7 to 9, and we are raising $5,000 on Kickstarter to cover publishing and printing costs. The Ick Brick Story is about a community called Shapesville living peacefully together and caring for one another when one day, the villain, Ick, shows up and convinces the community he can make their lives better if they start accumulating "Ick...
over 1 year ago • 2 min read
Hola, Reader We just touched down in Guatemala City last Friday. This is our third time here in two years, and we are delighted to be back. Guate occupies a special place in both my heart and Phil's. We have some wonderful friends here who have imparted a lot of wisdom to us (and shown us some good times, too, of course). We will be here at least until December 30th. At the beach in Puerto San José, Guatemala, this past weekend Before leaving the States, we drove from Seattle down to Chico,...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
Hi, Reader I'm on a series of petsits in the Seattle area. We watched a corgi for a few days in Woodinville, two pugs and two cats in Bitter Lake, and now we're watching a dog and a cat in Port Townsend. We have one more dogsit after that (another corgi!) in Seattle for a couple weeks before we conclude petsitting for the year and begin heading south down the coast. My parents are coming to visit for a few days while we are in LA, then we're headed back to Guatemala. It's time for the annual...
over 1 year ago • 2 min read