Oof! I just don't know where the time has gone - November flew by in a blur of work and activities and it's been hard to a quiet moment to reflect and write down thoughts about our time here. The irony of course being that the more full and interesting our life, the more I... Continue Reading →
Made golden through the patchy fog, the dwindling light of sunset greets us as we head into Shenandoah National Park. The multi-lane highway gradually drops off to a one lane, tree-lined road whose meandering, curving rise into the mountains is offset by sudden switchback turns. Mist, indecisive between opaque and translucent, rolls up around the car,... Continue Reading →
From my perspective, I absolutely believe in a greater spiritual power, far greater than I am, from which I have derived strength in moments of sadness or fear. That’s what I believe, and it was very, very strong in the forest. - Jane Goodall We haul our heavy backpacks out of the car, legs... Continue Reading →
John picks us up at 7:33 am in his shiny, black Honda van. Though there are many tours to the Great Wall, we opt to use the driver our friends recommend, a Beijing native who introduces himself with, "I've lived in Beijing my whole life, so please ask me your questions." We set off on Beijing's third... Continue Reading →
After two weeks of depressingly bad air quality, a cold front has come through Guangzhou bringing clear air with it. Lately, it seems that in Guangzhou we can either have beautiful balmy 70-degree weather and brown haze or cloudy gray days with clear skies. I'm not complaining though, I love the rare moments when I... Continue Reading →
Following a perfect time in Paris, I headed off to Orly Airport on my solo trip to Edinburgh. Never one to miss a multi-lingual moment, I had a great time on the airport bus chatting with people in English, French, and Spanish. A nice family from Spain was happy to find someone who could help direct... Continue Reading →
You find me sitting in Birmingham International Airport eating a ham and cheddar sandwich on brown bread with kale chips and a soy milk latte. I realize that doesn’t seem newsworthy, but getting such a meal in Guangzhou would be a major feat. Unfortunately, as much as the food is delicious in China, I find... Continue Reading →
I'm generally someone who likes a schedule. I am happiest with an 8am-5pm work day. I like the rhythm of a busy work week opening up into a chill Friday and an open weekend. Of course, I can't say I love having to get up at 6am every week day morning, but I do like the... Continue Reading →
I recently found a light and airy coffee shop tucked away in one of the neighborhoods near my apartment building. There are many nice little cafes like this one in my area, but this one distinguishes itself with highspeed internet so has become a regular haunt for me recently. Today is the day before... Continue Reading →
