Emma's 8th grade graduation was the first largish gathering we've attended since February. It was limited to the 10 graduates and their immediate families (nine physically attended, and one participated virtually). The families ranged in size from two (ours) to around ten. We were outside, in seating areas that were spread out across a courtyard, … Continue reading The Mask Post
Letting go
Our house Ever since we returned from Mongolia in July 2019, Emma and I have been talking about moving overseas again. We had a plan even before that, but it was a generalized plan. When Emma finished eighth grade, we’d move away from southern California, maybe to Switzerland (where my mother was from), or to … Continue reading Letting go
Waiting for Mongolia’s borders to open again
Brand new Monarch butterfly A new post is long overdue. A lot of things have been happening, and I’ve been having a hard time writing. Between the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the movement that’s responding to George Floyd’s murder by police in Minneapolis, Breonna Taylor’s murder by police in Louisville, and Auhmad Arbery’s murder by … Continue reading Waiting for Mongolia’s borders to open again
Coronagrief
Emma and I went to the supermarket last night for the first time since the day our town started shutting down because of Covid-19, the novel coronavirus that is sweeping the world. We came home singing, “We did it! We did it!” from Dora the Explorer. Strange times, indeed. Dora was never our favorite. The … Continue reading Coronagrief
Back to Mongolia?
Sheltering in place, March 2020 What seems like a lifetime ago (it was March 12, 2020, less than two weeks), Emma and I were sitting at the café table outside of the art studio where she took art lessons until Covid-19 closed everything down. She was talking about what was becoming a familiar topic: how … Continue reading Back to Mongolia?
What we learned from living in Mongolia
A "ger" tissue box I wanted to write about our time in Mongolia for a number of reasons. I have lived overseas several times in my life, but many of my experiences are lost to me because I never consistently wrote about them. You always think you are going to remember things, but you start … Continue reading What we learned from living in Mongolia
Our farewell tour
My parents, 2004The day my dad diedThe day after my mom died I'm writing this from Palm Desert, California, which we're visiting for the weekend. It's probably my last time here, and it may be Emma's, though this town has been part of our family history since my parents moved here in 1994. I've spent … Continue reading Our farewell tour
How it all began
I am writing a book based on our experience in Mongolia, and this morning I wrote out how it all got started. People still ask me how we ended up going to Mongolia. Here's how: The email subject line was “Teach in Mongolia?” It was from a professor in my department at UCSD, sent out … Continue reading How it all began
A rainy weekend at Lake Khuvsgul, Mongolia’s “Dark Blue Pearl”
As our time in Mongolia began winding down, Emma and I wanted to take one more trip outside of Ulaanabaatar. There is so much of the country we didn’t have time to see because she was in school and I was working. We thought about the Gobi, but we see so many desert landscapes in … Continue reading A rainy weekend at Lake Khuvsgul, Mongolia’s “Dark Blue Pearl”
Saving animals in Thailand
Elephants at the Wildlife Friends Foundation sanctuary It’s been a while since I’ve been able to post here. In California, my schedule is much more hectic, and I have less time to write. I still think about our time in Mongolia and our friends there all the time, and I try to follow the Mongolian … Continue reading Saving animals in Thailand
