This post was originally written on February 25, 2017. It’s a rainy Saturday afternoon. I’m at home, listening to the thunder rolling above and giving thanks that in Surabaya, heavy rain doesn’t necessarily mean that the power will go out. Bob Dylan is sitting on my love seat, crooning his timeless tunes from my JBL … More Reflections in Surabaya (February 2017)
The events described in this post occurred in December 2016. Be sure to read Artists in Bagan: Part I first! Are we really going to do this? The question was on both of our minds. We were stretched out in our hotel room, still dusty from our day on the road. Sam was laying on her … More Artists in Bagan: Part II
The events described in this post occurred in December 2016. A cloud of clay-colored dust flowed behind us like a cape. Sam turned right on the unmarked packed-earth street, leading our duo into a quiet neighborhood. We had nowhere in particular to be. On our first day in Bagan, we were riding for the sake … More Artists in Bagan: Part I
From August 2018 to September 2019, I had the sublime pleasure of working with the fine folks at Pathfinder Outdoor Education. We laughed, we cried, we sweated, we laughed some more. And, hopefully, we made an impact on the lives of our clients along the way. Lately, I’ve been thinking about my year with Pathfinder. … More Pathfinder Outdoor Education from A to Z
“After this, I’m heading south to see the solar eclipse,” a coworker told me yesterday afternoon. “NASA sent me viewing glasses weeks ago,” he added rather proudly. I imagine that those glasses are a glimpse of the galaxy, decorated with a smattering of stars and a conspicuous American flag next to the NASA logo tucked … More The Solar Eclipse: Illuminating Cultural Differences
I grew up on a steady diet of National Geographic films and magazines, so I almost felt as if I had been to Camp Leaky before. The whirring of the cicadas, the slow movements of the orangutans, the ankle-deep leaf litter on the jungle floor–it all felt so familiar. I even sort of expected Dudley … More Boating in Borneo: A Ride on the Wild Side
Days like today make me mourn the shortness of my time remaining in Indonesia. Days like today make me wish I was in it for the long haul, wish that I had time to nurture the relationships that are just now starting to bud. Days like today make me already feel the regret of leaving … More Days like today
It is the evening of Valentine’s Day and I am spending it… in bed. I am happily jomblo [single], which is for the best because the rain outside combined with an oncoming flu have me feeling very malas [lazy]. From the comfort of my comforter, I want to wish all of my friends and family … More Valentine’s Day 2017
The word magnificent is created for describing places such as Bagan. Once a UNESCO World Heritage site, Bagan is a small town remarkable for the number of temples dotting the plains of what used to be a thriving civilization. Temples, pagodas, stupas, and any number of other Buddhist relics are scattered across the fields of … More “Quality” Time in Bagan
The road was suspiciously empty. Sam and I had been driving for nearly an hour trying to find the museum in New Bagan. We pulled over, our turn signals letting out a shrill cry to alert the dusty road of our intentions. “Dude, this doesn’t seem right,” I said. We looked up and down the … More “Ning koh lar?”: Living like a local in Bagan
Where in the world is Kelly? 