Welcome to North Macedonia! We’ve been here for three weeks now and it’s starting to feel like home. It’s impossible to put into one word the experience of moving somewhere completely new, so I thought I’d give some of my first impressions of this fascinating country we are learning to call home: Kindness is everywhere…
Category: Foreign Service
Climbing the Dragon’s Back
Longji titian—the “dragon’s spine rice terraces”—are one of the most impressive sights we ever found in China.
Watchman on the tower
The idea of the diaolou, some 1,800 of which are still standing, has been around for centuries, but most were built during the 1920s and 1930s. At that time, China was full of bandits and warlords, so many overseas Chinese sent money home to build fortresses for their families. The diaolou are built to withstand assault; with barred gates, iron shutters, and many stories of stone, they are imposing structures.
Coldest Quandary of My Life
Hiking Quandary Peak on December 19 was probably the most physically demanding thing I have ever done in my entire life. I don’t speak for Kaylee in this since she has given birth, but for me, I think it tops the list.
Where Red Meets White: A Chinese Wedding in 2020
Seven years ago Jarek and I were just married and living in Xi’an China as exchange students. One evening as we sat studying in our cramped, dusty apartment, we heard a knock at our door. We opened it to see a bright-eyed Chinese girl with beautiful high cheekbones and a contagious smile. “Hello! My name…
38 Hours: A chronicle of our grueling journey home
Home. What would you give to keep it? Your comfort? Your peace of mind? Your DNA? We chose to give all three of those things in order to get back to our home in China. We did all we could think of to prepare mentally and physically for the trip back home, yet at some…
Evacuated. (2)
If you missed the first part of the story, be sure to check out Part 1 here. As I walked down the hill leaving the temple, I felt more strength and power than I ever thought possible. Yes, I thought, I am going to take my boys back to China and everything will be okay….
Evacuated. (1)
I wrote this months ago, but did not feel it was the right time to post it. Now that things are moving forward, I will be posting updates more frequently, both to inform loved ones about what is happening, and to help me process what we are going through. “Wouldn’t it be crazy if the…
Can I have my nose back?
I was laughing out loud as I left the music studio, wondering if I would even get one decent picture out of the “photo shoot” I had just experienced. I looked at my reflection in my phone. The red apple lipstick that I tried to hide was still as bold as ever, my eyebrows were…
Home: My toilet, the robots, and that blasted water show
Have you ever moved somewhere new, gone on vacation, and returned only to find your home feels more “home-like” than ever? Something magical happens when you go home. All of the sudden, the things that were once so unfamiliar, and perhaps even strange, become beautiful reminders that things are back to normal. Of course, for…