Hello, and thank you for visiting my personal website and blog. If you’re here, I’m guessing you’re a friend or family member curious about where I’m at and what I’ve been up to. I plan to use this space to share thoughts from the road — reflections on the journey I’m on, the things I’m learning, and some of the issues I’ve been thinking about more deeply.
I’m launching this site exactly one year after leaving my job of nearly eight years at the Mid-Region Council of Governments. It’s been an interesting year.
About a week and a half after I quit — on March 29, 2024 — I landed in Colombia with some old college friends. It was the perfect kickoff to a long-awaited South America tour. I visited Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Costa Rica after Colombia, spending five weeks in Argentina to study Spanish and soak up one of the prettiest, most walkable cities I’ve ever seen.
In late June, I returned to Albuquerque for a wedding in Taos and ended up sticking around for about two and a half months. It made me appreciate so many things I love about the place: the Sandias, slow mornings at Tiguex Park, and time to study programming without distraction. It also reminded me of the things that drive me crazy — the reckless driving, the constant tension on the roads, and the lurking threat of traffic violence or guns in everyday life.
I do miss ABQ — and the U.S. in general — but it doesn’t seem likely I’ll be back anytime soon. The cost of living there feels totally out of sync with what you get in return. I’ve been spoiled by 15k rupiah nasi goreng, roti canai and teh tarik for 4 ringgit, and banh mi for 25k VND. Don’t get me wrong, I miss Java Joe’s breakfast enchiladas and a Blackbird Café coffee… but I’m not sure I can go back to paying $6 (before tip!) for a latte, no matter how good it is.
So tune in here as I document the path forward — my studies, travels, and thoughts on social issues that matter to me. In the next few weeks, I plan to write about:
- Vietnam’s seemingly chaotic streets and the deep social trust that makes them work
- The breakdown of public trust in the U.S. and the arms race to buy the biggest truck
- The epidemic of pedestrian deaths in Albuquerque — and why it broke my spirit
And whatever else emerges along the way. Thanks for reading.