Well, it’s been a year and a half since we moved to Mexico. Life since then has been exciting, exhausting, boring, frustrating, eye opening, difficult, and worthwhile… How can all that be true?
Well for starters, raising 2 young boys anywhere is a handful. I love these little guys so much but more often than not, they are 2 little luchadores (Mexican wrestlers) which keep Amber and I on our toes, playing referee most of the time.
I’m so proud of these two for taking on a big adventure that they really had no say in. We threw them into a local Montessori school which is made up of 90% Mexican families and almost entirely taught in Spanish. Before coming to Mexico they had no Spanish skills. Now, my older son is a social butterfly and speaks better Spanish than I do. He seeks out conversations with kids and adults, often leading with “qué estás haciendo?” or “what are you doing?” He loves to ask questions and feels completely comfortable in Spanish conversations. I’m constantly amazed at his growth. And our little guy, who was just learning to speak English when we first came to Mexico, understands so much Spanish and is now starting to speak it too. When I talk to him in Spanish, he looks at me and smiles like he realizes we’re both in on a special secret.
Their accents are precious as well. They sound just like any other Mexican kid their ages with all the correct pronunciations and vocabulary. The other day at the doctor’s office, the doctor showed how the motorized chair went up and down. My son blurts out “No manches!” which is a very Mexican slang for “No way, are you serious!?!” Whether or not the derived meaning is appropriate language, is debate for another day; but all the kids say it. When the doctor heard him, she burst out laughing and said “wow, he really is Mexican!”
And just like every Mexican kid, they love their Jicama, one of Mexico’s most popular root vegetables which when eaten raw tastes like a crisp asian pear. But they refuse to eat it plain. It must have lime juice and Tajin (pulverized salsa) on top. This dish is served at just about every Mexican party and the other parents always comment that my boys must be Mexican since they love to eat it.
The first few months were tough though. Drop offs were horrendous. By far, our kids made the most commotion out of any of the others. Most mornings were tearful for the kids and us and we handed them over to the school and pried their surprisingly strong little fingers off our necks. We often wondered if what we made the wrong decision…
But as time went on, it became easier, for the kids and for us… Thanks to the caring and patient teachers at the school, who let the boys integrate at their own pace, and to our friends back home who reminded us that it’s not how your kids act at drop off, but how they act at pickup. Sure enough, the kids were happy when we came to pick them up at the end of the day. With big smiles and a carefree attitude.
Making friends in the community has been helpful too. Most of the people we’ve connected with have been friends from school. The parents are a tight knit group and we’ve been fortunate that many speak excellent English and are very welcoming, especially to us outsiders. The community we live in has also been great. A mix of young and old, foreign and local. We’ve been made to feel at home. None have been more warm than our immediate neighbors, a retired Mexican doctor and his artist wife. They are our Mexican grandparents and look out for us. They are genuinely kind to our boys and have helped us with everything from finding a mobile lock smith on a holiday when we locked the keys in the car, writing prescriptions when we were sick, delivering home cooked meals from time to time, helping us navigate how to get flu shots, and calling a repair man when we had a gas leak… They have truly made us feel warmly welcome. Without them, we wouldn’t feel like we’ve found a home.
There is much to love about Mexican culture. The obligation to say hello and goodbye to everyone at every event forces you to acknowledge and engage with people. A touch of the right cheek with the sound of a kiss when greeting woman. However, I must admit I still struggle with greeting other men. First there’s a handshake but I seem to always pick the wrong style, which leads to fix it, and then leaning in for a hug and a pat on the back. But unlike the States where men would lean to the left and hug, it seems in Mexico men lean to the right for the hug. I always forget and it ends up being an awkward exchange! Jaja, c’est la vie… Wait, what?
Exploring and getting to know this small town of San Miguel de Allende has been a treat too. It’s a gem in Mexico. The weather is wonderful with 9 months of sunshine and a brief rainy season in the summer. With a lack of humidity and extreme temperatures, most houses, like ours, get by without heat or air conditioning. We’ve found our go to restaurants, all of which have play areas for the kids – an essential for when we need them to burn some energy before bedtime. An English speaking pediatrician helps us when the kids are sick, and the local hospital helps when a kid decides to swallow a little plastic star that he received at school. 🤦♂️ A visit to the emergency room and a set of X-Rays cost less than $100 dollars out of pocket and thankfully proved that he was not in danger. The local children’s dentist helped with cleanings and fixing a chipped front tooth after it cranked from a run in with the kitchen counter… We adults have also been impressed with the healthcare and dental care we’ve received at a very reasonable out of pocket rate and without any long lead times to get visits. A root canal and crown didn’t break the bank and were easily scheduled via messaging on WhatsApp.
The town itself is quaint but with all the amenities that we need. And when we need something more, the big city of Queretaro is just an hour drive away. Beyond the town, we’ve ventured further around Mexico with roadtrips through cultural cities like Puebla and Oaxaca, “outdoor sports” destinations like Valle de Bravo and the beach in Zihuatanejo and La Paz. We’ve explored ancient pyramids, delicious cuisines, and many playgrounds. Mexico has so much to offer but we’ve really only scratched the surface. Traveling with 2 little kids with lots of energy is fun, but exhausting.
Mountain biking is wonderful, when I can find the time. Last winter and spring I was going a bunch but work picked up significantly, and then the rainy season came. Sadly, I’ve been off the bike for too long.
We’re also so thankful to the few friends and family members who came down to visit us and our new home in Mexico. A visit from the Slutzkys wrapped up with an excellent video compilation of the action packed week we all shared together.
There is much to be thankful for here in Mexico. But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Well, it is almost all sunshine… And that’s part of the challenge. The sun here is strong, with a high UV index most of the day. This, coupled with a lack of shade in the city and the countryside, really enforce the Mexican siesta, of taking a late lunch and relaxing during the heat of the day. The city comes alive again in the late afternoon as the sun sets. But with little kids, we get to sleep early but still need to entertain them mid-day. Amber is craft-mom extraordinaire but even with her amazing effort, the kids still get bored hanging out with Mom and Dad in the house. We do miss green space, and being able to take the kids out into nature during mid day.
Life here is less expensive in general, but we find ourselves going out to eat way more often than we ever did back home in the States. When we parents need a break we head to restaurants with play areas so we can catch our breath. There are free playgrounds around town, but many of them are rather unsafe and most often made from steel which gets dangerously hot under the mid day sun.
And of course, the hardest part is being away from Family, but we have been fortunate to have visits from some of them. We took a trip to NH and CA last fall and it was wonderful to reconnect with our friends and family.
All in all, we’re happy we took the plunge to try expat life. Living in a foreign country instead of just passing through has been something I’ve dreamed about for over a decade and I’m thankful we’ve had the opportunity to live it. But with a busy work schedule and restless feet, we feel that it’s time for a change…
2024 is going to be another exciting and challenging year. The wheels (pun intended?) are in motion and we’re looking forward to change, movement, and new opportunities. It surely won’t be an easy year, but we’re hoping it will be worth it. Here is Amber’s instagram page if you’d like to follow along.
Hit reply and say hello. I’d love to hear from you!
Happy New Year, everyone! I’m back at it again, with a full Year In Review post. Please enjoy this update as still haven’t jump on the bandwagon for sending out holiday cards. Leave a comment below (or reply to the email) with a hello and let me know what you’ve been up to.
January
It was a cold month in Portsmouth, New Hampshire! Having our blood thinned from a decade in California made it tough to readjust to the cold, gray, and wet New England winter. But the boys didn’t seem to mind. We bundled them up and hit the town. Sledding and ice skating in our beautiful little town.
Maverick stopped napping at home, but he wasn’t ready to go a day without a rest, so on most days I took him out in the stroller, often in the rain, snow, or sleet. Our coldest walk was 10˚F but with 6 layers on it didn’t seem to bother him and he slept well.
February
More harsh than the month prior, winter kept on doing its thing in New Hampshire. Visits with family helped pass the gray days.
Amber’s amazing imagination and creativity came in handy when she made games and activities to keep the kids busy while indoors. She’s started publishing her content on Instagram and it’s gathering quite a following.
March
The snow came and went throughout the month, often melting completely. Towards the end of the month the temperatures climbed a bit and the snow turned to rain. We did our best to get out and explore the towns around us. Still with COVID we kept a low profile throughout the winter. Thankfully we had a library within walking distance. Our voracious reader would go through more than 50 books a week. “New book day” was always an exciting afternoon. The library even put on outdoor story time all throughout the winter!
April
With the snow behind us, we picked up a new toy. The “Follow Me Tandem” is an ingenious (if not clunky) device that allows me to tow Maverick’s bike behind my own. In less than 30 seconds I can un-hitch his bike, allowing him to ride by himself. Then when he’s tired I can re-attached him in less than 30 seconds and I tow him home. I could enjoy a longer ride and he felt engaged along the way. I highly recommend this contraption. On a day that I felt really strong, I even took Mason along in the bike seat. We all loved being back on the bikes again!
May
Spring is in the air and we kicked off the fresh weather with T-Ball. And as Maverick was outgrowing his 12″ bike we picked up a secondhand 16″ bike and he was off pedaling on it in no time.
A kayak found its way into our stable and we enjoyed paddling around our cove.
June
Skateparks, lots and lots of skateparks.
My first get-a-way in forever was a trip to Wyoming for a good friend’s wedding. Can you call someone a good friend if they tried to leave you for dead in Mexico when you couldn’t speak Spanish? It’s a wedding I wouldn’t miss, even if I my connecting flight got cancelled and I had to rent a car and drive 12 hours round trip in 2 days… Congratulations, Jim & Katie!
Then it finally happened; we caught COVID. Fortunately (?) it was staggered. I had a fever for 3 days. Then Maverick and Mason went down shortly afterwards and their fevers lasted 5 days. Amber wrapped us up with a 3 day fever. It wasn’t fun, and it was surprising that the kids fell more ill than us parents. Once quarantines finished, soccer sessions started. Portsmouth has so many kids sports going on throughout the year and we did our best to take advantage of them.
July
The boys started swim lessons in the enormous Portsmouth outdoor pool!
By this time, we’ve had a lot of time to think about what’s next for us… We’re enjoying Portsmouth, but not so much the harsh winter months, and we’re not ready to settle down just yet. So I took a quick scouting trip to Mexico to see if it might be a good fit for us to live as a family…
Upon returning from Mexico, I jumped into an activity I’ve been wanting to try for years. SAILING! I took lessons at the Kittery Point Yacht Club. Honestly, it was humbling… I usually pick up athletic actives pretty quickly, but for some reason I had a really difficult time grasping the fundamentals of sailing and all the muscle memory that goes along with sailing a small boat. It took a while but I eventually started getting the hang of things, despite a rogue jib that caused the boom to crash into my skull. Thankfully my sailing partner that day was a doctor and she gave me advice on what to look out for in regards to a concussion. Fortunately, I was feeling ok, other than the egg size welt on my forehead. But by the end of the class I was thoroughly enjoying my time on the water, heeled over, trying to go as fast as I could (until the wind shifted). Maybe one day we’ll live on a boat…
August
After a few too many trips to the Mexican consulate in Boston, we finally received our Temporary Residency visas! Things were starting to fall into place and by the end of the month we were out of Portsmouth and on our way to Mexico! It was sad to leave family and friends behind, but we were excited to continue exploring. With my mom’s old Subaru, we started loading up for a life south of the border. Amber packed the car WAY too full. We grabbed a set of mountain bikes (as the cobble stone roads in the place we’re headed wouldn’t be a good fit for our touring bikes). I drove 3500 miles down to Mexico over 7 days. Amber, the boys, and my Mom flew in 2 days after I arrived. This was going to be the start of a great new chapter of our lives in beautiful San Miguel de Allende, Mexico!
September
Our kids started at a local Montessori preschool. It’s mostly Spanish speaking kids, but there are a few other English speakers. Honestly, it was a struggle at first. This was the first time our boys had been away from Mom and Dad and thanks to COVID they didn’t have nearly the amount of socialization that they would have had under more normal circumstances. We weren’t sure if they would ever turn the corner, and we were starting to doubt if this was going to work. But little by little they started settling in at school and now, at the end of the year, we have more good days than bad. It’s mostly just the drop-offs that are challenging. School is half-day Monday through Friday.
I’d like to say it’s given Amber and I the time we needed to relax, regroup, and regain our energy, but the reality was far less glamorous. In an unfortunate turn of events, I contracted a rare bacterial infection and was feeling lower than I had felt in a long long time. It was scary, but thankfully our neighbor is a retired doctor (how lucky are we!?!?) and he recommended which of the local hospitals I should go to. The doctors spoke great English and they quickly diagnosed my issue. I ended up spending a night in the ER and then 3 days admitted as an inpatient. Slowly but steadily I started feeling better.
It took another 2 weeks to regain my stamina, and just as I did, the kids got sick at school! We really haven’t had the energy to go and explore our new town, but we’re fortunate to live in a community that’s filled with kids and is a safe place to play. So even though we stayed close to home, we still had fun with the pools, palm trees, and daily dose of sunshine.
October
With the kids in preschool, we went from one cold to the next with everyone in the house feeling sick for what felt like the entire month. Nevertheless, we enjoyed a trip to the annual town fair, explored a local skatepark, hit up the kids arcade, rode horses, taught driving lessons, and ate some delicious food.
By the end of the month I regained some strength and took a trip for business and stopped by Colorado and California for a few days to enjoy some time with friends I hadn’t seen in far too long.
Once a week I try to make it out for a bike ride in Mexico with a group of local riders. Getting out of the city and into the countryside only takes a few minutes and it’s very refreshing. It’s a great workout and I love being out exploring the nature!
November
Fortunately I made it back to Mexico by the end of the month to experience el Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) which is a fantastic cultural experience. It’s a time for families to honor their deceased relatives. They often make an alter at the grave and an offering of their loved ones’ favorite foods for when their souls return to earth for the night. It was really amazing to see how a family, a community, an entire country come together to pay respect and celebrate their lost family. Not wanting to disturb their moments we opted not to visit the cemetery at night, but rather the next morning when all the decorations were up, but all the people were gone. An entire cemetery was covered in beautiful colors, but the heartbreaking moment came when we saw the graves for the children. Looking at the headstones – 2 years old, 3 years old, 3 months old. How sad. Their graves were covered with candies and toys.
The rest of the month was enjoyed with mostly good health. Biking, extravagant Mexican children’s birthday parties, parades, and a time spent with our first visitor – Charles! Long time readers will remember that Charles and I motorcycled the Americas, for which this blog was created. We had a great time showing him around our adopted hometown.
December
One final business trip for the year and a trip back to New Hampshire to see friends and family. Back in Mexico we had a trip to the ER after Maverick decided to swallow a little plastic star. WTF??? Fortunately, it didn’t get lodged in his throat or lungs. An hour of the doctor’s time plus an X-ray was $43 USD out of pocket.
With December coming to an end, it was time for a winter break roadtrip! No ski slopes this year… We drove 3 hours to a Pueblo Magico town called Patzcuaro which had a beautiful central jardin (garden) and a unique Christmas feel. It was higher elevation than our home in San Miguel de Allende so the temps were quite a bit cooler, but we enjoyed the fresh, brisk air.
After 2 nights it was a 4 hour drive to the coast. The temps quickly increased as we dropped in altitude. Christmas on the beach in Zihuatanejo (the fabled beach from the movie Shawshank Redemption). It was wonderful and the boys enjoyed playing in the sand, ocean, and pools.
A week later we roadtripped back into central Mexico for a stop at Valle de Bravo, a popular getaway town for folks from Mexico City. The town is surrounded by a beautiful lake and lush forest. We enjoyed hiking, but the city was way too crowded for the New Years holiday. These are very cooperative hikers…
Back in San Miguel and we’re happy to be out of the car and in our home. Being on the road and seeing new places is fantastic, but a big challenge with 2 active little boys. We were all happy to arrive back at home and celebrate the new year by falling asleep at 9pm.
What went well, what do we want to do better, and what’s next?
I also spent a good chunk of the year working on the next generation of SnapType. It’s certainly taken longer than expected but we hope to launch soon. We’re really excited to get these new tools into the hands of students who need them most! Every week we’re getting emails from parents and teachers sharing their stories about how SnapType is changing their student’s lives. It’s empowering!
Astute readers may have realized that last year I left my career in order to focus on our family, yet in 2022 I mentioned some business trips. Well, after a 6 month hiatus, my former employer made me an offer to do some work and we eventually landed on an agreement. I’m happy to be back in the high-tech world, but doing it a bit differently this time around. I’m mostly confident in my own skin and have a sense of my worth, but after a decade in a high profile role it’s still hard not to feel a sense of character loss when going from developing cutting edge technology and negotiating hundred million dollar deals to transitioning into full time dad mode. It’s not that I don’t love being a dad, but I’ve found that I also love developing product, providing value, learning new skills, facilitating, creating, and being part of a team with a common goal. The trouble is that I want to do it all! At least for the moment, it’s nice to have struck a balance.
We spent the first half of the year where we grew up. Spending time with friends and family was wonderful, but after a year in New Hampshire we had itchy feet and were excited for a new adventure. Moving to Mexico was a big undertaking! We received temporary resident status and it’s been great to dive deeper into life in Mexico without always being on the move to a new location.
The boys are in a Montessori preschool and already learning Spanish. Transitioning into school was tough, but overtime it became easier and eventually the boys started to enjoy going into school. Everyday Maverick comes home with new words, phrases, and songs. It won’t be long before his Spanish is better than mine. Mason, who is just learning to speak English, is also picking up the Spanish. He understands quite a bit and speaks some. Recently he’s started saying “Si” instead of yes, even when we talk to him in English.
Raising two little boys is exhausting, and most days it feels like we’re just trying to survive until bedtime. We’re still spending a lot of time together as a family and we’re thankful to be part of a welcoming community here in Mexico. Our neighbors are a mix of Mexicans and expats (mostly from the US and Canada). The weather here is always beautiful! We’ve decided to extend our lease here in Mexico for another 6 months. Then we’ll see what happens next…
Our winter road trip reminded us that although we’d love to be on the road continuously, it’s not the best fit for our family (at this time). Honestly, I don’t know how some families do it with such young kids. At this stage, we’ve found that having a home base works best. When we’re ready, we’ll move move to a new home base and continue exploring. Of course we’ll look forward to the day when we can enjoyably resume overland travel. Until then, we are happy that our new home base gives us a chance to explore a new culture, language, cuisine, and people.
Finally, thanks to Amberlynn for pushing me to do this year’s annual writeup. I took the easy way out these past few years because we were so busy, but she helped me find the time this year to sit and write for a few hours. It will be a great memory for myself and my family to look back on in the years to come. 😁
Until we meet again, greetings from Mexico, where we teach kids to drive!
Global pandemic. Had a new baby. That about sums it up!
Life has been wonderful and busy! We’re excited to get out on two wheels again, even if only for a few more miles… I’ll just leave this video here. May you all have a brighter 2021!
This year is going to be a little different. That’s an understatement.
For the first time since 2012, I’m breaking tradition on my annual year-in-review blog post. Instead, as I sit without internet through an overnight flight on a plane headed for Hong Kong, I’m documenting my day. With a kiddo at home, the days are long, but the years are short…
00:00
Wrapped snug under the covers, my brain is at rest. With my wife by my side, I’m fast asleep.
02:30
Eyes pop open for a minute and I’m reminded that I forgot to send an important email. Someone will be unhappy when the sun comes up. Oh well, the urge to sleep is too powerful. There’s always tomorrow. Roll over, clear throat, close eyes, rest brain.
05:00
There’s an echo of cries and whimpers coming over the monitor on the nightstand and through the wall that separates our bedrooms. What time is it??? I peek at the clock on top of the dresser. No… Baby… It’s too early, please don’t wake up… We’ve tried it all. Later bedtimes, earlier bedtimes, more and less milk before bed, higher and lower thermostat settings. For whatever reason, when the body wants to wake up, there’s no holding it back.
05:10
Praise Jesus, thank you Allah, hallelujah Tom Cruise, Zeus, Captain Planet, and the Flying Spaghetti Monster. I’ll take whatever miracle that comes my way, for his crying has stopped and he’s fallen back asleep! At least for now, my eyes can rest a little longer.
05:55
Already? How can that be? It felt like just a moment ago. There’s no fire drill this time. The beast has awoken and he’s out for blood, err…… milk. The folklore of waking up to gentle babbling are only a fairytale it seems. Fortunately, my wife is amazing. With a smile on her face and in her heart, she gracefully climbs out of bed and walks into the other room. The crying stops abruptly and I know he’s feeding. Yawn, stretch, rub eyes, sigh, reach for iPhone. There’s a laundry list of notifications on the lock screen. Although I’ve been asleep, my colleagues in China have been hard at work. They’re about to call it a night but before they do, we message back and forth on WeChat, the popular Chinese Facebook-like messaging app. There is some important information they need to shared before they rest their heads and I have only this short window of time where my morning overlaps with their evening.
06:00
I hear a soft, pleasant voice as she greats him. Relaxed for the moment, she reads him a book. I can just about hear them through the wall. Back to my phone, I’m halfway through the messages.
06:05
“It’s going to be bright” she says as they walk into the hallway and then turn on the bathroom light. She’s reading him another book, while he sits (or attempts to break free from sitting) on a little plastic training potty. I swipe over to another app to check the news headlines. Moments later, “You made a poopy” she exclaims and I can imagine the pride beaming from his face. “It’s time to wash our hands now.” And then, “OK, let’s go see Daddy.”
06:10
I quickly put my phone back on the nightstand as the bedroom light flicks on. Learning again about his morning’s bowel movement, I’m greeted with big smiles from my two loves. He and I snuggle in bed for a minute while she prepares his clean diaper and clothes. The snuggles never last long. Now that he’s mobile, snuggling seems to have fallen out of favor. Keeping him entertained, I stand him up on my chest and let him Hop On Pop. Giggles and smiles. Giggles and smiles… It’s fun for all of us, but he throws his head back and promptly reminds us about what he’s really looking for. That liquid gold.
06:15
We’ve transitioned away from bottles, except for the first land last feedings of the day. By now, he’s capable of slurping from a sippy cup. But it’s early. Mom and dad need a few minutes to wake up too. So he lounges quietly on the living room floor, chugging on a giant bottle of milk that’s been fitted with a nipple designed for premature newborns. The flow rate from its tiny hole gives us those previous few moments we need to make our own bowls of cereal, download emails, empty our bladders, and let the brains get fully warmed up.
06:20
Triaging my emails, I flag the urgent ones and squeeze in a few last minute WeChat messages with my China team.
06:25
BURP! Wow, that must have been a good bottle! Now with a full stomach, he has a happy heart, and he’s ready to explore the living room full of toys that Mom rearranged last night. I hop off the computer and we play together while Mom does her morning pumping. Pushing cars around the room, trying to open all the dresser drawers, carrying shoes around the house (sometimes by hand and other times by mouth), picking up lint from the floor, toppling over a stack of books and reading each of them for 3 seconds, and waddling in and out of kitchen while pulling pans out of the cupboards. I pick him up to fly him around the room as if he were an airplane, and finally coming in for an upside-down landing on the soft play mat. “He just ate!” I’m reminded by my lovely wife. I know, and maybe he’ll spit up, but it’s just too much fun flipping him head over heals. He loves it.
06:45
Work mode. I’m pumping through my emails and sending updates to my customers with the information they need to start their day a little later this morning. I’m in the zone, but can’t help glance over to see him showing off his newly acquired dancing skills. That happy feet shuffle is just so cute.
08:00
The urgent work is done and the sun is peeking through the morning fog. We head out for a stroller cruise through the neighborhood and give Mom a moment of peace so she can get in her daily workout. When he was young, we stuck to the quiet streets so he could nap. These days he’s awake when we walk and quickly bores of the side streets. So we head to the main road. With all the commuters buzzing by in their cars, he watches Silicon Valley come to life. Meanwhile, I take in a podcast in between answering text messages from my customers who are eager to start their day. We swing by the local grocery store and pickup a few items. There’s always at least one person who smiles at the sight of him. They’ll stop for a moment to admire the cuteness and ask how old she is. “11 months,” I say without correcting the gender. I can’t blame them. The hand-me-down pink stroller doesn’t help much.
08:45
We arrive at the house and I stop Strava. My “workouts” these days are a bit more relaxed… He likes clicking the garage door opener and shuffling his plastic moto-tricycle around the driveway. His attention changes often. This morning he loved walking around the garage, driveway, yard, sidewalk, and even into the street with a full size broom. I tried to take it from him but he protested. Ok ok ok… You do you, little man.
09:00
Fitted with a fresh diaper, I lay him down in the crib. Actually, he’s great at falling asleep and he’s long since settled back into a nap routine after returning home from our vacation in Turkey where the jet lag took a toll on us all. A few tosses and turns, a little playing with his wubanub, but within a few minutes he’s peacefully asleep. With my hands free, I have time for a quick email check-in before hopping in the shower.
09:45
Back from her workout, I give my wife a kiss and head to the office.
10:00
Today starts with an in-person interview. Business is going well and with that comes more work. Recruiting to build the right team takes a surprising amount of time and energy. But a little extra effort now will pay dividends later.
11:00
Multitask. Meeting prep. Reports. Mentor. Email follow-ups. Troubleshoot. Lunch. Watch a few short video clips that my wife sent. She fed him some leftover borscht. Now he’s grinning ear to ear with his pearly white four-tooth smile surrounded by a face that is stained purplish-red. So cute.
13:45
Back to back to back customer meetings.
16:15
In the office again, hurrying to send a clear and concise update to my team in China and follow up on a few more emails that came in while I was in meetings.
16:30
On the phone with another interview candidate.
17:00
The once sleeping dragon is now awake! With my collages in China arriving at the office, I’m inundated with communication. Cogs are spinning in this business machine and there is plenty of oiling that needs to happen to keep it running smooth.
18:15
A moment to smile as a few more video clips come in. She did arts and crafts with him and then visited a playground in the park this afternoon. He walked around, waving at everyone he met. He climbed up the play structure, then turned around backwards to go down the slide with his feet first, without being prompted! So cute. Time for me to head home. My head is tired.
18:30
Whenever I walk in the door after a day at the office, I’m greeted with this crazy loud squeal of excitement that he somehow learned to do while breathing in. It’s so strange. And it’s the cutest thing in the world. I drop my backpack and get Daddy hugs. Then we chase each other around the living room. Now that he can walk, he never crawls, expect when I chase him on my hands and knees. It’s so much fun for the both of us. When I catch him, we roll around on the floor and he giggles from deep inside his belly. So cute. He’s a ball of energy and it’s amazing, but exhausting. I feel so fortunate to have an amazing wife who has seemingly endless love and patience in putting up with her son and her husband!
18:45
Mom reminds us to calm down while she prepares a few bowls of leftover creamy ham and potato soup that I made over the weekend. He sits in my lap and we read a book. He helps me flip the thick cardboard pages. We all enjoy a quick dinner at the table. “Brush teeth” she says, and he walks into the bathroom and climbs up the step-stool by the sink. First it’s Dad’s turn to brush for him, then we sing the ABCs while he brushes by himself (or chews on the toothbrush). “OK, 5 more seconds…. 1… 2…” he hands me the brush early and I pick him up.
19:00
The bath is drawn, his night time clothes are laid out and a bottle is made. Meanwhile, iMessages are zapping to and from China as we try to finalize a new contract. Mom is with him in the tub and I come in to hold the toy bag while we prompt him to help put away the foam letters and rubber duckies. I grab his towel and Mom places him on the edge of the tub. For weeks now, every time we take him out of the bath, he stands on one leg and lifts the other in the air. My baby flamingo. So strange. So cute.
19:30
A kiss goodnight and Mom takes him into his room for a story, a bottle, and a bedtime song. It’s the routine. Back in the living room, it looks like a hurricane came through. We put the room back together and wash the dishes. Mom is on the couch pumping out some more milk and I’m at the desk, working through the never-ending incoming emails.
20:30
With my China team on their lunch break, I have a moment to get caught up on serving my other customers – our app, SnapType, continues to grow. I still love being able to service this community and build this side-hustle. Though I wish I had more time to dedicate to the ambitious future plans we have for it.
21:00
Normally I would take this time to chill out for a few minutes, watch a couple of my favorite YouTube creators, scroll through social media, and unwind before bed. However, tonight the doorbell rings to signal that my ride to the airport is here. I kiss my wife goodbye and hop in the minivan. Double checking to make sure I have my passport, I then pull out my laptop and get back to drafting the day’s final emails.
21:45
The airport is pretty quiet this time of night so I quickly check in and head through security. “Excuse me sir, is this your bag?” Uh oh, I left a few bottles of liquid baby soap in my bag and they are larger than the TSA limit. It’s a gift for a colleague so I head back to the United counter and check a tiny box cardboard box. Back through security for a second time. Lucky there’s no one in the pre-check line.
22:15
A glass of water and a snack are consumed after a brief chit-chat with a customer who I bumped into at the Polaris lounge.
22:45
I take my seat on the plan and answer a final few WeChat messages before the doors close. There were so many things I didn’t have time to get to today. I meant to help my mom with her online banking, have a call with my Dad to learn how his doctor’s appointment went, give my sister feedback on her 401k questions, setup an appointment to upgrade to the new “REAL” driver’s licenses, review and pay the bill from the recent emergency room visit (why do babies always get sick in the night?), send a birthday card to a good friend, and start to tackle my annual Year-In-Review blog post. There never seems to be enough time in the day.
23:25
The plane takes off 20 minutes late. Rumbles of the engines and the gentle rocking of the plane make my eyelids heavy. I’ll be here for the next 13ish hours. Might as well catch a little shuteye while I can… The days are long, but the years are short.
00:00
There’s a good chance we didn’t catch up much this year. I’m sorry for that. But if you’ve made it this far, hit reply to the email, or post a comment on the blog. I’d love to hear from you! Wishing you all a happy and healthy new year as we head down the trail of life for a few more miles.
An exhausting and refreshing 5 month bicycle journey in 2017, I felt rejuvenated to get back into the swing of things at the office and tackle new challenges. 2018 was a busy year with work, but it was also packed with adventures near and far.
Every year I like to reflect on the past 12 months to see where I spent my time. 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 were all memorable and I’m glad that I’ve taken the time to keep a log. It will be fun to look back in the years to come.
Now that I’m 35, it’s been decided with Charlie (my friend of the same age), that we’re “almost 40.” Wow, that’s a crazy thought and a reminder that life is short and meant for living!
January
After some wonderful family time back in New Hampshire it was back to California. I was all by myself for a little while longer because Amber and my sister were on a Prius road trip from the east coast to west coast. My sister was starting a new job in northern California and Amber volunteers to drive cross country with her.
We had the privilege to host our first traveler of the year, a fellow cycle tourer (albeit the 1-wheeled kind), Ed Pratt, on his 3 year tour around the world. It felt good to repay some of the hospitality that was given to us on our trip. While at our house, he edited a video series from his in New Zealand. Check it out on his YouTube channel.
Since I moved to California in 2012, I’ve been flying to China every 6 to 8 weeks. With a 6 month hiatus, I was back on a flight across the pacific for the first China trip after our bicycle trip, and for the first trip of the new year. The timing was perfect and I was able to join the company’s annual holiday party. My colleagues were stunned to learn that in the USA, its not customary to create and perform a dance on stage during the holiday party…
However, this wasn’t an ordinary trip… I flew into Shanghai and then a few days later departed Shanghai on a flight to Germany. Another few days in Germany and then a flight to San Francisco. I had just flown around the world! That’s a first for me…
After the business meetings were over in Munich, I visited The Dachau concentration camp. Walking through the camp, where so many people were forced to suffer, was an intense experience. Although hard to fathom the atrocities, the site is now a beautiful memorial, museum, and reminder. Let us never forget…
February
I saw it every year… My favorite holiday in Chinese New Year! Because I work for a Chinese company, there’s always work to be done, even during US holidays. But during Chinese holidays, my email is quiet and I can enjoy a little peace. To celebrate, Amber and I flew to Colorado and spent the week visiting friends in Denver and Boulder, some whom I haven’t seen since I graduated college! It was wonderful to connect with so many friends and spend time in beautiful Colorado.
Remember those crazy suits from the above holiday party photo? Well… I took a few back to the USA. Charlie and I put them to good use during a morning bicycle ride.
Amber had a bit of an adventure herself this month too as she flew to Germany just a few weeks after I returned. A friend of ours had a business trip and Amber went along to help take care of the baby. I left a “love lock” on bridge and I gave Amber the key and directions on how to find it. She loved the scavenger hunt and the feeling of connection with me, despite being a third of the way around the world.
March
Family time. A fun weekend of hiking with my sister, Abby.
Kazuhiro is a young Japanese guy who is super friendly, humble and hardcore. The kid cycled from New York to San Francisco, by taking a northern route in the middle of winter! We hosted him at our house and I joined him for a few miles on the last day of his trip. Here we are taking tourist photos at the Facebook head quarters.
After our Japanese traveler left, we hosted an Italian moto traveler. Of course we had to try out the unicycle (that we purchased after hosting our Unicycle traveler in January). Fortunately, he didn’t have to test his health insurance coverage during his visit to California.
April
A month in motion… It started off with China Trip #2 and then a flight directly to Utah to join Amber at the American Occupational Therapy Association conference. We pitched our app, SnapType, at the inventors showcase (a.k.a. Shark Tank) and were wonderfully surprised to be the winners of the contest! The judges loved what we had already done with SnapType and for its future potential. This was a great accomplishment, especially for Amber to get the recognition and support from her fellow occupational therapists.
After the conference we spent a few days in the southern Utah deserts and national parks with our friends, David and Haley. We love them and had such a great time filled with scenic hikes, delicious meals, awkward photos, and belly laughs. Here we are twisting our way through an intricate slot canyon.
We drove back to Salt Lake City and I flew out that day for China Trip #3. But rather than share a photo from my time in China, enjoy this picture from a week later when a few of my Chinese colleagues came to California. I treated them to an authentic Mexican meal. This may be the best way to unite the citizens of the world… with an enormous plate of tacos!
And we welcomed the arrival of spring by celebrating the Hindu festival of Holi.
May
Hey, how about another trip to China? Sure… China Trip #4. I had a custom t-shirt made with a Mandarin phrase that rolls off the tongue – 帅老外 (Shuai Lao Wai). In English, it translates to “Handsome Foreigner” and my colleagues loved it. They deserved a good laugh.
Leaving China it was a bus ride to Hong Kong, then a flight to Los Angeles, then Phoenix, then Flagstaff, followed by a 2 mile walk to meet Amber who was sleeping in our tent at the Overland Expo. Jet lag was no match for the energy of being surrounded by thousands of overland travelers. We gave several presentations about our travels by bicycle, motorcycle, and 4×4. When not presenting, we were catching up with friends and checking out all the seriously cool overland rigs on display. Ideas were planted, and we’ll be looking forward to more overland travel in the years to come.
Back in California and back on the bicycles for a weekend of bicycle touring and camping! We rode our bikes to Half Moon Bay to wish our friends, Christian and Persephone, bon voyage as they move to Boston for a new adventure. After the BBQ, we setup camp at the hike-and-bike site at the State Park. In the morning a fellow cyclist had his bike stolen! He was in the showers when someone came over to the site and rode away on his bike. No one realized what had happened until it was too late. Amber set off on her bike to try and find the thief while I broke down camp (she’s the tough one, not me). Unfortunately, he was long gone by then and the harsh reality set in that this traveler, who was on his way from Seattle to San Diego, would have to find new wheels. It’s a sad reminder that you can’t be too cautious with your gear…
Our friend Andrew and his Dad were on their way from San Diego to Maine and made a stop in with us for the night. We love hosting travelers and seeing our hometown friends!
June
Amber’s favorite vegetable is the artichoke, so when the annual artichoke festival in Castroville came around, we knew we had to attend. Although we enjoyed spending time with our friends, John and Betsy, it turned out to be a bit of a bust, with a fairground full of vendors selling crummy imported trinkets. We reluctantly took a farm tour though and were glad we did because it ended up being extremely interesting. We learned about the different types of artichokes and they let us cut some of our own to take home.
The tail leg of China Trip #5 was exhausting and wonderful. I managed a 20 hour layover in Japan on the way out. Rather than undertake the lengthy travel into downtown Tokyo, I stayed at a hotel just a few minutes from the airport and I spent a day walking around the small town of Narita. Wow, what a great decision that was! Narita has magnificent old temples, shrines and parks. Small ramen noodle restaurants are everywhere and the whole vibe was so pleasant. Hard to imagine that it’s just down the street from Japan’s busiest airport. The best bit? I loved this simple and inexpensive “bridge” that enables people to cross the river without stopping the flow of water. How ingenious!
After Japan, it was time to cross the international date line for a 10 hour layover in Honolulu, Hawaii. Making good use of my time, I walked from the airport to Pearl Harbor. This was a stark contrast in world history to where I was just hours ago.
Back at the airport and a short hop to the island of Kauai for a meet up with more of my family to celebrate my cousin’s wedding. We all had a wonderful time exploring the island. Congratulations Matt and Jess!
June also marked the start of high school summer vacation. Our 16 year old nephew, Justin, joined us in California for the summer. Excited to workout and make some money, he got what he asked for right away by being the hired muscle to move Amber’s gymnastics into a new building.
July
Since our friends Danny and Mckinsey moved to San Diego a few years back, we’ve missed hanging out with them and their family. So when they told us they were coming to Carmel, we jumped at the opportunity to have some fun with them. Here we are out on the lake in a pair of canoes.
China Trip #6 and a free Sunday. Bicycle riding with my colleagues! All was going well until the clamps on my folding bicycle let loose mid-ride and suddenly I lost all control of the steering! Oh China…
Overnight backpacking plans in the Sierra’s were shut down at the day before departure due to the California wildfires. Last minute, we changed our destination to an even more challenging route much closer to us. Justin and I hiked 18 miles of the Skyline-to-the-Sea trail in the Santa Cruz mountains. He did great. My old-man-knees eventually hobbled into the campground where we met up with Amber for a night of camping. We filmed the hike together and then later on Justin edited the footage into a video. Welcome to nature!
August
Another traveler to host! Issei is a classic rock loving college student from Japan, working his way down west coast of the USA. We indoctrinated him with a classic Californian meal.
Hot summer days and an offer from a colleague to go boating and tubing had us driving to the Sacramento Delta. We spent the day on the water getting whipped behind the speed boat. Simple pleasures.
With the end of the summer approaching, it was time for Justin to make his way back to New Hampshire and start his Junior year in high school. But before he left, we scheduled a tour of local colleges, Stanford and Santa Clara University. Teenagers love having their picture taken in public…
September
To celebrate our 3 year wedding anniversary, I had a painting commissioned by a talented artist and fellow bicycle traveler. She created the art while in Nepal and we had a friend of friend pick it up from her in New Delhi, India to hand carry it back to the USA – truly a world-gift! She makes beautiful watercolor paintings and the photos from their travels are really stunning. Take a look at their blog. We’ll cherish this painting at the memory of our Silk Road journey for years to come!
China Trip #7
A friends weekend of camping and mountain biking in Downieville, California was just what the doctor ordered after a hectic month of work!
The next weekend it was off to Mariposa, California for our annual pilgrimage to the Horizons Unlimited meetup. Time spent with fellow travelers, away from cell phone coverage, was quite refreshing. We gave several presentations and enjoyed soaking in presentations about Russia, Africa, and Alaska…
Our long time family cat (Fastball / Fatball) died this month. We were sad to see him go, but happy to have had nearly 17 years of fun memories together with him. He loved playing ruff and being spun in circles on the floor. I even taught him to reach up and give me a high five whenever he wanted to be let out of the house. He will be missed.
October
Celebrating my second favorite holiday of the year… Chinese Golden Week! My friend Salil and I headed back to South America for a week of motorcycle riding around Ecuador’s backroads. The guys at Freedom Bike Rental set us up with DR650s which were perfect for the remote dirt road riding we embarked on. I also had the opportunity to meet my niece for the first time! Amber’s sister lives down in Quito so it was a double-win.
Enjoy this video we created with highlights from our journey around Ecuador.
Flying (indirectly) from Quito to Shanghai for Trip #8 and a visit from Amber’s mom wrapped up October.
November
Forest fires were raging this month in Northern and Southern California. The devastation to those communities is hard to comprehend. Even though hundreds of miles away, the smoke created terrible air quality throughout the Bay Area. Thankfully, the day before Thanksgiving, rain fell to help tame the fires and clear the air just in time to enjoy a lovely west coast gathering with my sisters, Abby and Molly. We worked off the calories with a bicycle ride through the neighborhood.
December
As the end of the year rolled around, we were about to embark on our most remarkable and challenging adventure yet…
A week overdue, our son arrived happy and healthy, and we are in love! It’s been a hectic few days since. Day and night blend into one and we are seriously sleep deprived. But Amberlynn’s mother has been visiting for a few days and we are so thankful for her help. We really hit the jackpot – she’s been a labor and delivery nurse for 25+ years.
This will be a new stage of our lives, and we’re looking forward to the journey!
What went well in 2018?
We created a human! Out of all the crazy, beautiful, insane, exhausting, and wonderful adventures in life, this moment and the years to come may just be the most adventurous.
Despite not visiting any new countries (a first in nearly a decade), I still had the opportunity to re-visit a few old ones. China (obviously), Japan, Germany, and Ecuador.
After the travel adventure in 2017 followed by an exhausting year in the office, Amber and I continue to realize that we want more out of life. We both enjoy our careers and we’re happy to ride this wave for a while, but we’re certainly keen for a non-conventional life filled with more adventure in the future. Sharing this grand vision with my partner feels good.
Continued success with our app, SnapType. Our user base is growing and we’re making a modest but healthy revenue. Winning the AOTA pitch contest was another avenue for validation and it was marvelous to receive it. We also took some big steps this year in developing the next generation of SnapType and although we’re not ready to launch it to the world just yet, it’s great to see progress being made towards that goal. We get heartwarming emails from teachers and parents each week and we know they’re going to love the new features that we’re developing for them. I spent more hours than normal this year on SnapType so we could put together the plan for the future. And when we release a pretty big bug in the middle of the year, it was a hectic week putting in a fix, but our users really appreciated the quick improvements and customer service they received. It’s been a lot of work, but also energizing and rewarding.
I was able to jump back into my day job and hit the ground running, even with being away for 5 months. Throughout the year I provided a lot of value to my customers and my team. It certainly wasn’t a walk in the park, but overall it was a positive experience and I’m glad that I could be of service. Although I missed out on a good amount of income while being on the road, it was well worth it to live out our dream. Business continues to be strong and it’s great to be involved in the company’s success along side my talented colleagues.
We continued documenting our bicycle tour with a series of more than 50 mini-episodes on YouTube. Amber does most of the hard work when it comes to editing and I come in and touch them up before they get published. We receive heaps of comments and thanks for our videos. We know we’ll be happy to look back on them later in life and we’re pleased to know that they are inspiring and educating other travelers. Even though the trip is over, we still hope to create and share videos of our future adventures. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and get notified when new videos go live. In a world where we consume so much, it feels much more fulfilling to create.
What did not go well in 2018?
I tried to keep up with my language learning but I quickly realized how much Russian I had forgotten. Since I travel to China for work, I thought I’d pick up my Mandarin lessons again. The education didn’t last long and after a few months I gave it a rest and have yet to pick it back up. I really like taking the time to study and learn but with such a busy year of work, my mental energy was running low.
Yoga… I keep saying that I’ll do it. The benefits are well known to me. But I keep putting it off… Perhaps there has been so much urgency in life life this, I didn’t spend the time to focus on the important, but less urgent items.
I visited New Hampshire a few times and had some great visits with family, but it always felt too fast. I miss having family down the road and hanging out with them more often.
My step-father has been gone for a year and a half. It’s gotten easier over time, but I still miss him. Every once in a while I’ll think of something that I’d like to share with him, but then I remember he’s gone. Rather than be sad, it makes me smile to remember him. Life goes on and he’ll always be with me.
Looking ahead
2018 was certainly a memorable year. Content from our twice-in-a-lifetime adventure, we didn’t undertake any grand travels, but we enjoyed the pregnancy progression. Nevertheless, we are already looking forward to the year ahead and to making memories with friends and family in 2019. I hope to put a few more miles (pun intended) onto the BMW R1150 RS motorcycle that I’m bike-sitting for a friend. The day job will be interesting as we continue to grow and diversify but hopefully engaging and rewarding as well with certainly more than a few trips to China. The future of SnapType is bright and we’re really excited to share the next generation with our users – we know they’re going to love it. Learning to be a father and spending time with my son are going to make 2019 wonderful, demanding, exhausting, and fulfilling.
I hope that one day my son will look back on these writings and see that his old man was once a cool guy (with a little hair still left on top of his head). May he be inspired to embrace curiosity, seek out adventure, do good as he goes, connect with community, and be happy in life.
How was your 2018? Are you happier now than you were the same time last year? Have you made progress on your personal goals? What went well for you this year? What could have gone better? Send me an email or leave a comment below, I’d love to hear form you.
Every year I like to reflect on the past 12 months to see where I spent my time. 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 were all amazing years. I am looking forward to looking back (huh?) on these reviews when I’m old and gray (ok, older and grayer).
As a child, I remember sitting in class at elementary school, looking up at the clock, watching the seconds hand tick so slow, wondering if this class would ever end. Fast forward to today, at age 34, and I wish I could slow down time. So much has happened in the past year. Incredible highs and devastating lows. It’s all going by so fast…
I use a Chrome extension that flashes my age every time I open up a new web browser tab. I use it to remind myself that it’s time to get living. I’ve watched it go from 31 to 32 to 33 and onto 34. I had plenty of fun times and satisfying accomplishments in all these years, but was always left wanting something more. 34 would be different…
If you’re reading this, you’re probably a close enough friend to know that 2017 was the year of my twice in a lifetime adventure. Although the year had a tough start, it was immensely memorable.
January
The first overseas flight of the year happened early (as seems to be the norm these days). China Trip #1. Considering it was the middle of winter, I crocheted a hat for my colleague’s new baby.
To celebrate Chinese New Year, and some down time at the office, my friend Salil and I flew to Colombia and went for a week long motorcycle ride around the country. After a 5 year gap, it felt great to be back in Colombia! I absolutely love this country. The people are genuinely friendly, the landscapes are gorgeous, the food is delicious, the lifestyle is inexpensive, the weather is perfect, and of course the moto riding is superb with terrific on and off road routes. It was my 5th trip to Colombia and I suspect I’ll have many more.
February
Just as I was returning home from Colombia, Amber was flying to Ecuador to visit her sister. The fun news is that I became an uncle (again)!
Then as Amber was returning from Ecuador, I was flying off to Asia for China Trip #2. I think we went over a month without seeing each other!
Not long after China, I flew back to NH to visit with family. My step father had been in the hospital for several months and it felt good visit with him and be in the presence of people I love.
March
We hosted a pair of Polish cyclists who have been pedaling around the world. Basking in their adventure, we cooked a big meal and shared travel stories. It was wonderful to spend time with travelers and remember how good it feels to be out on the road.
It was then time to rack up more frequent flyer miles and head out for China Trip #3.
El Burro, my trusty motorcycle for nearly a decade, with whom I travelled to South America, was put up for adoption. I simply wasn’t giving him the attention and adventure he deserved. Fortunately, a nice family took him in and they plan to explore Baja together. At ~70,000 miles, his bones ache a bit but he loves to get out there. I wish him and his new family all the best. Here’s a photo from our first ever overnight trip together. We were both so young…
April
It’s the 4th month so it must be time for China Trip #4.
I also celebrated my 34th birthday in one of the best ways possible, with a weeklong visit from my friends Ryan and Rachael! Escaping New England’s arctic climate, we explored San Francisco, rode ATVs like maniacs during a freak rain storm, ripped down Big Sur on Harleys, experienced the awesomeness of the Sea Otter Classic, and screamed our vocal cords to exhaustion with more than enough DMX karaoke. #ruffriders
May
We took a long ride up in the mountains to celebrate the wedding of our friends, Joel and Adela. It was a beautiful setting and a wonderful event.
Back at the airport again, for a trip to Austin, Texas for a weekend to celebrate my buddy John’s last days being a bachelor. Beer and boardgames ruled the weekend. I stayed an extra day and caught up with a few college friends I hadn’t seen in years. Good times.
Alright, alright… Time for China Trip #5.
June
This was a big month… It started off great with a long drive down to San Diego for a visit with our friends Danny and McKinsey (and their kids). They left the Bay Area last year and we’ve missed hanging out with them.
Sadly, on the drive back home from San Diego, we learned that my step father wasn’t going to recover. We hopped on a plane that night to arrive in Boston the next morning and said our goodbyes. It was heart breaking.
4 days later my sister got married. Everyone was a wreck, but we bit our lips as best we could and put on a smile. Hearts confused and overflowing with sadness and joy, family and friends came together to take part in the beautiful weekend planned by the couple. Congratulations Hannah and Josh.
I flew back to California for a couple of work meetings and then back to NH a few days later for the memorial service. As sad as it was, it was comforting to be with family and to hear from his friends. My sister spoke a beautiful tribute to him. We’ll always remember the good times.
Keeping strong, I left New Hampshire directly for China Trip #6.
Returning from China, it was a gift to have my mom visit us in California for a week. It’s something we planned a while back and we all agreed that it was a good decision to carry through with it. It was her first time visiting us since we moved here 5 years ago. We showed her all around and most importantly enjoyed time together.
July
The mountains came calling again and we headed to Lake Tahoe for the wedding of our friends John and Betsy. With an impressive backdrop, the two became husband and wife!
And now here’s where the story takes a twist… After months of planning, Amber and I took sabbaticals from our careers and set off on a grand adventure. Our plan – to bicycle the infamous Silk Road from China, through Central Asia and the Middle East. Not entirely sure what we were getting ourselves into, we turned our home over to my sister (Thanks, Abby!) and flew to Urumqi, the capital of China’s northwest Xin Jiang province.
We arrived safely in China with only one problem… Amber’s bike didn’t arrive! It took far too many phone calls, emails, and taxi rides to the airport, but eventually after 4 days, her bike arrived. Thanks to all my friends in China who helped translate and scream at the airline employees on our behalf!
The rest of the month, we cycled nearly 1,000 kilometers. Going south into the Tian Shan mountains before continuing west towards Kazakhstan, we experienced a side of China rarely seen by westerners. Even though I travel to eastern China all the time, this area had a completely different feel. We developed systems for cycling and living, learned to speak Uyghur (a local language used by the minority ethic group), ate some really delicious food and soaked in the scenery. Long days on the bike were a great time to mourn, reflect, and relax.
August
Leaving China behind we entered Central Asia and the former Soviet republics. The summer heat was in full force in Kazakhstan. With temperatures well over 100ºF and long distances between settlements and water sources, we tested our mental and physical strength.
Departing the Kazakh steppe, we entered Kyrgyzstan and cycled rolling hills with our new friends Pablo and Manon who helped us get comfortable with the art of stealth camping. During this time we explored, got lost, and finally relaxed into our journey. No rushing, just enjoying.
September
Climbing to heights over 14,000 feet, we crossed into Tajikistan and celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary. We tested our lungs and spirits as we cycled and pushed the bikes up at high altitudes. Leaving the pavement behind we entered the Bartang Valley – the most wild of the cycling routes through the Pamir Mountains. During one stretch we went 4 days and 150 kilometers without seeing any local people. It was the best mountain biking I’ve ever done on a road bike… The ~300 miles of rugged dirt roads engulfed in towering mountains and steep gorges was one of the most incredible segments of our tour.
October
Immediately after entering Uzbekistan we had a tough time. Amber became seriously ill with a bladder infection, kidney infection and the passing of kidney stones. The quality of medical care was not what we’re accustomed to in the USA. Luckily, the people of Uzbekistan are incredibly hospitable and they helped us out at every turn. With medication and time to rest under the supervision of “Nurse Ben,” Amber was able to slowly recover. With time away from the bikes we travelled by train and were overcome with emotion during visits to the famous Silk Road cities of Samarkand and Bukhara.
November
As winter approached in Central Asia, and with politics blocking our overland travel, we took to the skies and flew to the Middle East. Lovely hosts made us feel at home and we loved the opportunity to experience a new culture. We came to love the early morning call to prayer, cold drinking water provided for free at all the mosques, and the stark desert landscapes. While Amber regained her strength, I suffered from intense back pain as we rode through the United Arab Emirates and the Sultanate of Oman.
December
Say it ain’t so! Our cycling journey came to an end. We totaled nearly 5,000 kilometers of riding during our 5 months of traveling. Amber kept the adventure alive by flying directly (ok, by way of 4 layovers and 40 hours of travel) to Ecuador for a visit with her sister. I on the other hand, returned to California and jumped right back into the working world. In less than a week I was already off on a flight to Hong Kong for China Trip #7 (not counting the trip to China for the start of our cycling).
Finally, it was time to head to New Hampshire to spend time with family during the holiday season. It was wonderful to see everyone after being away for 6 months!
What went well in 2017?
I visited 6 new countries! Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, United Arab Emirates, and Oman. This brings the official tally to 40 countries.
After an 8 year hiatus, I set off on another grand adventure. I craved an expedition, the call of the open road, a chance to experience new cultures and speak new languages. I wanted to challenge myself to learn and be curious. More than anything else, I wanted to ride my bicycle – all day, every day! Amber and I agreed that this was what we wanted, so we made a plan to live our dream and then turned it into a reality. I’m proud of us and now we have memories that we’ll hold with us forever!
As I get older, I seem to want more and more time for adventure and time with family. These goals often seem to pull with opposing force. I feel fortunate that this year was overflowing with both.
Our education app, SnapType, continues to thrive. With over a million and a half downloads, we’re helping students in over 50 countries! Emails continue to pour in from parents sharing stories of how much they love SnapType and how it’s completely turned around their childrens’ education. We also launched on Android to reach even more students. The development process for Android was a real challenge and there’s still plenty of room for improvement, but we launched it and it’s already making an impact! It feels so good to be doing good. We’re making a few bucks along the way which helps keep the project sustainable too. SnapType was recently featured on TechCrunch and we’ve even been approached by venture capitalists looking to invest. We’re not quite looking for that, but it is exciting!
I was able to negotiate a sabbatical on great terms which allowed me to continue to grow outside of the office while I grow professionally as well. My colleagues are fantastic and I appreciate the support they gave to me to pedal my dreams.
Movement! I flipped daily life around. Instead of spending all day on the computer with only an hour of exercise, I spent all day in motion for the entire second half the year. It felt fantastic and fulfilling both mentally and physically. To balance it all, I got lots of sleep and kept my stress quite low during the trip. This is going to be a hard transition back to office life…
I learned a new language and put it to use. My Russian skills are still quite poor, but they were enough to get by. I am able to read Cyrillic words and am comfortable having the same basic conversations over and over… Where are you from? You rode here on a bicycle? No way, really, all on the bicycle?! What is your profession? How old are you? Is she your wife? Do you have children? Why don’t you have children?
We documented our bicycle tour with a series of mini-episodes on YouTube. It’s been a great way to share the adventure with friends and family while also leaving us with great memories of the trip to watch years later. We’re a bit behind on publishing so subscribe to our YouTube channel and get notified when new videos go live.
What did not go well in 2017?
We lost a beloved member of our family. It’s the first loss in my immediate family and it still hurts after 6 months. I’ll get on, but it just sucks…
Although my back held up well for most of the year, I experienced some insanely intense back pain while camping in Oman. Oddly, it didn’t hurt during the day or while riding. But it was unbearable during the nights and early mornings. Fortunately, I have a wonderful wife who came to my rescue and helped out so much during that time. At one point, both my back and stomach muscles were in spasm and it hurt so much that I was in tears, begging for the pain medication to kick in. I’ll need to return to a daily yoga routine to keep my back healthy.
Looking ahead
2017 was certainly a memorable year for good and bad reasons. Nevertheless, I’m already looking forward to the year ahead and to making memories with friends and family in 2018. I’ll be on the look out for a new motorcycle. Work will be challenging but hopefully rewarding as well with certainly more than a few trips to China. There is also still a lot of growth opportunity for SnapType and I look forward to devoting more energy to seeing that through.
How was your 2017? Are you happier now than you were the same time last year? Have you made progress on your personal goals? What went well for you this year? What could have gone better?
By now you’ve seen the photos on Facebook and watched the videos on YouTube.
Now you can track the daily ups and downs as we cycle the Silk Road by following our Strava feed. You’ll first have to ask to follow us…
Here’s a few of our big days…
We’re currently in Osh, Kyrgyzstan and will soon be headed into the Pamir mountains in Tajikistan. It won’t be long before we’re riding upwards of 4,000 meters (13,000 feet).
So if you’re curious to see how many miles (or kilometers) we’re riding each day, how much time we spend in the saddle, and how much climbing we’re doing, feel free to follow us on Strava.
Amberlynn and I have been pedaling our asses off and it’s been great! We landed in China on July 7 and waited in Ürümqi until our missing bike arrived; it was quite the fiasco! We pedaled west for a few days until my front hub blew up… It only took a day for a friendly local bike shop to order a new hub and rebuild my wheel. In the meantime, they entertained us and kept our faces stuffed with delicious watermelon!
Back on the bikes, we detoured a bit to get off the direct route and get into the mountains. This was suggested by almost every Chinese cyclist we met (and there were a bunch of them). They called it a “library road”. I’m not quite sure that Google got the translation exactly correct, but the idea of a quiet mountain road was clearly understood.
It took us 4 days of non-stop uphill climbing, and then a 10 mile ride in the back of a pickup truck to finally reach the 11,500 foot (3,500 meters) mountain pass. Amberlynn remarked that the truck ride was one of our “best decisions ever” and I think she was right.
We then enjoyed a nice coast downhill for several days until we leveled out around 3,000 feet (1,000 meters). After 9 continuous days of pedaling, with the final day being our longest to date – 72 miles (115km), we arrived in the regional town of Ili (also known as Yinning). With the bikes parked up in the hotel room, we enjoyed 2 well earned rest days where we pretty much just laid in bed all day. It was glorious!
Well, we didn’t lay in bed all day… In the evenings, we were treated to delicious dinners by locals. We also used the time to begin editing our video footage. We’ve been on the road for more than a month and have already published several episodes. Many more episodes will come as we continue our trip. We hope you enjoy them!
It’s possible that some of the earlier videos won’t play on mobile devices (due to copyright issues from the music we used). If that’s a problem, you can watch the videos on a desktop computer or on Facebook…
It’s funny… I’m writing this as I sit on a plane flying east across the Pacific Ocean. In fact, this is the 6th time in the 6 months of this calendar year that I’ve made this roundtrip journey from the USA to China. Even though I’m quite accustomed to the trans-Pacific travel, there’s something a little unsettling about my next trip.
8 years ago, I set off on a grand adventure, to ride my motorcycle from my home in New Hampshire, to the southernmost city in the world – Ushuaia, Argentina. Many of my friends called it an opportunity of a lifetime, or a once in a lifetime adventure. Rather, I often romanticized about a life time of adventure.
But then life happened. I was nearly broke so I spent time working and making money. Coming back into the working world, I quickly advanced my career – enjoying the problem solving and critical thinking along the way. I moved to California, got married (yay!) and focused on my career for the next 5 years. The job is wonderful. I really do enjoy it. I had many small adventures during these years, but I often dreamed of another grand adventure.
Despite taking an 8 year gap, I’ll soon be on sabbatical and setting off on another once in a lifetime adventure. The term, twice in a lifetime adventure just doesn’t have the same ring to it…
I’m not the same person I was back in 2009 when I did my motorcycle trip. I have more wrinkles in my face and more aches in my joints. There is less hair on my head (and the hair that is there is a lot more gray) and I have a few extra pounds around my waist.
I was a 26 year old kid who had his whole life ahead of him. A bit naive, yet optimistic. There was less than 4 years of career under my belt. Nevertheless, there was a restlessness to step outside of my comfort zone and worry about the consequences later.
I’m 34 now. Perhaps considered by many to still be quite young. I suppose it’s all relative. I’m still restless, but my world is quite different now and this journey, while having the similarity of international overland travel, feels significantly different.
Despite the fact that my savings are an order of magnitude greater than what they were before, I’m more concerned about financial security. Maybe it’s because I’m in my mid-thirties and this is the time in life when ones career can take off and achieve the greatest earning potential. Or maybe it’s because Amberlynn and I plan to start a family in the near future. Or maybe it’s because that’s what older people do – worry about money.
On the one hand, my mother and father are reaching retirement and I see both the opportunities and challenges they face. On the other hand, the painfully fresh memory of my step-father’s passing is a sharp reminder that we’re only here on this earth for moment in time and despite our best attempts, we can’t for certain control our future. All that said, I realize that in the larger world view, I’m extremely fortunate.
But still, life is so busy these days. Work keeps my mind constantly occupied. Caring for family is an honor yet not without requiring significant energy. And worrying about the future is never far off.
Departing for South America had a surprisingly anticlimactic feeling. I rode out of my driveway on my motorcycle, visited friends along the way, and settled into life on the road under the comfort of familiar travel in the USA. This time however, we are flying across the globe, with little opportunity to purchase quality gear if there’s something we forget. On day one we’ll be thrust into a foreign culture unlike the Americas. Language will be changing often and the western way of life will be abruptly removed. It makes me chuckle to think about the Marco Polo airport in Venice. If only he had a plane…
Despite the exhaustion of flying to China once a month, I enjoy the time spent on the plane, disconnected from the world. No internet, no social media, no text messages, no phone calls. Just the time to myself, to pause, if only for a moment. I suspect that over the next several months, I’ll have a lot of time spent in my own head. Pedaling through the searing steppe, freezing mountain passes, torrential rain storms on the plains, and windy deserts; Slogging up relentless hill climbs, continuing on straight, flat roads for miles upon miles upon miles, and as I’m sure, several wonderfully idyllic back road downhills with the wind at my back.
I’m curious. Will I get bored with the space that I so desperately desire today? I recall feeling alone while battling the unforgiving Ruta 40 in Patagonia. In spite of that, the trip refreshed me; eager to get back home and connect with friends and family, and to devote newfound energy to my career.
Charles and I had many unforgettable times motorcycling together through Latin America. However, spending time with anyone 24/7 is a challenge. Ultimately we decided to part ways in southern Ecuador. We remain good friends but at that moment we needed a break from one another. I’m rather laid back, but at the same time I like to do things my way. Because of this, I can get annoyed easily, and similarly I can become quite annoying.
This time I’ll be traveling with my wife. That brings on an entirely new set of challenges and opportunities. Without the luxury of a motor on this trip, we’ll be more vulnerable and exhausted. Surely we’ll have incredible highs on this journey, but also challenging lows. How will we be able to care for ourselves and support one another? Time will tell.
There’s also concern for our safety. I’m not too worried about myself, but with my wife traveling along, I won’t be so eager to throw caution to the wind. Before setting off for South America I was warned about the danger, particularly in Mexico and Colombia. It’s interesting that those are the two countries I fell in love with the most. I’ve been back to each of them three more times since and contrary to what we see on TV, I feel very comfortable traveling there.
This time around I received the same words of caution from within my circles. I’m only traveling to the “good -stans” is what I tell my parents. And the there’s the term “Middle East” which sparks fear in most Americans. Modest countries like Oman are often lumped into the popular worldview with the instability in other countries of the region. Yet of course, it’s difficult to deflect all of these comments and what we see in the news. Even as a well traveled person, I can’t help but think of the risks and the fears. Even if they are overstated, they are still a possibility.
Nevertheless, we’re nervous. We’re nervous not for what lies ahead, but instead for what we leave behind; our friends and family as well as a conventional life of comfort and convenience. However, our excitement for all the new challenges and opportunities overshadows these fears. It won’t always be easy, but we think it will be worth it.
I’m not sure what the future holds, but I’ll try to enjoy the journey. And I hope you will too.
-:- Motorcycle Mexico DVD -:- The how-to guide with everything you need to know about motorcycling in Mexico.
Presentation Schedule
All presentations are free, open to the public and at the local library (unless noted otherwise). Please contact me if you'd like me to present to your group!
A Few More Miles 