After graduating college with an engineering degree in 2003, I specialized in civil engineering – the practice of designing the infrastructure for new land development. I’m the guy who plans the roads, water, sewage, drainage and more. Initially, I was the head of planning and engineering...
“Start, then persevere until the end” is one way to approach projects. At times this can be a useful strategy. In fact for the two of us, when writing an article, the information sometimes comes fully formed like a mental download and all we need...
When our friend Natasha asked us if it would be too “cheeky” to invite us to her wedding in London, we unhesitatingly said that we would be honored to attend. Of Indian descent and her husband-to-be Sri Lankan, they planned a week-long series of events:...
Throughout my life I have had more than one type of dream. There are the convoluted ones that make no sense. Some are nightmarish while others are quite pleasant. Most slip away as I move on to the reality of my day. Then there are...
Ever spontaneously think about someone you love or a friend you’ve been missing? Does this ever happen when it isn’t a convenient time to drop what you’re doing to give them a call, shoot a text, write a letter or email? It frequently happens to...
Much to my surprise, I have the purr-fect nurse. You may have heard of her before - our cat Baby. As I started my breast cancer journey, Baby seamlessly slid out of her housecat persona into being the purr-fect nurse. Baby has always had what Shya and...
Many people find themselves navigating the challenge of having aging parents. It’s tough to witness a loved one’s frailty, particularly when he or she has dementia. When speaking with those who are struggling with their parent’s decline, I have come to suggest treasuring the gems...
Fourteen hours into our flight to New Zealand, Shya sat across from me on my foot rest with the fold down table between us. The steward covered the table with white linen and voilà: we had an airborne café. The journey to this unknown land had...
I went on a fishing trip up to a remote area in Canada, about an hour’s ride by helicopter south and west of Juneau, Alaska. Ariel wasn’t with me on this particular venture so mornings and evening meals were with the host family, guides and...
I was sitting at my desk when I heard my husband Thomas talking on speaker phone with someone in the other room. The conversation sounded so cheerful, exciting, and inviting that I felt magically drawn to the sound of their voices. I went over to him...