One of the biggest problems of social impact storytelling, in my opinion, is that it often assigns the exact same personality to all of its subjects.
Kind and sympathetic.
Hardworking but docile.
Struggling and virtuous.
And, sure, those traits are common. But man, the village has way more personality than that! There’s sass and eagerness and playfulness and stubbornness and all of it.
Storytellers, what are you doing to make sure your subjects don’t get a generic wash.
Hey, I’m about to get spiritual in this post! I’m amused. My first two speaking engagements in 2026 include a stand-up comedy set about dim sum, and a Sunday sermon on climate justice. Life be like that sometimes.
It was actually a while back when our lead pastor asked if I’d take on a Sunday sermon. Our church was planning for a several-week thematic series about environmental stewardship. Since my day job surrounds caring for the environment it made sense. I often talk about the environment through a lens of faith. I figured this would be a good opportunity to do that in front of a home crowd. Going to this church for close to a decade meant a lot of familiar and friendly faces in the congregation.
I quickly agreed.
A few months later, I’d get an email pitching several dates, along with the themes and passages of Scripture that were selected. I was asked if I might cover a week when our pastor was away for a retreat, though I could have my choice if another week’s theme really was the right fit.
I had a look at the scheduled message: God rebukes nations that oppress the poor. Environmental justice is a prophetic call that confronts systems that exploit creation and people.
Of all the themes the series would cover, this one was the most confrontational. Likely a different tone than people are used to from me. And of all the topics, it probably looked like the biggest challenge.
The fact is, I often wish that the rebuking of nations that oppress the poor happened a little more vividly. I wish that the way people and nations had to face the consequences for mistreating the poor happened more apparently. More obviously. Because I often question if it happens at all.
This is especially true when it comes to the environment. If only it was as simple as each nation facing its own consequences. The most climate vulnerable countries should be the oil-rich Gulf States, the US, Australia, and Canada. Instead the most vulnerable include nations like DR Congo, Somalia, and South Sudan. These are countries with some of the smallest carbon emissions.
I often have to trust that God’s justice happens on a non-individualistic scale. One my mind struggles with. After all, the borders and labels are things we invented.
Anyways, I took my own struggles with the theme and the passage as a nudge to lean into it. Even though I could’ve easily requested a different topic, I decided it was best not to.
I spent the past couple weeks preparing the sermon. There were a lot of notes to hit. Integrating my work experience, the context behind the scripture, and the earlier sermons. Then came the events of the past week.
Minneapolis. Alex Pretti. Murder committed by the US government against its own people, with no accountability.
God rebukes nations that oppress the poor.
Could we see if that delivery has a tracking number?
There were already complex ingredients going into this sermon. I also knew these events had to be addressed in some capacity.
Thankfully, the selection of scripture kind of already does:
“I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me.
Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them.
Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.
But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
–Amos 5:21-24
Amos was a shepherd and fig farmer. He found himself in a prophetic role at a time when the Kingdom of Israel was prosperous. And hypocritical. They had a lot of rituals and activities meant to showcase their religiousness. Sacrifices and pilgrimages, you know the drill. These rituals were completely hollow.
Amos called out the economic injustice, hypocrisy, and moral decay going on.
When I read phrases like “away with the noise of your songs” megachurch scenes come to mind. “I despise your religious festivals” is giving packed auditoriums. Airlifted pastors performing stunts. Smoke machines. The sort of stuff that are all too easy for Druski to parody.
I can’t help but think of all the eagerness I’ve seen behind church branding. Spiritual movements that trap its congregants in a state of euphoria. All while the neighborhoods around them look like ancient Israel. Injustice and exploitation run rampant.
NPR has released so many episodes titled “Christianity is hip now.” All harping on the trendiness of worship music. (Go public radio, but I don’t need this exact same story on every show, guys!)
There’s a common phrase that gets thrown around a lot in evangelical circles: make Jesus famous. It’s such an American mentality around what it means to know and be known.
We’re misled that to know and be known happens through celebrity, brand recognition, and fame. These circles want to introduce people to God the way you’d introduce someone to Radiohead. They’d rather make fans than followers.
Following requires that you welcome immigrants. Following requires that you call out injustice. Following requires that you side yourself with those who suffer.
I’ve seen so many instances of empty worship that I often feel desensitized to it. Times where a weekly gathering brings about noise and no justice. It’s gotten to the point where I’m likely to associate a church’s sleek branding with emptiness than substance. Most of my spiritual growth over the past decade has come via the uncool.
I appreciate Amos. It shows how, as much as anyone, God despises when people apply holy branding to things that are not of God. And if you do too, you’re not crazy.
Where do you even begin? After this weekend in our country, there have been plenty of feelings- lament, rage, disgust- but not so many words.
At least words that haven’t already been said. Said by countless others, by myself for years and years.
Words that don’t feel like either preaching to the choir or talking to a wall.
It is truly sad and disgusting that some people will see five year olds detained in political prison camps or people killed by their own government illicit and immediately look for some copy-and-paste logical argument to defend it, because of a need to stick with their side. To wear team colors.
When it’s only reinforced by algorithms, homogenous social circles, and a closed loop media ecosystem, it really gives people a way to justify any horrible act.
Oddly enough, this past weekend I was asked to give a sermon at church on climate justice. Long before the events of this weekend took shape, the theme and scripture were already chosen, and it’s so fitting.
“I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me.
Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them.
Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.
But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
–Amos 5:21-24
A timeless call out of when religious displays don’t actually reorient us towards justice. God ain’t having it.
They’re so strongly echoed by Matt Moberg, chaplain of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards apparently isn’t the only one bringing heat on that team.
“If you’re a church posting prayers for peace and unity today
While my city bleeds in the street,
Miss me with that softness
You only wear when it costs you nothing.”
“You don’t get to quote scripture like a lullaby while injustice stays wide awake.
You don’t get to ask God to ‘heal the land’ if you won’t even look at the wound.”
I try to routinely read an autobiography of somebody who wouldn’t seem like a very obvious subject for me to dive into. A couple of months it was Danny Trejo, and I’m so glad I went with his life story.
It's easy to get caught up in the pursuit of a dream. It's also pretty common that the path to getting to where we want to be will look completely different from how we imagined it. Put these things together and you have a lot of people living out lives they've always dreamt of without really realizing it. Here's to noticing when you've "made it" so you don't wind up missing it.
The past couple weeks have been something else.
A friend and a colleague have passed away. Another friend is in a hospital in critical state. So many people in my orbit are going through it.
At a macro level, the globe seems even more cruel than usual, which is saying something.
The work is to keep tender.
The key is to keep showing up.
The important thing is the people.
There’s a lot of work to be done
But stay soft and spend good moments with your people.
Ecotourism can be a tricky thing.
In theory, it sounds like possibly the best thing ever. The chance to travel and do adventurous things out in nature in a way that’s actually good for the environment? Sounds almost too good to be true.
In fact, more often than not, it is too good to be true.
I’ve heard of ways ecotourism offerings created a demand for water in South Africa that the host community couldn’t sustain. Ethical animal encounters in Thailand and Bali that were anything but ethical. Cultural exchange opportunities in the Amazon that turned out to be a commodification of indigenous customs.
Because of this, I often default to some skepticism whenever I hear about an ecotourism opportunity.
It’s a good thing that sometimes they come to you in ways you can actually trust.
For a long time, my friend Esteban had been telling me about his home community in Ecuador and how they were aiming to open up to visitors by offering home stays and guided wildlife encounters. His small community sat in a part of the Andes home to some historic hiking trails and plenty of dazzling bird species.
Then about a year ago, he reached out with a simple “wanna come?”
The thing about Esteban is that he’s a true adventurer. While I was training for my first marathon, he shared his casual weekend runs of as many as 50 miles, connecting peaks, coastlines, and other rugged settings. I imagine his Andean-grown lungs took him places. He also worked for a big outdoor retailer and was trained in wilderness emergency response. This was about as reliable of a connection as I could ask for.
He was actually in the process of launching a small operation of offering group experiences of trail running in the Andean Rainforest.
He shared with me some of his packages- a 50 mile trail run (the bear!), a 20 mile run (toucan!), and a casual food tour for those just there for the vibes. (Hummingbird!)
I figured the toucan seemed like a happy medium for me to go with, but Esteban told me that we would just figure things out when I got there.
While Esteban’s town of Yunguilla is a remote village setting in the mountains, it is technically speaking, still part of Quito. This is partly thanks to the way Quito draws a very wide ring around its core to stretch the municipal limits. Flying to Quito has gotten a lot easier now that Copa Airlines services San Diego. From there, all it took was a couple hour drive into the hills of Yunguilla.
I arrived in time for dinner. When Esteban said that this was the village where his family was from, I didn’t realize that meant his family made up a large portion of the village. The combination of a small community and a large family meant that every other house was occupied by some combination of aunts, uncles, grandparents, or cousins. I sat next to Antonio, an uncle of his as we talked about the village.
Of course, this meant that my first dinner would be a nice big family dinner. Lots and lots of fish were fried. I was introduced to so many people.
Over the course of the night, Esteban and various relatives of his would recount the story of how Yunguilla became what it is. It goes back about thirty years, when “18 locos” put forward the crazy idea to link their farming activities to more sustainable and adventurous activities to appeal to ecotourism as an emerging trend.
The fact that they are still known as the “18 locos” might reveal how this idea was originally received.
Nonetheless, their ideas wound up winning out in the end. And thanks to that, my visit would include touring some farms, staying at a local home, and going out on my hike.
After that very satisfying dinner, I went inside the home of Daisy. She was Esteban’s cousin and my host for that first night. Daisy had a really cool house, with second level walkways that made it feel a bit like a treehouse. As we hung out in her living room, we were soon joined by what felt like the entire town. Four men with guitars began playing some traditional music and a dance party broke out right there.
It was a blast, but it had also been a long day, and I was also beginning to wonder where I’d find the energy reserves to hike a good distance the next day.
The adventure at hand would be a two-day hike through the Andean cloud forest. We would be walking on 1,000 year old trails to an ecolodge in a neighboring area. It would be intensive. But first, there were a bunch of community activities ahead of us.
I got up in the morning for some voluntary farmwork. Mostly, I’d be milking a cow with Esteban’s uncle. It was a pretty early morning sandwiched in between a day of travel and a day of hiking, but the view of the sun rising over the hillside farms made it worthwhile. When we got to the top, I got to stop by Esteban’s grandparents’ home and guinea pig farm.
Esteban explained that before the ecotourism activities took off Yungilla was the site of a lot of logging and deforestation. The efforts of those ‘18 locos,’ which included Esteban’s grandpa, not only brought in new sources of revenue to Yunguilla, but it helped curb the demand behind tree cutting. Now that there was interest in Yunguilla as an ecological site, cutting down trees had a competing interest.
The pandemic brought a lot of the tourism activities to a halt. But the people of Yunguilla found other income streams through their farming… dairy in particular. Part of my visit that morning included a stop at a milk and cheese processing plant. We went to visit some garden beds. And since this is the part of the world where potatoes originate, we also stopped by a chip cookery.
It was a lot of activity. A blast, but also, I felt like I had done an entire day’s worth of things and our hike hadn’t even begun. We would start in the afternoon after lunch. We went back to Daisy’s where we would eat a quick meal before departing. I found a fifteen minute gap to excuse myself to my room. I’m thankful that power naps have always worked for me. Sometimes shutting my eyes for as little as five minutes can shake off a whole lot of exhaustion.
It worked, and a few minutes later, I was finishing off a plate of eggs and cassava ready to begin a two-day trek through some rugged jungle terrain.
What sets Esteban’s efforts in his home town apart from so many of the less savory ecotourism opportunities is simply the fact that this is Esteban’s home. It’s all done relationally. At the end of the day, this project is rooted in having a sustained way of supporting the community rather than maximizing profit.
When ecotourism goes right and actually lives up to its promise, it’s a really, really good thing. This isn’t always the case, but being able to do one of my favorite things, traveling, in a way that can generate income, collaboration, and a shared purpose among a community is a real win.
Didn’t I just get done memorializing 2025?
Okay then. 2016 was the year we brought home Beignet, the year I started running, the year I finished grad school, our last full year of living in Oregon, and the year our lives turned into the plot of The Big Sick. Made a big return trip to South Africa and ventured into what was then Swaziland.
Kind of a difficult year, without the rosy nostalgia glasses, actually, and I felt ten years older then than I do now. But it set the stage for some real good things to come.
“Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.”
-MLK
Not just a dream, but a demand.
Drawing in memory of my friend and colleague, Durbel.
Katie reached out to me on-and-off throughout the years.
We had never met in person, but we got connected through my work. Back in 2018, as a recent graduate, she had a chance to visit some Plant With Purpose communities in the Dominican Republic. The visit made a big impression on her, moving her to more deeply consider what a career in international nonprofit work might look like. She also became friends with my friend Kirstie, who accompanied her on the trip.
In the years that followed, she stayed close to our team. Even though she lived in Ohio, she participated in our Young Advisory Board remotely. When I rebranded and relaunched our monthly giving program, I believe she was the first to sign up.
When we lost Kirstie in an accident, she reached out. A year after the tragedy, she reached out again. She let me know that she thought about Kirstie often. She kept a note from her on her desk. She congratulated me on the birth of my twins and let me know that she was continuing to pursue work very similar to mine. She wanted to be a storyteller in pursuit of sustainability, and was wrapping up a Masters’ program to put her in that direction.
My interactions with Katie were all remote, but her compassion was evident through all that distance. She was thoughtful, curious, and conscientious. Her timely note of sympathies and congratulations was good evidence of that.
I was impressed to see her accomplish exactly what she set out to do. She became an editor at a Food & Environment Network. A communications manager at the Fair World Program. Her work also ended up taking her to Colombia, Haiti, and India.
I was deeply saddened to learn that she had passed away last month due to terminal cancer. The world lost a really bright light, who brought about so much good for other people in her short life.
Thursday of last week started out normal enough, until an email arrived in my inbox with tragic news. Durbel, the beloved Country Director of our program in the Dominican Republic lost his life in an automobile accident.
I spent the rest of my day trying to handle communications around the devastating news, trying to be around my team as much as possible, while still trying to absorb what had even happened.
Durbel was such a presence. Physically large with a gentle demeanor and an uncanny ability to put people at ease.
Losing him didn’t feel real, and in a lot of ways still doesn’t. I had even been weighing the possibility of visiting the Dominican Republic in May, and whether or not that still happens, I’m sad that such a visit wouldn’t include seeing Durbel again. Now that I’ve had years of time with Plant With Purpose, I’ve been able to interact with our international partners a number of times. Whenever we’re together makes for a sweet reunion.
Some of my strongest memories with Durbel take place on this side of the globe, most notably when he came to spend a few months in California in 2017. I was pretty new to my role and Plant With Purpose at the time, and I was surprised and amused to find that one afternoon I was tasked with transporting, supporting, and translating for Durbel as he visited several supporters. He was very good spirited about wherever that took us. At one point, I had to swing by my house to give my dog a quick walk. He was not only unbothered by the interruption; he enjoyed hanging out with Beignet!
Later that month we would be at a team gathering that also included a team member from Haiti. We started playing Codenames, despite the fact that we would have to deploy bits of Spanish, English, French, and Haitian Creole around what is typically a word-based game. It might be my favorite experience with that game. And it led to one of the only pictures I’ve ever seen of Durbel not smiling… the way we were playing took a whole bunch of concentration!
There’s a lot going on right now, and the world has a particularly heavy feel to it lately, even compared to its usual condition. The ideals of justice and making things right feel very, very distant, and devastating tragedies that have no explanation whatsoever only worsen it.
I can’t help but feel robbed of more time we should have gotten with people gone far too soon. To feel like the world was robbed of a few of its brightest lights at a time where that light is sorely needed. As I write this, I think of another friend currently in a critical medical situation.
It’s been a really heavy past few weeks. I know this isn’t the note I usually hit on here, but it’s what’s going on right now.
While going over photos, I happen to come across a few from that Dominican Republic visit in 2018. There are some that include Durbel, Katie, and Kirstie. Joyful images of such endearing people that have a pretty sharp sting right about now.
I’ve been asked a few times over the past month what I like about the work I do. Why I’ve stuck around Plant With Purpose for nearly ten years now.
There are some obvious things, like the way it seems like the best vehicle for my skills and interests to be used to help people. Or that it takes on international development in a way that honors people’s agency. That it has an effective model that doesn’t cut ethical corners.
All that holds true, but my answer is increasingly: the people.
From Katie and Kirstie, to Durbel and countless others, my work has allowed me to get to know some truly incredible human beings. I’ve met some of the coolest people because of what I do, and amidst all the emails and video edits and speaking gigs, I hope I never lose sight of that.
Valencia’s Turia Gardens are another impressive bit of urban green space.
Their origin story comes with some tragedy back when the Turia River flooded in the 1950s.
Today, its one of the most pleasant spots to be in the whole city.
Durbel, hermano, voy a extrañarte profundamente.
I was so sad to learn about the passing of a friend and colleague, Durbel, who served as the Country Director of Plant With Purpose’s work in the Dominican Republic for many years. His legacy leaves tens of thousands of people better off, not to mention countless farms, forests, and water sources restored.
Durbel was a PRESENCE. When he spent some time in California a few years ago, I wound up getting to play guide and translator a couple times, and he was a joy to be around. I especially enjoyed a particular game of Codenames shared with him and a Haitian colleague that we somehow made work across languages.
A couple weeks ago, I learned about another friend who passed away. Another friend who I knew through my work… who actually visited the Dominican Republic and spent time with Durbel. The work moved her to want to work in storytelling and sustainability, which is how we got connected. Over the years, I got to see her accomplish exactly that. She worked as a communications manager for a sustainable food org.
I’m lucky to get to do work I love. But the best part comes in the form of the people I get to connect with. Always need to make sure to appreciate that in the moment.
I adore places that feel like a trip to Moominvalley. The City Park of Porto, with its ponds and meadows, happens to be one of those spots.
Let’s just get right to it…
1. The Waitomo Glow Worm Caves – Perhaps my most wonder-filled moment of the year came during our New Zealand trip when we got to take a short boat ride through the glow worm caves of Waitomo.
2. Rosalía’s Lux – What a stunning album. I’ve described it to a friend as Catholic baddie pop-opera-trap in 14 languages with a Bjork feature. Can’t wait to see her belt out Mio Cristo Piange Diamante in June.
3. Five Days a Week of Childcare – I’ve gotten so much more space to do things and so much energy back! And when they’re out of daycare and in school, that financial breathing room is gonna serve!
4. San Diego FC – I’ve already riffed on my fondness for San Diego FC and the story of how they won me over. All of it was true. A surprisingly terrific expansion season that came within one win of the MLS Cup
5. Mandelbro’s video titled No, The World Is Not Falling Apart – A solid case for optimism, feat. one of the most accessible and beautiful descriptions of the Big Bang.
6. My job allowing me to open our largest fundraising event with my David Attenborough impression – Perks of being employed eight years!
7. Honestly, work was very meaningful for me this year – At a time when many in my sector have lost their jobs. I’ve spent almost a decade being part of something really, really good.
8. My Friends by Frederik Backman – It’s hard to single out a favorite read from 2025, but Frederik Backman’s latest comes out as one of the most memorable. It’s everything I’d expect out of a Backman novel.
9. Firmly being out of the baby stage – Sure we’ll miss parts of it. But the kids are still cute. And potty trained! And overall easier to take places.
10. Georgetown University’s CE class on social impact storytelling – Almost a decade after grad school, I got to take a CE class on the exact thing I love to do for work.
11. Obsessively curating Google Maps – My system for saving places I want to visit has gotten intense.
12. Breakfast at Eight at the Cordis Hotel in Auckland, New Zealand – A top three breakfast for me, ALL TIME.
13. Sinners – Movie of the year, and it wasn’t even close. Who would’ve thought a blues vampire musical would claim that spot? Coogler makes it happen.
14. Doing a deep dive into all the historical, cultural, and musical references in Sinners after seeing it – Yeah, that gets its own entry
15. Kendrick & SZA, of course – From the Halftime Show to seeing them play in the pouring rain in Seattle.
16. Heung Min Son ending his run at Tottenham on top – I’ll miss him with Spurs, and I’m no fan of LAFC, but I’m glad his tenure got such a poetic ending
17. The Observatory Hotel in Christchurch – Shares it space with so many fun things. Has a drawing room with tons of personality. A short walk from the center of town and across the street from a big park. Firing on all cylinders here.
18. Tres Leches Cinnamon Rolls – As a classic summer activity, we ate absurd things at the county fair. This one was the least regrettable by far.
19. The Social Change Ecosystem Map Definition of Roles by Deepti Iyer – A simple but helpful guide to see where you might best plug into activism work
20. This Indian News Clip of a boy talking sense about India-Pakistan – He drops the mic like a SupHotFire rap battle skit from 2011, but about some higher stakes things. We need this energy.
21. Freestyle Rap Improv – First full year with Optimus Rhyme and man, we had some good shows. I especially loved our Halloween show!
22. AFCON – Everyone knows the World Cup, but Africa’s Cup of Nations is where all the juicy storylines come from.
23. Decorating for Halloween on September 14 – Time to inflate the giant lawn rat
24. This Kurt Vonnegut quote, paired with the documentary Join or Die – “What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.”
25. That Severance Season Two Finale – There’s a very fine balance between resolution and leaving things open to interpretation that can be completely satisfying. They nailed it.
26.That moment we realized a friend in a life-or-death health emergency would survive. As awkward as it is to sandwich that in between a season finale and a cheesesteak, it belongs on a list of something that made my year.
27. Dalessandro’s – Rhys and I did a cheesesteak war as part of our visit to Philly. Dallessandro’s came out on top for me, though he was more of a Chubbies guy.
28. Kouign Amman – Flaky delight of a pastry hailing from Brittany, France. I was introduced to in in the aptly named café Kouign Amman in Montréal. Trader Joe’s now has a make-at-home version, which is pretty good but completely different.
29. Making mango horchata from scratch – This was complicated and I don’t know if I’ll be repeating my efforts too often, but I’m glad I made a large enough batch to enjoy from for a whole week.
30. Burien, Washington – I unintentionally discovered Burien when my flight to Seattle came in a few hours before my friend’s. It was a great spot to eat up a few hours. They’ve got a sleek little downtown strip, a pretty diverse community, an active community life, and some good green space. All the right boxes!
31. Revisiting my childhood home in Philadelphia – and…
32. Discovering that the neighborhood is a hub of Eastern European/Central Asian communities. – So many good kachkapuri spots! We got dinner that night at the aptly named Uzbekistan Restaurant.
33. San Diego – Namely realizing that we’ve really carved out a community here that works for our lives right now.
34. Hope’s Frybread in Mesa, Arizona – This place is proudly native owned and shows up for its community
35. Andean Coluncos – In August, I got to hike on some 1,000 year old trails carved out by centuries of ancestral footsteps. How mind-blowing is that??
36. Hank Green’s cancer stand up special – Probably my favorite style of stand-up, which is very storytelling-centric. It seems almost unfair that he gets another creative skill that he makes look easy, but you can see how a lot of his creative skills translate.
37. Introducing my kids to The Sandlot – Juniper especially loved it. And they all loved the throw-up scene.
38. Air Canada’s selection of indie and international films – Sandra Oh’s Can I Get A Witness stands out most, but good lineup all the way around.
39. That one time my Phillies accidentally recreated a play from Rookie of the Year – Nick Castellanos & JT Realmuto. What a time.
40. The Soul Boom podcast episode featuring Hospice Nurse Julie – A awe-stirring chat with a hospice nurse whose witnessed so many people’s final moments. This comes with both the honesty of saying “I don’t know” when it applies, while also sharing what you can’t deny seeing.
41. Going all-out for Christmas this year – These are the years to be doing that
42. The Life of Chuck – I don’t think this film will be universally beloved. In fact, it’ll frustrate most who miss the fact that it’s a testament to the fleeting gift of simply being alive.
43. My mom turning 70 and getting to celebrate that at Disneyland – The fact that she wanted to do this with my three kids is a testament to her being in good condition at 70!
44. The Hike by Drew Magary – This book was a wild trip! It feels a bit like Alice in Wonderland recast with a midlife crisis on steroids. While it spends most of its time in the WTF space, it actually wraps up in a pretty satisfying way.
45. The Riverside Food Market in Christchurch, New Zealand – I only spent a few days in Christchurch but thought I needed to double up on dinners to enjoy all the options here I wanted to try
46. Dijon’s Baby! – The album, that is. Not an actual baby.
47. corner club – Sweet Asian-Am indie band with great feel-good music. Glad I discovered them early in the year.
48. Will Hines Improv Nonsense – Am I now nerdy enough about improv to have a blast reading a Substack about it? Absolutely, and Will Hines never seems to run out of gems.
49. Islands – I’m talking about the Southern California, Hawaiian inspired burger restaurant chain. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s the first restaurant beyond Denny’s that’s proven to be consistently kid friendly.
50. Switching up my illustration style – Gave it so much new life
51. Marlon Williams’ Te Whare Tiwekaweka – Marlon Williams is a great singer-songwriter, but his first delve into Maori language music is absolutely beautiful. I got to hear a few New Zealanders rave about how stirring it was to hear him sing in a language once banned at school.
52. My kids being great travelers – When I flew with Rhys, our flight was delayed. We had a less-than-pleasant eight hours in Dallas. He took it better than most adults. I’m realizing we’re reaping the reward of starting them early.
53. Haiti’s World Cup qualification – They’re in a pretty brutal group, so they won’t likely last long. But Haiti’s been up against so much, I’m happy to celebrate them being there.
54. Kyle Schwarber’s cameo on Abbott Elementary – Would be hard to watch if the Phillies weren’t gonna resign him. Thankfully we don’t have to worry about that!
55. Castle Hill in New Zealand – AKA where they filmed the Narnia battle scene. Perhaps the most beautiful place I set foot in this year.
55. Castle Hill in New Zealand – AKA where they filmed the Narnia battle scene. Perhaps the most beautiful place I set foot in this year.
56. Using a travel agent for the first time – We had someone from Fora book some of our New Zealand visit for us. It didn’t cost us much (thanks, commission). I’m so used to trip planning, but I decided to just give it a go. Went well!
57. My oldest kid getting to start a dual immersion kindergarten class – Your brain is never as primed for language learning as it is at this age
58. Shayne Smith – Newly discovered standup act. Great storyteller.
59. RF Kuang – When I started reading Babel. I did not expect such a rich and detailed world focused on a version of Oxford where the study of linguistics unlocks some kind of magic. It was brilliant, nerdy, and right up my alley.
60. Bookman’s in Mesa, Arizona – A pre-owned physical media paradise, including DVDs, VHS tapes, records, used books, musical instruments, toys, board games, and vintage video games. Consoles and cartridges. Reminded me so much of all those teenage afternoons spent at Sam Goody.
61. The Andean Bespectacled Bear – While hiking in Ecuador, I was pretty sure one was spying on us from the trees above. Truly charismatic creatures.
62. Buying physical copies of the Atlas Obscura books for the family bookshelf – They’re fun reads to just spontaneously pick up for creative inspo
63. Chai at Karak House – I fell in love with proper masala chai while in Kolkata years ago and it’s taken me up until this Fall to find a source of anything comparable in California.
64. Finally clearing out large amounts of baby gear from the garage – Still feels like there’s plenty more to go
65. Being in attendance when the Phillies gave the Dodgers their first loss of the season – If only that repeated itself a couple more times in October, but hey, glad they won for us.
66. Jane Goodall’s parting words – Some of her last recorded words have made the rounds including her Subway Takes with Kareem Rehma and her Last Word special on Netflix. Many remember her shots taken at certain public figures, understandably, but her I really appreciated was her gentle insistence on the good still unfolding in the world.
67. The Kea – A cheeky alpine parrot exclusive to New Zealand. These guys are smart, but often use their intelligence to harass people and sheep, even having a taste for the rubber sealant on cars.
68. Seeing Tank and the Bangas play live – Their Tiny Desk performance was a clue… they put on a great show
69. Growing mushrooms from a sprouting block – Fun guy things.
70. Sunday Ice Cream – San Diego already has a wealth of great ice cream shops, but why not add another?
71. Weapons – What even was that? I’m kinda lukewarm on the horror genre, but when they’re this creative, I hit play. Shame they did Wong so dirty, though!
72. Quito’s Craft Brewing Scene – The boom of microcervecerias there takes me back to Portland, Asheville, or Brooklyn in the mid-2010s. But with so many more Ecuadorean special ingredients.
73. Doing a deep dive into the history of movements for Maori reparations – Lots of lessons to be learned!
74. Wake Up Dead Man – I love a classic whodunnit, and the Knives Out series has yet to let me down.
75. Portland Hearts of Pine’s Valentine Bandit Soccer Jersey – The USL really does have some of the strongest jerseys
76. The fact that the “good house” for trick or treating was giving out mezcal this year – to the adults, OFC
77. Being invited to freestyle rap and play improv at Dim Sum Night – An AAPI Month variety show special.
78. Printing out my artwork in the form of trading cards – Took me a while to find a printer who could do this at low quantities for a good price. Now to figure out how to put them in packs for unboxing vids!
79. Running Regularly – No organized races, just ran to keep up with my marathon conditioning from last year and to feel good.
80. The Blocks w/ Neal Brennan podcast interview with Ken Burns – Made me appreciate Ken Burns’ craft so much more
81. The CLUE Mystery Walkabout – Part escape room, part walking murder mystery hosted by UCSD. I brought my escape room loving five year old and it was a hit.
82. Damian Lillard going back to Portland – That just feels right!
83. Crossing the 1K subscriber threshold on YouTube – A vanity metric. Small potatoes for the amount of time I’ve put into the channel, but hey, it’s good to have people watching!
84. All the Ichiro love as he went into the Hall of Fame – Bonus points for him actually playing in practice games with the Mariners during their playoff run
85. Helping Rhys create his own Mewtwo card – My Psydrive ain’t nothing to mess with
86. Gilda in Philly – My fave source of pastel de nata in the US, as well as hats in the 80s Phillies typeface that say Pastel de Nata
87. Chickenjoy bucket every other Sunday – We’ve done the math on how to feed our family, and the Jollibee deal really is one of the best value ways to feed everyone. And it’s tasty. If only it checked the box for healthy…
88. Gulyabani – I’ve been diving into Turkish folklore and superstition for a long-term writing project
89. Kitekite Falls – A nice walk through a sort of tropical, sort of alpine wooded area, culminating in a waterfall at the top. The pool beneath the waterfall made for a perfect swim hole, too.
90. Melissa Villaseñor – I got to see the SNL alum perform live in town. I love that her vibe is really nice, and that she does a ton of voices… probably because that’s the energy I bring to most improv scenes.
91. Bon Iver putting out an album this good 17 years in – The album feels like waking up to winter sunlight
92. Juniper watching The Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe at a movie night at church – This specifically makes the list for how amped she got when the unicorns entered the battle
93. The Macquipucuna Eco Lodge – Another all-time favorite accommodation, where I got to recover from hiking in the Andes. A beautiful, sustainably run lodge with great food out in the wild. Plus close encounters with a broad-billed motmot, a kinkajou, and plenty of tarantulas.
94. G. Love’s Music & Art Show at the Soap Factory – Went here for a little birthday outing. Intimate show for an artist I’ve kept up with over the years.
95. Getting dinner with strangers – Do it for the storyline!
96. Outkast’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction – They’re not usually this memorable, but great things begin in tiny rooms
97. Happier Café in Los Angeles – A coffee shop with a sandbox I can take the kids to scores some points
98. Bananaball! – Getting to see the Savannah Bananas play in San Diego, with Trevor Hoffman getting the save
99. Realizing that I’m the same age as Steve Martin’s character in Parenthood (1989) – To be fair, Steve Martin is Forever 61. He entered his 60s a couple decades early and seems to be exiting it a couple decades late.
100. Ending the year rested and ready for an exciting 2026 – Took it so easy last year. I know this one will be a bigger more adventurous year, and I’m happy to be here for it.
One of my favorite bakery finds over the past year was this little bakery on Avenue Mont-Royal.
Of course the thing to get is the treat that lends the bakery its name, the kouign amman- a flaky cake with a hard shell and soft interior hailing from Brittany. If you want to get a slice to enjoy, don’t make the same mistake I did and order the ‘small/petit’– that would get you a small cake, which is still a rather large thing to eat in one sitting. Then again, there are many worse mistakes one could make.
The other heads up is that there’s only seating for two or maybe three groups, so maybe plan on picking up something to enjoy on a picnic.
Turning the calendar page slowly.
2025 was an understated year. Fewer trips, smaller adventures, lots of recharging from the chaos of years prior. Before I might’ve considered that a boring year, but it was actually really restful and made me much more appreciative of the life, the people, the work, and the fun times I have in front of me.
Here’s a highlight reel of some creative work, family moments and milestones.
“Bad is swept out, good is swept in”
“Hai Kuard Nnee, Dee Kuard Kao"
Sou khuan means "calling of the soul" and refers to a Lao ritual, also called the Baci ceremony, that welcomes, blesses, and binds a person's spirit to their body for good fortune, health, and harmony. This is often performed at major life events like weddings, births, etc. It's rooted in the belief that humans have 32 spirits that can wander, so the ceremony calls them back to ensure well-being.
Some days, paradise might be a chilly morning in Center City
Oh hi, 2026!
Friends, I love all your reflective social posts at the turn of the year. Feels like a slightly deeper look at your selves than typically hits the feed, and I’m for it!
Last year was an extended recharge from the year before. Much needed and much appreciated. I have a feeling 2026 will be a bit more lively, with some exciting trips starting to take shape and all the kids entering school-school.
If I get the treat of being an old guy with decades and decades to look back on some day, I imagine these days would be some of the ones I get most nostalgic about. The years while the kids are young, but old enough to explore. The years when we had so many places to go.
Here’s to living freely & generously.
