Twenty Eighteen in Review

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I originally started this blog to share updates while traveling.

It’s been a while since I’ve written anything here, but the last few years have been more intense and rewarding than any trip I’ve been on. So as the year wraps up it seemed appropriate to send out a dispatch.

2018 was a year of big changes for our family.

Martine May

The biggest change in our life was this little one. She was born at home May 29th. Her wavy mohawk and sweet demeanor are her two defining features.

Having a second child is totally different than the first. The first time everything was new. With Martine, we didn’t have any stress about finding the right crib or learning how to change diapers. But taking care of an infant and a toddler is exponentially more challenging that just caring for one- especially when the toddler is a wild little one.

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Country of Contrasts

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I’m on the rooftop of the Seng Hout hotel watching the sunset over Battambang. The Muslim call to prayer is echoing across the river and the ornate roofs of Buddhist temples are glinting in the orange light.

I decided to stay another day here and am glad I did. There’s a restaurant I really like: Jaan Bai, a resturant non-profit with bespoke pottery, delicious food, and a design style that fits right in with the Kinfolk magazines they have stacked in the bookshelf.

Pad Thai at Jaan Bai
Pad Thai at Jaan Bai

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The Killing Fields

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This was an overwhelming place to visit.

More than 300 mass graves dot Cambodia where 1.3 million people were killed by shovels, hatchets and machetes by a genocidal regime in the late 1970s.

My Tuk Tuk driver, who is also a friend of my friend’s here, had never been inside Choeung Ek and walked the grounds with me. He didn’t say much, but summed it up as we were leaving, “This place makes me sad.”

It’s hard to believe a country this friendly and full of life had such a dark and terrifying period.

The photos are by my friend Sascha Faun Winter. More photos here.

Backpacking Big Sur

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Big Sur is one of my favorite places in the world. It has spectacular views overlooking the Pacific Ocean, gnarled windswept Cypress tress clinging to the cliffs, and deep valleys of Redwood forests. I got to backpacking there for a few days earlier this month.

This Point Lobos, a hiking spot right on the coast, where seals were sunning in weirdly emerald bays.

We hiked in Padres National Forest, right above Kirk Creek. It was a terrific time of year to go as the entire hillside was covered with wildflowers.

Our camp site was nestled in a redwood grove. Perfect spot to spend two nights.

A Billion Bats

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billionbatss-small

My friend Jane was on the Congress Bridge at dusk and overheard two sorority girls talking about the bats.

“I read somewhere that there’s a BILLION bats here,” said one. “Wow, that’s a lot,” said the other. (Editors note: There aren’t really a billion bats. That would be insane.)

I’m trying to convince my buddy Mike to name his new band “One Billion Bats”- so I made a poster. Modified from this flickr photo.