Ramon and I went to the Spanish Pyrenees for a bit of a summer respite. It was so hot in Madrid in August… going to the mountains was like a dip in a cool lake. Ramon has history with this place – he learned mountain rescue in the area, which you’ll...
It takes time to arrive at the Isle of Skye, so it makes sense I needed a bit more time to write about the experience. My friend, Andy, met me in Edinburgh and we took the train north, to Inverness, and then on to Kyle of Lochalsh, alongside the bridge to Skye, in the...
When USAID was being dismantled in February, and the extent of my predicament becoming clearer and deeper, I came across an announcement for the UK Evaluation Society annual conference in Glasgow. I signed up, almost on impulse, thinking that I could reestablish...
What’s your name? What’s your identity? Как Вас зовут? Russian class was offered at our rival high school. I had to bus there and back each day and eat my lunch in transit. That didn’t deter me. The teacher was great and loved my enthusiasm for the...
If you’re reading a lot of LinkedIn right now, as I am, you might think a rethink is in order. You’d be in good company. Lauren Kaplan’s LinkedIn post titled “Rethinking Foreign Aid in Africa: Between Dependency and Development” asks a pressing question:...
Yesterday Ramon surprised me with a foot massage. He has innumerable wonderful qualities, but this has never happened before. I think he’s worried about me. I am too. All U.S. foreign aid – a fraction of 1% of the U.S. budget – has been halted. And...
