True love

True love

Picture Zero: This is our first couple selfie, I think – paddleboating. Ramon and I met in Pakistan, at a run he and his friends had organized in the Diplomatic Enclave. Within seconds, he invited me to coffee and dual-language conversations. The first couple...
What a woman

What a woman

Virginia (Culver) Snyder was a dedicated reporter, a lifelong Democrat, a friend for all seasons, a reformed tomboy, and a beloved, irascible aunt. Her wit was as dry and scorching as summer on the Colorado Plains – making her the one everyone wanted to sit by at any...
The prettiest place you’ve never heard of

The prettiest place you’ve never heard of

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...
So familiar, and also entirely new

So familiar, and also entirely new

Another blog post from Scotland! Or, at least, about Scotland. My most keen-eyed blog followers (you know who you are!) are absolutely correct – this trip was in May and I am really behind on my posts. Still, anything good is worth the wait, and Edinburgh, the...
Wide open Skye

Wide open Skye

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...
Glasgow on my mind

Glasgow on my mind

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...