Current activities
What’s underway
From national parks at home to teaching in China, family travels in Europe, and a new chapter on Ko Phangan, Thailand.
United States
National parks & the road
Prior to 2019, I had traveled, but mainly back and forth to Utah and across the US and around the southern US. I love the national parks in Utah and Yellowstone National Park. Traveling to these places has been so much fun.
China
Teaching, heritage & return visits
In May of 2019 we began our world travels. We went to China to teach at the Guizhou University of Economics and Finance in Guiyang, Guizhou, China. The Chinese people were wonderful, kind, and friendly. And the technology that the Chinese were using was amazing — the infrastructure investment they were making in many new four-, six-, and eight-lane highways, high-speed trains, and spectacular bridges and tunnels. They were all marvelous feats of engineering.
And the rich heritage of China. We visited the Great Wall outside of Beijing, Tiananmen Square, and the Forbidden City. In Xi’an, we saw the terracotta warriors.
It was a marvelous trip. And we had the opportunity to return in May of 2024 and 2025. All of these trips were equally wonderful.
Europe
Visiting Adam & Mary
Later in 2019, Adam and Mary were in Germany, and we went to visit them. It was a wonderful trip. The cathedrals we saw in Germany and France were breathtaking. I could not believe the amount of detail in the stone carving that greets you at every entrance and throughout the buildings — such beautiful workmanship that took hundreds of years to complete. We visited many historical and interesting places. On that trip, we got to visit Luxembourg, Switzerland, Belgium, France, and Germany.
Thailand
Ko Phangan & home at Beach Nook
After China, we went to visit Hilary’s cousin Dee in Thailand. That began our love affair with Thailand and its people. Dee first lived in Koh Chang, with its rustic beauty. Then he moved to Ko Phangan, and we started visiting him there. We fell in love with the culture, heritage, and general beauty of Thailand.
Ko Phangan is a tropical island in the Gulf of Thailand. In September 2025 I retired, and we decided to move to Thailand.
We live in Chaloklum, a small quiet village on the north edge of our little island. Our little villa is called the Beach Nook and is about 50 meters from the beach, and we have a beautiful view from our front porch.