Jericho Whisky Sugar

Some Travels Down, More Adventures To Go

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 18:20:08 -0400

I’m five months into being location independent as part of my Move, Listen, See adventure. In early August, I returned from two months in San Miguel de Allende in the Mexican state of Guanajuato. Before that I spent time in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Raleigh, North Carolina.

When I first conjured this journey, I wanted to do something really different. Really different for me, that is. I hungered for change and was hoping that external changes would spark a transformation within me. The last three years have been a challenge and when I was making the decision to let go of my routine and familiarity in Chicago, I felt detached from my inner spark. Life goes like that sometimes – the going gets tough and you can’t expect to feel invigorated and firing on all cylinders every day. But you also can’t allow yourself to function like that for too long. It serves no one.

So, I let go and I went forth.

Did it bring about the changes I was hoping for? The short answer is yes. But I’m in the midst of it, and the story is still unfolding, not ready to be told. So Move, Listen, See continues with the next leg of travels starting in December. For now, here are some highlights from the last few months – my insurance against forgetting.

What I Did

Ann Arbor – I spent quality time with my nephew, brother, and sister-in-law. I took care of nephew Jameson for a weekend while Ty and Leah were out of town. Despite my fears about the energy needed to keep up with an 18-month-old, I absolutely loved that I got to do this.

I hiked at the Nichols Arboretum, visited Google Ann Arbor (the perks of having A-player bro and sis-in-law), attended a lecture on self awareness by the noted psychology professor David Dunning, and read House Rules, the brilliant memoir by my friend Rachel Sontag (who would later join me in San Miguel). I had some good eats too – Frita Batidos was especially memorable.

Raleigh/Durham – When my good friend Andre invited me to attend SwitchPoint with his exciting startup Onboard Health, it didn’t take me even a minute to say yes. I’ve known Andre professionally for years – since we were two young bloggers writing about our ideas and ambitions for the future. Over time, we’ve become good friends and I’m always lifted up by his energy and inspired by his thinking and generosity. While catching up with him at any time is fantastic, this felt like an especially great time to sync up – as I was expanding my client base and he’s getting Onboard Health off the ground. The Research Triangle area has also intrigued me for many years. Working in global health, I noticed that many prominent global health organizations had offices or were headquartered in or around Raleigh-Durham. Every so often, I’d also come across articles about the high quality of life enjoyed by residents in the area and abundant jobs. My curiosity was there, so I was keen to check it out.

I stayed at a great Airbnb right near downtown Raleigh, but spent a few afternoons and evenings in nearby Chapel Hill and Durham. I hired a bike and enjoyed the incredible Greenway Trail System. When I wasn’t biking, I did a couple of hikes at the nearby state parks, including an 8-miler that turned into 12 miles after a few wrong turns at Umstead State Park. I checked out the vibrant HQ Raleigh coworking space with Andre and his team member Ryan. We lunched at the indulgent Rye Bar and Southern Kitchen (hello fried green tomato sandwich!). After a few day of passing the the Videri Chocolate Factory in the downtown area, I gave up resisting the smell of melted chocolate and took a tour of the small factory while enjoying some of the samples. I tried to bookmark some of this stuff on Yelp.

There was something really great about this part of the country. Despite knowing few people in the area, and it feeling very Southern in certain ways (A LOT of things are closed on Sundays – different for those of us more familiar with the Yankee ways), I felt comfortable very quickly. Three weeks seemed too short a stay, so I’m pretty sure I’ll be back.

18 Critical Resources if You’re Considering the Digital Nomad Lifestyle

Tue, 04 Apr 2017 17:37:02 -0400

I spent months seriously deliberating whether I wanted to be a digital nomad (still really don’t like that term… but what else to call it?!) and whether this work/lifestyle approach made the most sense for me now.

Even before I seriously considered it, I’d read about people who were traveling while working and creating a life amidst a constantly changing backdrop. For a long time, it seemed so exotic and out-of-reach. But after leaving my full-time job and watching my freelance work pick up, I started to think, maybe I could actually do this. The bridge from “maybe I can do this” to “I’m going to do this” involved a lot of reading, hours of research, perhaps too much time daydreaming, and importantly, conversations with people who were actually doing it and inspiring friends.

My journey is yet to start, but while it is still fresh, I wanted to share the articles and resources that helped me answer critical questions and formulate a plan:

How I Make Money While Traveling the World Full-Time: Behind the Scenes with a Location Independent Writer
5 challenges of a location independent lifestyle (and how to overcome them)
Nomadic Matt (a wealth of lots of great information - I really can’t pick just one section or post)
The Digital Nomad’s Guide To Working From Anywhere On Earth (Fast Company feature says the “work-anywhere, travel-the-world fringe lifestyle is going mainstream”)
Find a Nomad (helps you connect with digital nomad friends, I haven’t tried this yet, but was happy to know tools like this exist)
A Little Choice… or a Big One? Reflections Making Choices & Seven Years of Travel
Susan Shain’s digital nomad resources page
The Earth Awaits (this helped me figure out where I should go first – thank you, Susan!)
A Little Advice… Embrace Purging & Right-Size your Belongings
Digital nomad financial case studies from The Professional Hobo
The Remote podcast (I’ve discovered some interesting nomads through this podcast)
How I Became The Professional Hobo (Part I: The Dream, The Decision)
How I Became the Professional Hobo (Part II: The Logistics)
Chris the Freelancer’s YouTube channel
Nomad List (handy tool for figuring out cost of living and details like safety etc.)
Solo Travel: The Best Cities for Digital Nomads
Her Packing List (thank you Aliza S., this site is SO HELPFUL)
Nomad Wallet’s travel resources page

Move, Listen, See

Tue, 21 Mar 2017 17:05:08 -0400

Elizabeth Gilbert’s post-divorce tale is well documented in her best selling book, Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia.

I never actually read Eat, Pray. Love. I caught part of the movie one night on TV (and I agree with the critics – yawn). The story is so celebrated though, I’m pretty sure I get the gist.

It has been almost three years since I got divorced. It’s still sort of an open wound. While I initiated the separation, I continue to grapple with the weight of such loss, and I don’t think I’ve figured out how to fully forgive myself. I find that I’m also quite restless and very much still searching and becoming.

I stayed in Chicago after my marriage ended. I made new friends, pursued my own interests, dated and wandered into intimacy before I was ready for it. There have been great moments, but it has not been an easy time overall.

The opportunity for change has presented itself, and I’ve decided to claim it.

A New Path

Let’s start with the professional.

Through luck, hard work, and good relationships, I’ve been able to get a small freelance writing and content strategy business going. I’m enjoying the projects and love the variety – I’ve gotten to work with people doing interesting things in tech, media and even yoga. I feel creatively inspired and find it rewarding to help people by bringing their ideas into the world.

This kind of work also enables a lot of freedom to do and be as I please. It’s exhilarating and at the same time challenging. I’m a person who definitely enjoys a certain amount of structure, but I’m not always so good at creating it on my own. This will need to be an area of development – one that I pursue with eyes wide open.

But back to Eat, Pray, Love. That was good (and lucrative) for Gilbert. My story is yet to be written, but my intention is to Move, Listen, See. Here’s what I mean:

Move – this refers to having the flexibility to fit as much movement into my life as possible through exercise, walking, hiking, biking. It’s also about being in different places.

Listen – by moving around, I think it will be easier to listen to myself and maybe to confront myself. I also want to listen to others and absorb wisdom when I encounter it.

See – I want to take in new places, people, and philosophies. I deeply believe we learn the most when we step outside of the familiar.

I’ll work as I travel, and live as I embrace new surroundings. It’s in part fulfilling a fantasy I was almost too afraid to dream about. It’s also part surrender, letting go of the what ifs and shoulds. Empowering and humbling and scary.

In many ways, it feels strange to be here at 33 when so many people in my life are getting more settled and tied to commitments – having more children, buying and selling homes etc. At times, I feel left behind. There’s something very comforting about reaching the big milestones in life at the same time as most of your peer group. I did that until I didn’t, and now the alternative can feel bewildering.

I listen to friends’ thoughts on parenting. I read their blogs. I wonder about the challenges and questions that nurturing a young person brings. I contemplate how I’d react and who I’d be as a parent.

I like the idea – of both marriage and kids. Well, probably just one kid, and no white picket fences, thank you – replace that with floor-to-ceiling windows and a view :) But “settling down” doesn’t seem within reach right now, and I’m not going to force it or fake it.

On good days, I feel okay about letting things unfold in their own time. I’m taking my talents and opportunities and stepping into uncertainty, excited and nervous to be on my way. Luckily, there are so many other wonderful people who’ve experimented with similar lifestyles. I intend to keep learning from their journeys as I embark on my own.

Stay tuned.

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Photo via Flickr.

2016 Wrap-Up

Mon, 26 Dec 2016 21:17:55 -0500

It’s hard to neatly sum up what this year has been like for me. The pop culture zeitgeist is that 2016 has been a disappointing, sucky stretch of time on the calendar – look no further than John Oliver’s “F—- 2016.″

I get it and I relate – 2016 has had some significant lows (especially the second half of the year). But I kept learning and found fun and meaning along the way. Here are the insights, highlights and challenges that were 2016:

Great endeavors

“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”

I really enjoyed getting involved with ADL last year through the Glass Leadership Institute. It provided a solid introduction to the organization’s work, which resonates with me at a time when hate speech is rampant (and Jewish journalists are among those targeted). This summer, I was invited to be a co-chair of the 2015-2016 Glass Leadership Institute and joined ADL’s board in Chicago. I’ve appreciated the opportunity to get more involved. I feel pleased to have found a very meaningful and worthy outlet for political action and love the friends and connections I’ve made through ADL.

Earlier this year, I also teamed up with my friend, the tech journalist, Simon Owens on AudioTeller, a weekly podcast recommendation newsletter. It has been a good way to channel my love of podcasts into something tangible (and searchable!). I love a good side project, and it has been rewarding to put my media consumption towards something that others might find useful.

This year, I also had the opportunity to speak to students at Elon University in North Carolina. Elon puts a strong emphasis on bringing real-world professionals to campus to interact with students so that they can learn about different career paths and possibilities. I first connected with Kristen – who works at the school’s Student Professional Development Center – through The Huddle for Global Change, the online learning program I ran last year. I delightedly accepted when Kristen invited me to campus in February and enjoyed sharing information with students and imparting lessons learned from my career so far. I wrote more about this on LinkedIn.

Getting personal

“Whatever happens to you belongs to you. Make it yours. Feed it to yourself even if it feels impossible to swallow. Let it nurture you, because it will.” – Cheryl Strayed

I’ve had my writing published for more than 10 years now. But I’ve never written and then published anything deeply personal – until this year. Getting divorced has been a very complicated and messy emotional bridge to cross, and one of my main reasons for sharing the piece publicly was because I felt proud of having found a way to put something so difficult into words.

I was touched by friends and strangers who reached out after they read what I wrote. I got some criticism too. I expected it, but it still stung. Overall though, this was a growing experience as a writer and a therapeutic endeavor.

On the move

Work took me to a few different cities in 2016: San Diego in March, which I gladly extended for a few days to enjoy the great weather and visit my dear friend Eve and her family; Nashville – my first visit; as well as New Orleans, Atlanta, Houston and Indianapolis.

There was non-work related travel too, which included a fun girls’ weekend in Holland and a handful of other Michigan visits to see my brother, sister-in-law and cute little nephew! In May, my dad traveled to the U.S. and it was really great to be together once again for our birthdays, which are two days apart. We’ve been together for the last three birthdays now after not celebrating together for many years before that.

Every year, I aspire to stamp my passport at least once. I planned to do that with a trip to Hong Kong in November, but decided to cancel the ticket just a few weeks before I was supposed to depart. A lot was going on and the thought of being so many time zones away was anxiety-inducing instead of being exciting and fun. I was disappointed it turned out this way, especially because I was looking forward to visiting friends from South Africa who live there now. But I guess if a canceled international trip is a major upset of the year, then I’m doing pretty well all told!

I get by with a little help from my friends

When I look back on the year, the most positive aspect is the many good experiences I had with friends. For a long time, as an immigrant, I mourned the loss of being surrounded by friends I have a long history with. Because I haven’t lived here all my life, I find that most of the people I’m surrounded with at any given time know me from certain phases – high school, college, early work days etc. The lack of history tends to lend itself to only a certain kind of friendship – one that is not as deep as I’d prefer.

But my view of the friends in my life shifted this year. It became evident to me that I have great friends who really know me and have seen some of my evolution as a person. Attending my 10-year college reunion was a seminal moment – enjoying the milestone with incredible friends from college days, reconnecting with others I had not seen in years, reminding me of who I was as college kid, while showing me how far I’ve come.

Throughout the year, I had so many fun experiences with friends in Chicago. While I’m not too sure how long I want to remain in this city, I continue to love the abundance of things to do, see and experience here. It’s a great backdrop for deepening relationships.

The unexpected

The second half of 2016 brought a lot of negative events into my orbit. I saw terrible things happen to friends, and lost a friend in a drunk driving accident. My work life took a lot of challenging twists and turns, and in the midst of it all, my purse was stolen, adding a layer of inconvenience. The outcome of the U.S. presidential election surprised me and brings with it uncertainty on a global scale.

There were many times this year when I felt forced to confront that so much is beyond our control. That life is unpredictable and things often don’t turn out as we expect. But it works both ways. Things can turn out worse than anticipated, but they can also be better than expected – there’s wisdom to be gained either way.

——-

With each passing year, I feel like I get a better sense for my place in the universe. It’s always humbling, sometimes exhilarating, and sometimes frustrating. But I really do like the voyage, and even if it takes me longer than I’d sometime prefer or isn’t exactly my chosen route, it’s impossible to forget how good it is to be sailing.

Bring on 2017.

Yom Kippur 2016: A Reflection

Wed, 12 Oct 2016 12:35:50 -0400

I wouldn’t say I look forward to Yom Kippur. No one does, right? But as a person who values my Jewish identity, I anticipate its significance in modern-day Judaism and in my life. I like the tradition of reflecting and of considering one’s shortcomings and then taking the step to apologize to the people you may have hurt or wronged. I like being reminded of my place in the universe.

Yom Kippur snuck up on me this year. Life always seems frenzied and rushed, but particularly so for me over the last 2-3 months. I wasn’t anticipating it as I have in years past. And as I am thrust into this day, I’ve found it a struggle to identify what to focus on, and what to repent for.

It’s not that I’m perfect and have no vices. I have deep flaws – like most people. There are things I don’t understand about myself and my behavior (and I believe this is the source of what ends up hurting others and myself). But I’m already spending a lot of my time and energy dealing with those questions.

I find myself thinking about the times I’ve wronged people over the past year. I love Marjorie Ingall’s thoughts on the importance of asking others for forgiveness and the issue with self-forgiveness. It’s a lot more contemporary than the traditional language of sin.

Here is what I have arrived at: I want forgiveness for not putting my best foot forward with friends, family and colleagues. However, I am probably not aware of the people who most deserve my apology and request for forgiveness.

Let me explain. Taking responsibility for my own actions is a value I hold highly. I try hard to see when I’ve done wrong and to acknowledge it. I like to think that I apologize as soon as I recognize I’ve messed up, but my self-awareness isn’t perfect. So today, I find myself thinking about the times when I might not have recognized my role in causing someone pain. I find myself reflecting on the times I might have been unaware of the hardship I have caused people.

When I haven’t been as present as I could have been, when I haven’t listened as well as I should have. There were times when I put my own interest above the interests of others and wasn’t transparent about that. Sometimes I feel like I’m way too focused on myself, and sometimes I feel like I’m not selfish often enough.

It’s customary to wish one to have a “meaningful” fast. Trying to identify my blind spots and how I can do better is where I am finding meaning today.

A Weekend in Holland

Sun, 21 Aug 2016 15:20:43 -0400

That’d be the Dutch settlement in Michigan! No passport stamps this time.

Two of my favorite girl friends and I left Chicago one Friday afternoon in August and made the reasonably easy three-hour-or-so drive to Holland. We checked into the boutique City Flats hotel and immediately hit New Holland Brewing, which was a very quick walk down the road from our hotel.

Friday night proved to be the buzzy night on the town with the bars and restaurants along 8th street were going pretty strong around midnight. Saturday night was a different story. By the time we finished dinner at Butch’s (mediocre service and overall not a very memorable meal) around 10pm, Holland’s main drag was a virtual ghost town!

That’s okay because Saturday was very full and a lot of fun. We:

Brunched at the wholesome, hearty Grow
Wondered around downtown Saugatuk and checked out the local stores
Enjoyed some sun at Oval beach
Took in a cocktail at Coral Gables on the patio overlooking the water
Felt the wind in our hair on the very thrilling and entertaining Saugatuk Dune Rides (think like a mild-mannered sand roller coaster surrounded by gorgeous scenery)

We started Sunday off with brunch at one of the only places open in Holland – Windmill Restaurant (yes, the Dutch theme is strong). Windmill offers all the standard diner fare along with fried –yes, fried! – cinnamon rolls. We passed on those, but I did sample the pancakes (thumbs up, of course).

Image: Joy of Music statue in downtown Holland.

Next, we took a walk around Holland State Park, which offered some gorgeous lush green spots.

Snapped this before I headed out the door today. It’s the...

Wed, 17 Aug 2016 17:43:29 -0400

Snapped this before I headed out the door today. It’s the morning after I received my “get” (Jewish divorce).

I went to complete the “get” more than a year-and-a-half after I was divorced in an Illinois court. The proceedings brought to the surface many emotions - mostly sadness. In some ways, the experience is still so raw.

I’m pleased with the truth of this photo - slanted angles, reflection, gazing at myself, gray, black, white, light.

Zippin’ Through Nashville

Tue, 02 Aug 2016 22:51:05 -0400

I spent Sunday in Nashville ahead of a conference for work. Since this was my first time in the city, I flew in early to get a taste of Music City, USA.

I checked into the Omni (location was A+) and meandered through the downtown area to the Cumberland River Pedestrian Bridge. I somehow managed to avoid temptations at GooGoo and Savannah’s Candy Kitchen. Crazy, I know… especially because the homemade fudge at Savannah’s was really, really calling my name.

The Cumberland bridge offered some nice views of the city (above). I walked around downtown and was looking for a salad or something fresh and wholesome for lunch. I made my way to Fresh to Order and then walked to Centennial Park, a gorgeous, large green area with a lake right near the Vanderbilt University campus. Centennial Park is home of the Parthenon, a full-scale recreation of the building from ancient Greece. Grand and majestic, I was really pleased I hadn’t set an overly ambitious itinerary for my free afternoon and enjoyed the reflection time while taking in the architecture and nature.

That evening I joined colleagues for a quality dinner at Merchants restaurant – just a short walk from the Omni. The following night, I had a business dinner at The Southern, another excellent dining experience.

I liked my small taste of Nashville. I didn’t realize quite how vibrant the downtown area was – apparently at all hours and on all days! It’s very walkable and easy to manage with plenty to do. I’m really not a big country music fan, so I didn’t feel like the city spoke to me as much as some other places have, but for a weekend away, I certainly won’t say no to Nashville!

Some things I didn’t get a chance to check out this time, but definitely want to see in the future:

The Grand Ole Opry; Belmont Mansion; Musicians Hall of Fame; Bell Mead Plantation; The Johnny Cash Museum; Radnor Lake State Park

A Case of the Dabbles

Thu, 07 Jul 2016 12:24:46 -0400

I love side projects. If something captures my interest, I like to jump in and dabble – get some first had experience. There are a few things I’m thinking about dabbling in next (stay tuned), but for now, I wanted to recap two side gigs from the last year.

Your Uber driver is arriving now

Yes folks, I was an Uber driver for most of 2015. I did this in a very part-time capacity back when I left my job in May 2015 to focus on my business full time (a few months later I decided to change directions – a post for another time). Uber seemed like a good safety net. If I was ever in a bind for cash, I could simply spend more time driving. Plus, I really liked how the hours were completely flexible. The other big positive with Uber was that it wouldn’t take a lot of my mental energy – great because I wanted to conserve all of that for my business.

Initially, I drove for 2-3 hours each morning. Surge pricing wasn’t uncommon at that time and I thought it would be a good way to get going for the day.

Wrong, I was. Driving people during rush hour is a terrible idea! I’d feed off their nervous energy, get stressed in traffic and then, I’d need to decompress before getting back to my own work. Eventually I switched to evening and weekend driving. I did about 10-12 hours per week.

This was a relatively easy way to make some extra cash. But boy, do I feel lucky that my education affords me plenty of options when it comes to choosing my work. Driving for more than four or five hours per day felt stifling to me and the sedentary nature of it bothered me too.

I enjoyed chatting with other Uber drivers when I was a passenger in their cars. I loved the moment when I revealed that I was a driver too. We’d share tips and gripes. In my experience, most of the drivers were part-time or doing it as a short term thing. I liked (and still like) to hear why they were doing ride-sharing as a way to make money. There was also a story there.

Actually, those tales could make for an interesting blog à la Humans of New York…

Testing out the online gig economy

I first used Fiverr as a cheap way to get some interviews transcribed. I had a pretty good experience as a buyer and found myself browsing the site late one evening, fascinated in the kinds of tasks offered for five bucks (this was back when the site pretty much only offered gigs for $5).

My creative juices started flowing (it doesn’t take much), and I wondered what kind of service I might offer for $5.

My gig was born! For $5, buyers could purchase editing services for email pitches of 250 words or less. Pitching a journalist? Sending an important introduction email? I was your gal!

So I published the gig and pretty much promptly forgot about it. Then… about two or three months later, someone actually placed an order! When I got the message in my inbox, I was floored and excited! What a fun way to make five bucks.

Once I completed that first order and got a good review, more orders started coming in (it was more like a slight, but steady stream rather than a gushing rapid). One or two very happy customers even offered me additional consulting work. This is probably the easiest way I’ve ever found freelance clients.

When I told friends and colleagues about my Fiverr gig, a lot of them questioned my rational for offering my work for such a low price. How could it possible be worth your time? Two responses: First, I was very careful in structuring my gig to say that I’d edit emails of 250 words or less. So I wasn’t coming up with anything original and wasn’t dealing with long copy. Second, this wasn’t primarily a money-making endeavor. I was mostly having fun with the novelty of the site. I didn’t have an end goal and I don’t think all our efforts have to have a destination to be fruitful along the way.

Nowadays the site let’s you charge custom amounts. So after a few months of pausing my gig (I had too much other stuff going on to deliver projects within the three-day window required by Fiverr), I reactivated it for $25/pitch. Ch-ch-ch-check it out:

Hello World!

Sun, 03 Jul 2016 17:09:20 -0400

I have decided to revive this blog. Yay. I haven’t had a focus on here before now (duh!). It has been a mash-up of articles, quotes and photos that caught my eye. In 2013 and 2015, I wrote year-end round ups. I suppose those are sort of the precursor for what comes next.

Going forward, I want to use this as a place to document aspects of my life. To bear witness to how I spend my time. This is mainly an exercise for me. But if you happen to find my scribbles fun to read or even useful – great!

On a practical level, I hope to use it as a place to recall trip details that I’m absolutely awful at remembering. I take some excellent trips and almost as soon as they’re done, I forget the names of places I stayed, where I ate, sites I saw, cool things I did etc. I want to remember and share when friends ask. So here they will go in my little piece of cyberspace.

In a more philosophical sense, I think blogging can be a powerful way to track ones own development. To hold oneself accountable by looking back and by articulating goals. These are good things, things I strive for, so here we go…

2015 in Seven Noteworthy Moments

Tue, 08 Dec 2015 18:49:50 -0500

The moments that made my year…

1. A new address (again)

This March, for the third time in three years (sheesh!) I moved apartments. It was the first time since 2005 that I moved into a place on my own - without a roommate or a significant other. Finding a suitable place on my own was difficult, but I got lucky and moved into a one-bedroom apartment that is peaceful, quiet and provides everything I need. Thanks to cousin Tiffany, my place even has a fitting nickname – the tree house.

2. Arrival of the nephlet

I was very excited and surprised when I first learned that my brother and sister-in-law were expecting a baby, their first child. But honestly, a range of other thoughts also crossed my mind. As the oldest child who reached the typical life milestones first, it never occurred to me that my younger brother would become a parent before I did. This was an unfamiliar reality for me.

Despite the mix of emotions, nothing could prepare me for how much happiness Ty and Leah’s baby Jameson would bring. I’ve loved following his development over the last few months. Perhaps almost as much as that, I’ve been so impressed and humbled observing Ty and Leah tackle parenthood together.

3. Expanding my Chicago networks

This year, I made it a goal to increase my personal and professional contacts in Chicago, and I am pleased to be making progress on those fronts. Recently, I was invited to be on the first young professional board of Project C.U.R.E, an exceptionally effective organization that helps deliver donated medical supplies and equipment to the developing world. I was also accepted to be a part of the 2015-2016 Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Glass Leadership Institute. Both of these commitments are meaningful to me in different ways and have been a great way to meet more interesting, smart Chicagoans.

4. Two successful Huddles

My business Pangea hosted two virtual conference this year – in May and October. The Huddle for Global Change brought more than 100 participants together to explore topics related to international development and foreign policy for the purposes of professional development. I was able to build an incredible coalition of partners to help with this effort, including Young Professionals in Foreign Policy, the United Nations Association, WhyDev, theSedge.org, Two Dollar Challenge and many more.

My biggest coup was securing amazing speakers who took the time to prepare thought-provoking presentations and share their insights and knowledge. You can check them out here and here.

I’m proud of what I’ve built with the Huddle and think there’s a lot more value to add. I have two great programs in the works for next year, so stay tuned.

5. A big loss

Until this year, I’d been lucky to not have experienced the death of someone very close to me. That changed when we lost my grandpa Aubrey in July. He was one of the central male figures in my life, and it was very tough to say goodbye.

There were many qualities I loved and appreciated about my grandpa. I’ll always fondly remember the way he’d say outlandish things to get a reaction out of people and add fun to any conversation. I miss how he listened and always gave good advice, and I think I will forever marvel at how he never said too much, but always seemed to say the right amount.

6. Tremendous travels

I had some excellent vacations this year. In May, we celebrated my dad’s 60th birthday (and my 32nd birthday!) in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico – perhaps one of the greatest escapes from the everyday “grind” ever.

I finally got out to San Diego to visit Eve, John and baby Nathan in their gorgeous home and spent a quick, fun two days in L.A. on my way there. I also managed to reconnect with an old friend from South Africa while I was on the west coast – an enjoyable reunion after at least 15 years!

As I write this, I am preparing for my longest trip of the year – Israel. And I am so looking forward to it.

7. Visitors from afar

One of the things that is always top of my priority list is staying connected with the people I enjoy most in this world. And when they visit, it makes it that much easier! It was a treat to have Lexi and Ben come from Washington and become my first official overnight guests in my new place (thank you Ben for supplying the appropriate English tea). My cousin Tiffany, her husband Dan and their sweet daughter Milla also visited Chicago this summer, which provided an opportunity for an always overdue catch up.

Well, there you have it – 2015 in a nutshell! At least most of it. So for now, I’m off to soak up the rest.

Are Hiccups a Symptom of Ebola?

Tue, 23 Sep 2014 12:17:40 -0400

Apparently yes. From a very interesting interview with Dr. Daniel Bausch:

Is it true that the current outbreak was identified as Ebola because patients were hiccuping, and that’s a symptom? That’s what was reported in a story in Vanity Fair.

Hiccups have been associated with Ebola, but they were really something you saw in terminal cases, at least from my experience. I don’t know how many cases of Ebola I’ve seen, maybe hundreds, 300, 400, something like that. But I had never seen hiccups early on, and I write some textbook chapters about this, and I always write that hiccups are a late sign.

Then people told me, “Oh, we’re seeing this in people,” and I just thought they were wrong. But when I went to West Africa the last couple of times, I saw some people early on who had hiccups. Next time I write that chapter, I’m going to have to change it. So I think it’s real.

Summer 2014: Approaching Life Deliberately

Mon, 01 Sep 2014 21:41:00 -0400

Sometimes I feel like the seasons have a theme. Since it’s Labor Day here in the U.S. – the unofficial end of summer and correspondingly, the start of autumn – I’m reflecting on the last few months and examining whether there was a unifying thought or idea.

For me, there definitely was: intentionality or approaching life in a deliberate way. I’ve been struck by the power decisions have to affect our happiness and sense of fulfillment.

More on that soon, but first, let’s back up.

Part of what spurred my thinking on this topic was my trip in July to Portland, Oregon, for the World Domination Summit (quite the name, isn’t it?).

Portland - green and clean everywhere you look!

Three ideas presented at the summit really stuck with me – even weeks after the event. I’ll briefly recap them, here goes:

“Be bold, be experimental and do it strategically,” @ajjacobs says of his 140 character bio. #WDS2014

— Jaclyn Schiff (@J_Schiff)
July 12, 2014

That’s from the author and self-proclaimed “human guinea pig” A.J. Jacobs who delivered a presentation reflecting on his previous projects and previewing his next one (a global family reunion). In his talk, Jacobs admitted that his assignments are often more difficult than he anticipates at the onset. But he pushes through these challenges, helped along the way by the three approaches that define him.

The next thought that resonated comes from Jadah Sellner, the owner of Simple Green Smoothies:

“I encounter every lesson in life on purpose,” - @jadahsellner #WDS2014

— Jaclyn Schiff (@J_Schiff)
July 12, 2014

Sellner delivered a passionate and deeply personal speech filled with lots of great nuggets.

A lot of time life throws us lessons we don’t want to or aren’t ready to learn, but Sellner’s philosophy is to embrace the curve balls, adapt and learn how to hit a home run.

Finally, Michael Hyatt’s speech completely blew me away. I’d heard of Hyatt before attending WDS, but I wasn’t familiar with his story or his work. Hyatt’s speech was genuine and thoughtful and also carried a gravitas that speakers with less life experience simply cannot deliver.

In his speech, he offered three guiding questions to consider when creating what he calls the “designed life,” which is a conscious, proactive state of being. The questions are:

How do I want to be remembered ?
What is important to me?
What single brave decision do I need to make today?

Despite the speakers’ different backgrounds, ages, experiences, and rhetoric, there is a common thread in their approach to success: be deliberate; make strategic decisions, don’t just let life happen to you.

Perhaps this resonates so much because I can think of numerous examples in my own life when being intentional paid off. In 2013, I set two professional goals and achieved them both. It’s possible I might have reached the goals without actually defining them, but there is something a lot more satisfying in defining an expectation and recognizing when you get there rather than an accidental achievement.

Also when I think about the things that have engaged me most in life (jobs, relationships, people), they’ve basically all been paths that I’ve chosen with a great amount of thought. I don’t think you can be passionate about something that isn’t of your own choosing.

Time to wrap up: Life doesn’t come with instructions. But we can identify systems that can be immeasurably helpful along the way. Thank you summer for showing me the value of intentionality. I will put it to good use (see what I did there?!).

That’s Piot, one of the scientists who discovered Ebola,...

Sun, 06 Jul 2014 21:36:56 -0400

That’s Piot, one of the scientists who discovered Ebola, on the current outbreak in West Africa. Perhaps there’s no simpler way to state things - not only about this Ebola outbreak, but about global health disparities in general.

Consider marrying young, watch 'Groundhog Day' (again). Charles Murray's tips for a happy life

Wed, 25 Jun 2014 15:26:00 -0400

Consider marrying young, watch 'Groundhog Day' (again). Charles Murray's tips for a happy life:

This column, originally published in March, has been on my mind for the last few days. So I pulled it up and gave it another read.

Murray says getting married in your 20s is like being involved with a startup, while getting married in your 30s is more like a merger. I really liked this analogy because it recognizes that the circumstances are quite different and come with unique challenges. It doesn’t say one is preferential to the other. How can anyone really tell you what age you should get married at anyways?

I appreciate the analogy because if I think about my marriage as a startup, I focus more on the risk and optimism it took to take the step rather than on the failed outcome. This is probably indicative of some personal (and cultural) romanticism of entrepreneurship. Perhaps it’s also a sign that I there’s room for a little more personal forgiveness about the fact that my marriage did not work out.

My boss saw this in a magazine. I just had to turn it into a...

Tue, 04 Feb 2014 12:16:40 -0500

My boss saw this in a magazine. I just had to turn it into a Facebook image for the ASTMH page.

The Indiana Jones of coffee returns to the Travel Channel

Fri, 24 Jan 2014 10:47:00 -0500

The Indiana Jones of coffee returns to the Travel Channel:

Five questions for Todd Carmichael, globe-trotting Seattle coffee CEO turned reality TV star.

This guy was fun to interview.

13 Unforgettable Moments from 2013

Thu, 26 Dec 2013 12:56:00 -0500

Some years feel kind of significant, while others don’t seem earth-shattering on the whole. For me, 2013 was one for the books. If this year had a theme, it was: change, adaptation and growth. So here are my highlights, in some cases, with accompanying Instagram photos:

1 - Turned 30. And it wasn’t so bad! In fact, 30 was my favorite birthday in recent memory. I tend to get kind of sad around my birthday because it reminds me that time is marching on. But turning 30 was different. I felt content with where I’ve been, happy with the path I’m on and excited for whatever comes next.

2 - Celebrated my brother’s engagement. I was so excited to hear that my younger brother, Tyrone, got engaged to his love, Leah. Watching them teaches me so much about partnership.

3 - Became an American citizen. I am beyond grateful that my mom decided to move us here. I’ll always honor my South African roots, but I am proud to officially be an American too. (Photo of decorations and covered brownies my coworkers made to mark the occasion).

4 - Traveled to Zambia with the International Reporting Project. This trip was great on so many levels. I spent 10 days asking questions, probing ideas, learning and writing. I think that’s all I really need to be in my “happy place.” As a South African, it was very interesting to visit another southern African country and observe the differences and similarities. I met incredible people on this trip who further confirmed my theory that “journalist” isn’t only or necessarily a job title, but more of a worldview. Oh, and I got to see the majestic Victoria Falls!

5 - Named a Top 99 Foreign Policy Leader Under 33. A huge honor!

6 - Visited South Haven, Michigan. My husband planned an anniversary getaway to this gorgeous little city (pop. 4,403) in August. Nothing says rest and recharge like lake breezes, excellent food and berry-picking.

7 - Visited Las Vegas. This was a fun one to cross off the bucket list. Menachem and I planned a long weekend in Vegas between our birthdays - a joint 30th celebration. Between the glitz, the kitsch and the razzmatazz, Vegas definitely did not disappoint. But like any good time in Sin City, those details will remain untold. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

8 - Became interested in Tony Robbins. Okay, so for those of you who are not into “motivational speakers,” this might rub you the wrong way. I didn’t really get it either until I happened to hear an interview with Robbins on one of my favorite podcasts. His ideas really spoke to me. I started listening to his CDs (yes, CDs, apparently the Robbins empire hasn’t gone completely digital yet), and find them useful and inspirational.

9 - Started a new job. January 2nd was my first official day in the office at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. I’ve really enjoyed meeting and interacting with the physician-scientists at the forefront of global infectious disease treatment and prevention. The Society publishes a journal and I find it fascinating to learn about the world of scientific publishing.

10 - Took time in San Francisco. Shortly after my brother’s engagement, I visited them for a few days in wonderful San Francisco - definitely one of the most fun places to walk! Highlights included spending a day in Wine Country, visiting Google’s San Francisco office and of course spending time with my bro and friends who live in the area.

11 - Watched South Africa and the world mourn the loss of Nelson Mandela. As Mandela slowly slipped away this year, I found myself thinking so much about the qualities that made him a leader in a million, and the reasons why some people maybe shouldn’t be too quick to call him “Madiba.”

12 - Spoke to interesting people for Pangea. I did a few more interviews for my podcast this year, testing different aspects of my process and learning from people I wanted to know more about. The website also underwent a facelift in the last few weeks, and I am looking forward to doing even more with this in 2014.

13 - Moved to Chicago. On the first of the year, I took a one-way flight from Regan National to O'Hare. Yes, I was “returning” to Chicago after a decade in Washington. While life here had traces of familiarity, I was very different from when I lived here last, and so was everything else. The challenge of this move took me somewhat by surprise, but every so often this place kind of does feel like home.

South African restaurant chain Nandos always produces powerful...

Fri, 06 Dec 2013 11:01:00 -0500

South African restaurant chain Nandos always produces powerful ads. The occassion of Mandela’s passing is no exception. From their website.

SMOG DAY. Alarmingly high smog readings closed the airport and...

Mon, 21 Oct 2013 12:41:00 -0400

SMOG DAY. Alarmingly high smog readings closed the airport and schools in Harbin, a Chinese city of about 11 million people.