Susan Young Photo

La Leona

2026-04-03T16:17:00.002-04:00

One of the best things we did during our Patagonia trip was a kayak and hiking excursion. Paddling in double kayaks on La Leona river outside of El Calafate was a fantastic experience, made even better by the fear of the whitecaps, the temperature of the water (cold), and the serious current. We fought the elements and made it to Cerro Los Hornos, where we got out of the boats and hiked around, seeing petrified tree trunks and dinosaur bones on the way to the top of a crazy moonscape with a breathtaking view of the river. It literally took my breath away. Our guides were terrific -- providing hot tea and cookies at the top of the hike and beer after we'd paddled back to the the pick up spot. Also, a little fold out bench that we could sit on to change out of our wetsuits. Every detail thought through.

El Chalten

2026-03-29T22:10:00.001-04:00

One of our full-day trips during our time in El Calafate was spent heading to El Chalten, the trekking capital of Argentina. This lengthy journey was where we first saw guanacos, a lean and less fury llama that is in the camel family. These creatures dotted the mostly barren landscape for much of our journey. The ranches are gigantic with not a lot to see -- an occasional entrance with a building, and every once in a while we'd see a small collection of cows or horses. There is standard issue fencing for miles and miles -- wooden stakes with four rows of regular wire followed by a top layer of barbed wire. Apparently the guanacos are very agile and they can jump the fence, but, of course, every now and then they get tangled in the wire and cannot escape. The periodic skeletons in various stages of decay were haunting, esp. those with condors -- gigantic scavenger birds -- reminding us of the natural cycle of life as they ate their lunch. (Also there were waterfalls, kitty cats, helicopters, a lovely lunch, a solar charging station, beautiful views, a cool roadside stop with delicious fried dough, etc., it was just the dead animals made a lasting impression on me.)

Perito Moreno Glacier

2026-03-27T11:25:00.002-04:00

One of the reasons we went to Patagonia NOW was that we wanted to see glaciers. Worried they'd melt over the next decade, we started planning our trip about 8 months ago. Of course we'd seen pictures and videos of these giant snow mountains but seeing them in person was something entirely different. We spent our first full day in El Calafate at Glacier National Park getting up close and personal with the Perito Moreno Glacier. The blue-ness of the glaciers was a surprise to me. It has something to do with the ice being so compact that the longer wave lengths of light -- the ones that are red and yellow -- can't get through, leaving us with blue. The "calving," -- when giant chunks of the glacier break off -- was dramatic and beautiful and sad and a tiny bit scary. It was easy to imagine the whole glacier just collapsing and causing a tidal wave, but apparently that is not (yet?) likely. A compelling storyline for an apocalyptical plot for sure, but thankfully our experience was more nature documentary than horror movie.

El Calafate

2026-03-24T22:55:00.004-04:00

Our homebase in El Calafate for three nights was a hotel at the top of a hill just outside of town. The Alto was very finicky about their coffee service -- i.e. you couldn't bring coffee back to your room -- but they had two other features that offset that deficit: a giant swimming pool and horses. So while the grown up in me was having a hard time with the caffeine situation, the kid in me was fully content.

Valparaiso, Chile

2026-03-23T22:36:00.003-04:00

It was impossible to capture in photos, but the gigantic port in Valparaiso was filled with shipping containers that looked like lego pieces from the top of the steep hill that leads down to the water. Walking down that hill we found ourselves in an outdoor museum of street art -- including painted sides of buildings, staircases, cars, fences, streets, sidewalks, etc. Also, a whole mess of wires. Everywhere. And some cool re-purposing -- shipping container sides into housing, computer monitors into artwork, bikes into sculpture. It added up to a lovely afternoon tour that made it clear why this place is designated a World Heritage Site.

Casas del Bosque

2026-03-22T22:27:00.004-04:00

I'm not a wine person. Period. It just isn't my thing. (As my friend Dan Zevin said, "it taste like wine.") But I found taking a tour of a winery and learning how the stuff is made, sipping some of it (and swirling and sniffing and all that), esp. when paired with a nosh, to be fun. Casas del Bosque is in the Casablanca Valley, about an hour outside of Santiago. The vineyard was beautiful and the scale of machinery and the cellar -- full of wooden barrels and high ceilings -- was super cool. And, of course, I really enjoyed those breadsticks.

Santiago

2026-03-22T22:11:00.004-04:00

Our big amazing wonderful trip of a lifetime to Chile and Argentina with Jack and Cindy started with two nights in Santiago. We got our bearings with the help of a local guide who walked us around the city, acquainting us with the politics, history, architecture, and nature. We climbed up the Santa Lucia Hill in the heat -- a very different scene than the 2 feet of snow we'd left (miraculously) in Boston the day before. After resting up, we launched what became a Pisco Sour Tour that lasted the full 2.5 weeks of our journey. The Republica Independient del Pisco not only had the drink of choice, they also had the perfect meal and atmosphere to welcome us to the capital city.

Salt Lake

2026-02-18T23:41:00.006-05:00

A short and sweet jaunt to Salt Lake City last month was a wonderful little get-away that included visiting Kirstin and Sean and doing a little work. The work part inspired me to muster up the courage and seek out Temple Square where I found that I could just walk right in to the Tabernacle. All lit up in colorful lights that felt more Disney than church, THIS IS THE PLACE where the famous choir does their thing. I had assumed that I'd need to show some sort of Mormon credentials to get in, but that was not the case. And while there was no church in the non-work part, there was a ton of spirit. My hosts took me to a very lovely surprise birthday party where I met a bunch of their friends, a delicious restaurant (and Sean went back to the house to get my ID because I was not allowed in the place without -- this is the place where alcohol is extremely regulated), a daytrip north to go snow shoeing, a wacky sculpture garden, and a tour of the neighborhood. Given how lovable the whole Sean/Kirstin clan is, I was not surprised to fall in love with their dog, Russell, who is the oldest and sweetest and most loving of all the dogs.

Swiss Stopover

2026-01-25T13:34:00.007-05:00

As much as I wish my (college and hometown) friend Julie lived closer than Switzerland, I can't complain about the lovely visits we get when she comes to Boston on trips to see her family in Maine. And sometimes I also manage a glimpse of one or two of her daughters and, on a good year, her sister. Earlier this month, Julie and her older daughter, Liv, stopped in for a delightful 28 hours that included our usual activities: walking, talking, cooking, eating, hanging out. Short. But sweet.

Cape Escape, Winter Version

2026-01-01T19:25:00.002-05:00

Apparently, according to the blog, it had been more than a decade since we'd gone to the Chatham Bars Inn. So it was time to revisit this old favorite in the preferred less pricey season of Winter. Mother Nature cooperated by giving us about six inches of snow after we arrived, the Impudent Oyster provided possibly the best dinner of all times on New Year's Eve, we dawned our boots and tooled around in the snow, watched Mississippi Masala (and learned that our beloved director, Mira Nair, is today celebrating the inauguration of her son as Mayor of NYC!), took a nap, and had a completely prefect day. Setting the stage for 2026, we hope.

Christmas 2025

2025-12-31T22:29:00.001-05:00

While last year the Young/Kimball/Henson crew spent Christmas in the ER in Miami, I am happy to report the setting this year was way less dramatic. We were in Richmond, Virginia, hanging out at my mom's (relatively new) apartment. The big missing piece was Xavier, who stayed in in Florida to be with his mom, uncle, and cousin folk. He was both missed and forgiven. It was great to see how well my mom, now 94, is doing after her 12/24/24 fall and then another in June. She is back on her feet and just as feisty as ever. While I'm not sure I want to live THAT long, I'm glad to know I've got some good genes.

Newport Glitz

2025-12-19T22:41:00.000-05:00

While I've ridden a bike by the Newport mansions many times, I had never been in one. And my friend Carol loves her some holiday decorations, so we scooped up another friend, Sarah, and took an overnight trip to the great state of Rhode Island. Our tour of the spectacular Breakers was full of gorgeous details, both tasteful and over-the-top. And as we were drowning in overstated opulence, we did also notice that the quality of the holiday decorations was more JoAnn Fabric than Gilded Age.

Fairy Nice

2025-12-17T23:56:00.001-05:00

Last summer I was delighted to discover a beautiful, intricate, inspiring (little) a fairy house in a tree in Somerville. A few days later I saw that my friend Ann had posted a photo of it on Instagram. Thus began our next filmmaking project, a journey that involved approaching strangers on the street and recording their reactions, a good amount of rejection, and some wonderful insights into the power of public art, tiny surprises, and unexpected collaboration. So, here, Ann and I present, Fairy Nice of You to Stop By.

Window LIght

2025-12-14T23:04:00.002-05:00

I've been so engaged with film projects that I haven't taken a lot of photos lately. Maybe it's because I'm so grateful for it, but December light seems particularly beautiful to me. And when it comes in the window by my desk in the morning, it seems like a message from the universe: Step away from your computer, use your brain in a slightly different way, it will do you good.

Show/Sale 2025

2025-12-14T22:55:00.003-05:00

The holiday show/sale open house tradition continues. Kim (Young!) and I realized we've done this in one form or another for something like 30 years -- first when I worked at the (Harvard!) Ed School, then at the Business School, and eventually here on Antrim Street. This year might have been the best ever in terms of guests, goods, snacks, and fun. We somehow managed to be more organized and less stressed. And folks showed up throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday, trickling in at an even pace that allowed for more substantial conversations and some fun introductions of friends who I really wanted to introduce to other friends. Looking around at the lovely people, my talented and amazing sister, and the man to whom I remain thrilled to be married, I had the feeling that this might indeed be the most wonderful time of the year.

Giving Thanks, Massachusetts Style

2025-11-28T22:40:00.002-05:00

Instead of going to South Carolina to give thanks by cooking and eating and beachwalking, South Carolina came to Mass. this year. As in Thomas and Ticia bought a house in Northampton and invited us over. So instead of flying south to see them, we simply drove west. They've made a very cozy home -- with wood stove, Nala (who will always get Best in Show in our contest), a wonderful back yard, a whole mess of tidy houseplants, the lovely Olivia, in sum: they brought the best of SC to Mass. (including, of course, Jimmy and Thomas's 50+ year friendship). While we always miss Jimmy's dad around this time of the year, he usually makes an appearance in one way or another. This year he flew by in the form of a beautiful bald eagle. Not once but twice. So we knew we had his blessing to spend the day and night in our adopted home state, with some lifelong friends.

FMA Mural Documentary Preview

2025-10-29T23:40:00.005-04:00

Last spring I started documenting the creation of a mural at Cambridge's Fletcher Maynard Academy, a public elementary school in my neighborhood. I mostly hung out in the 5th grade art classroom with my friend/neighbor Whitney and recorded what was going on there -- a wonderful combination of chaos and creativity. Now I'm working on a film about it and the above preview is designed to remind me not to forget about this project. That shouldn't be too hard given the unforgettableness of Isabel and Brielle (and their classmates, also coming soon).

Culture Connects Community

2025-10-25T11:08:00.004-04:00

Delighted to have created a short video for the Cambridge Community Foundation. CCF is right in my neighborhood and also up my alley. They recently announced a Culture Connects Cambridge initiative which is a $1.4 million investment in arts and culture. In the current (TERRIBLE) political climate when other folks are being forced to pull back, CCF is diving in. It was a complete pleasure to interview their president, Geeta Pradhan; work with their staff; and capture footage of the arts in Cambridge. If ever there was a project tailor made for me, this was it.

Vermont Vernacular

2025-10-20T23:30:00.004-04:00

One of the reasons to keep a blog is that it provides a place to store memories when you run out of room in your head. Jimmy and I were wondering when we first went to Grafton, Vermont, so I went to the source. Turns out it was nine years ago. Each year we seem to become more enchanted with this little village that represents quintessential historic New England with its white wooden houses, hand painted signs, cheese-making operation, color-coated maple trees (and syrup at breakfast and Sapling after dinner), running streams, etc. It is not a town that time forgot but a town that was preserved by a philanthropist who fell in love with it and created a foundation to support it. While the Mr. and I like to speculate on the dynamics between the foundation and the town (population 650), what we like even more is walking down the street and appreciating the place.

Going West

2025-10-07T13:21:00.003-04:00

The latest weekend getaway was a trip out west. As in Western Mass. Having done so three years running, Jimmy and I are eager to make annual visits to MASS MoCA. That place is huge and inspiring and oh so very cool. I suspect we could go there weekly and not get tired of it. This time we had the pleasure of stopping in Florence on the way to see Thomas, Ticia, and Olivia and their new home, and then they met us the next day to meander around the museum. On Saturday we shook it up by trying something new -- dinner at the former Holiday Inn, Hotel Downstreet. Like all of North Adams, Admit One has a mid-century modern vibe without being pretentious or phony. These places were actually built on the middle of the century. On the way back we stopped at the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls and then to Turners Falls' The Upper Bend, which it turns out is our new favorite cafe. There is something particularly great about a car trip and exploring your own state, esp. when that state happens to be Massachusetts.

Newburyport

2025-10-02T00:03:00.002-04:00

Newburyport might be my new favorite place. And I am most definitely biased by the fact that I was honored to be included in the Newburyport Documentary Film Festival (with The Permanence of Stone). The festival cast the whole town in a magical light, as did the weather, the food, the vibe, and the friendliness Jimmy and I encountered on every corner. Being part of such a high quality festival was a wonderful experience. In addition to gaining knowledge and insight by watching films and talking to film folks, I was thoroughly inspired by the talented people who are out there figuring out compelling ways to tell stories.

No Such Thing as Perfect

2025-09-23T23:15:00.003-04:00

Sometimes you meet people and get a good feeling about them. That was the case with Kirsta Sendziak. Kirsta teaches ballet. To kids. At the Dance Complex. In Central Square. So she had a lot going for her off the bat. It has been a delight to get to know her over the past year (plus) as I filmed her classes, talked to her about her work, met her for coffee, etc. Seeing how she relates to her students at the School of Classical Ballet -- be they four years old or in their forth year of high school -- confirmed my suspicions that she is a gifted teacher. Many kids fall in love with their ballet instructor. I'm pretty sure you will too.

Whirlwind

2025-09-11T12:02:00.004-04:00

I spent less than 24 hours in NYC earlier this week. Working with the amazing Tim O'Donnell on a video project for Harvard Business School's African-American Alumni Association. So far we've had a chance to talk to eight stellar HBS graduates. Each shared their perspective in a manner that was full of insight, inspiration, and enthusiasm, something that is no small feat in the current political climate. I am excited to tell their stories.

For the Birds

2025-08-01T22:14:00.005-04:00

The thing about going back to a place you love is that there is sometimes a fear that things won't be as good as they were last time. So when we returned to Cape Cod's Liberty Hill Inn for a birthday weekend get-away, I tried to temper my expectations. Maybe it won't be so perfect this year. Maybe John and Kris will not greet us as though they have all the time in the world, maybe there will not be fresh baked cooklies every afternoon, maybe the breakfast won't be as good as I remember, maybe the porch won't be as comfortable...you get the idea. Well it turns out we had the best time ever. Yes our hosts are wonderful, yes the food was amazing, yes there is a sweet little self serve bar with sherry and port, etc. And added to the good things was this: BIRDS. I'm not sure if the birds were particularly spectacular this year or if it is just representative of the fact that as we -- or at least as I -- age, our interest in birds increases. Jimmy and I spent the mornings in on the porch, drinking coffee and watching, interpreting, and narrating the activity at the feeder. Apparently John and Kris have figured out the right blend of seed. They fill the feeder every morning, and then those crazy flying, singing, nest-making creatures jockey for positions as they spend the day emptying it. And entertaining anyone who is willing to watch the show.

Spectacular Sunapee

2025-07-03T10:57:00.005-04:00

If going to a lake house on a rainy summer weekend doesn't sound like a fabulous endeavor, then you don't know Jack and Cindy. In addition to being hosts who feed you, offer up your favorite cocktail (upon arrival), provide entertainment, and don't let you lift a finger to help, they are the easiest folks to be with. The sort of people where you feel comfortable falling asleep with a book on the living room couch during a rainy afternoon. And that's what we did. And after a "gullywasher" (as Jim Henson would say) of a storm on Saturday, on Sunday morning we woke up to sunshine and the lake calling us to jump in. Of course we answered the call. While I am tired of the word "blessed," that is how I feel to have been friends with these folks for more than 15 years.