Tales from Sabbatical 2026

As expected, I haven’t exactly “won” with blog posting. Time change, poor internet, and the sheer enormity of experiences, thoughts, aromas, tastes, sounds, etc., has led to repetition of the phrase “There is just really no way to describe this.” Four days in Thailand, followed by 8 in Cambodia, back in Thailand via Chiang Mai, and now in Laos. Each location has been unlike the next. Of course, this is part of the wild ride of discovery. Bangkok, the most developed of ou

28 January, 2026. Siem Reap, Cambodia. 92 degrees. The chanting starts at 5am.  In the distance, you hear it.  Quiet.  Humble.  Beautiful.  Water runs in the cistern outside of our windows, and birds sing through the night.  Our hotel is a mile from the city, and while that may be close, it is a world away from the upscale resorts in town.  Ours is on BBU road, right smack dab in the middle of a market where we have yet to see a Westerner.  People crouch near their wares, f

January 15, 2026. I don't know if this is a good or sustainable idea, but a student asked for it. So, here we go. Sabbatical. No matter who claims its origin, Greek, Latin, or Hebrew, the word means "of the sabbath", or "day of rest". However, in academic terms, it is meant for time dedicated to research and renewal. As a member of the academy, it is our duty, our imperative, to walk away from our teaching, so that we may remember what it is to walk in the shoes of learn