Travel Log: Singapore, July 2026

 

 

 

Destination: Singapore, Kuching

Date: July 13 to 24, 2026

Party: 2 (Jada)

Itinerary:

Day 1-2 - fly to Singapore via SFO, check into hotel, get groceries

Day 3 - Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Discovery Centre, Hell's Museum, National University of Singapore, Le Pau Sat w/Jada

Day 4 - Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Mount Faber, Sentosa Island, Maxwell Food Centre w/Jada

Day 5 - Little India, Singapore Flyer, Clarke Quay, Fort Canning Park, National Museum of Singapore, fly to Kuching w/Jada

Day 6 - Cat Museum, Brooke Gallery, Borneo Cultures Museum, Sarawak River Cruise

Day 7 - Jong's Crocodile Farm, Semenggoh Nature Reserve, India Street Mall, Top Spot Food Centre

Day 8 - Kubah National Park, Sarawak Cultural Village

Day 9 - Bako National Park, fly back to Singapore

Day 10 - Tiong Bahru Market, West Coast Park, Bukit Batok Nature Reserve, Windsor Nature Park, Singapore Zoo, Newton Food Centre w/Jada

Day 11-12 - Garden by the Bay, Cloud Forest, Flower Dome, ArtScience Museum, Shoppes at Marina Bay, Boat Quay / Merlion Park, Asian Civilizations Museum, National Gallery of Singapore, Jewel Rain Vortex, fly home through SFO

 

Spending:

Transportation $2,005

Accommodations $529

Food $352

Entertainment $379

Total $3,265

 

A few additional notes beyond the facts above, to provide some flavor to my trip.

16 hours is a long time to be on a plane, especially when you have a bad back. I allowed myself to nod off when I couldn't fight it, even if I was trying to trick my body into thinking this was just a really long (36-hour) day that I could fall asleep for the night at the end of it. The 22 hours in the air did allow me to make a huge dent into a very long list of movies that I consider must-see that I'd just never seen.

Singaporean drivers sit on the right side of their cars, drive on the left side of the road, and pass in front of slower drivers by moving to the right. Which took some getting used to. Which also meant that pedestrians walking towards each other tended to pass each other on the left, although not exclusively, especially in the many cases where folks had their noses in their phones and were meandering in the middle of the sidewalk, which I was a bit annoyed with. More annoying to me was the very frequent case of bikes and even e-bikes on the crowded pavements. I thought Singaporeans respected order!

Much of the core of the city is a wonderful combination of dense and lush. They have a saying here, that Singapore is a "city in nature," and they seem to have pulled off both the look of that and the sustainability initiatives required to say that with integrity. In this regard, the place gave Miami vibes a lot for me. Also very Miami-like was the extraordinary diversity and tolerance exhibited as I walked about, just a mix of ethnicities and religions peacefully coexisting, and I found that really appealing.

Hawker centres are really fun to eat your way through, especially to observe the diversity of offerings and of people enjoying the offerings.

Sentosa Island is an amazing place I could've easily spent my entire trip and all my money on.

Changi Airport in Singapore is by far the best airport I've ever been to. No matter how hard airports try, they can tend to feel the same wherever you go, and it's not a good feeling: soulless shuffling from one place to another, in-your-face consumerism, undistinguishable food offerings. Here you clearly knew it was an airport but it felt like so much more: a high-end mall, a fun place to grab a bite and watch the game, and countless things to engage the senses like gardens and play spaces. I didn't even get to visit the marquee destination, the Rain Vortex, though I saw it in passing when riding one of the shuttles. Truly an amazing place, and so on-brand for Singapore.

Kuching is full of cat statues, as it is billed as "Cat City." It is far less cosmopolitan than Singapore: no subway, can't drink the water, a sleepier vibe in the morning. A high concentration of truly wonderful tourist sites, mostly related to the lush parks and diverse wildlife available to see here. I'm glad Jada and I landed on this as our weekend jaunt during my Singapore trip.

Most food places only accept cash, as well as many of the sites I had on my list, so exchanging money was a must. It was a lot harder than I expected, given that my initial research indicated there were automated machines on the main street where I was staying. Turns out there aren't, and bank machines require a debit card which I don't have. Hotel front desk indicated there was a money changer down the street - he just pointed out the front door and said "straight," which it turns out was a 30-minute walk down the main road. Halfway through, when I learned this from asking folks along the way, I was bailed out by people saying there was a grocery store that did money exchange just across the street. Just my luck! Even better, after trading dollars for ringgits, I got my grocery run out of the way, procuring some fresh fruit and snacks.

The sunset cruise was recommended to me, and it did not disappoint. It was very comfortable to slowly meander down the Sarawak River, taking pictures of sites and enjoying a shady and breezy evening while the sun melted into the horizon. Even better, they served unlimited orange drink, which I had 5 cups of since I was a bit dehydrated from the day's events in the punishing sun. They even handed out a local favorite, layered cake, which I also scarfed up. The waterfront area was nice to walk around in before and after the boat ride, with Jada and I deciding to grab a bite and an ice cream after dark. I think how cities use their waterfront space is really important to quality of life, and I have to say Kuching had immaculate vibes.

I went to two natural parks, both after Jada returned to Singapore. Kubah I felt I had to myself, hiking an extremely strenuous trail that rewarded me with countless jaw-dropping photo opps. Bako worked out splendidly, even as I was dreading the logistics beforehand. You need to book a boat to enter the park, which I did in advance, but they told me a couple of days before that I was the only one who had bought a ticket, which would mean that they couldn't use their usual boat shuttle but would have to count it as a private charter and charge me an extra 150 ringgits in cash. Secondly, I wasn't sure how I was going to get back into town after, since ride share drivers often balk at fares involving long drives out to meet their passenger, and I was getting conflicting info on whether there was a bus I could take. All of these problems ended up not being problems! Ride share isn't that hard to hail out there. I saw the bus that takes you back into town, so that could've been an option too. But best of all, 4 other American travelers, 2 from Boston and 2 from New York, showed up that morning to join me on the boat, so I didn't have to shell out the extra 150 ringgits, AND the 5 of us had an amazing time walking the park together, AND I even got a free ride back into town from 2 of them who were nice enough to give me a lift. The park itself, by the way, was amazing, most of all the up-close encounters with wildlife, including an entire family of macaques that waltzed right through us on the path early on our hike. An incredible experience!

It was amazing to see Jada navigate a big city solo as a grown adult. She is more well-traveled than I am even though I had a 30+ year head start. Proud dad moment getting to see her on this trip.

 

Marriage Models

 

I didn't grow up in the church. So my most formative years in the faith were in college and right out of college. I am thankful for the many people God put in my life during those seasons, to love and instruct me towards a solid foundation and healthy spirituality.

One thing I remember from those years is two distinct models of marriage that were held in high regard. One archetype was what you might call the traditional gender roles, where the husband works and makes the money, and the wife stays at home and raises the kids. Couples like this, and the people who applauded them, tended to be more old-school, and emphasize the importance of the husband providing for the family and the wife nurturing the family.

The other archetype was the ministry couple, where both husband and wife served in a church or para-church setting, either as interchangeable parts (they both basically did the same things) or complementary parts (e.g. the husband was in a formal ministry role while the wife led women's Bible study or headed up mercy ministries). There was much to commend about this model, seeing that both spouses are fully committed to doing God's work and to doing it together as equals.

Amy and I are neither of these things. We both work, but not with each other. She jokes that she hasn't a clue what I do, which by the way is not a compliment that what I do is really hard but rather a dig that it's too confusing to be able to explain. And we both laugh when people find out she's in health care and ask if I am too, since we both know I don't know the first thing about anything in that space.

But this too can be a good example of a marriage model that is respectful and impactful. We may not understand each other's work, but we admire each other for doing it and appreciate both the money that comes in as a result and the effort required to make it happen. And, it can be healthy to have spaces, both personal and professional, that belong to each of us, making the activities we do do together that more cherished.

It turns out that many, perhaps most couples are like this, at least in the circles we run in. There is nothing better or worse about this form of marriage, or at least I hope not, since I'm not quite sure how things would work if all couples were either in traditional gender roles or did ministry together. I celebrate those marriages based on those models, as well as the majority that look like mine and Amy's. 

Travel Log: Connecticut, July 2026

 

 

 

Destination: Connecticut

Date: July 5 to July 10, 2026

Party: 1

Itinerary:

Day 1 - Drive to hotel in New Haven CT after Asher sleepaway camp drop-off

Day 2 - Swim at Soundview Family Y, golf at Alling Memorial, sightseeing on Yale campus (Cushing Center, Chapel Street, Haas Family Arts Library, New Haven Green, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Sterling Memorial Library, Grove Street Cemetery, Divinity Library

Day 3 - Run to Long Wharf Pier, golf at VUE CT, sightseeing on Yale campus (Peabody Museum, New Haven Museum, Yale Center for British Art, Yale University Museum of Art, Louis' Lunch, Arethusa Farm Dairy)

Day 4 - Swim at Soundview Family Y, sightseeing in Old Lyme (Duck River Cemetery, Lyme Academy of Fine Arts, Lyme Art Association, Florence Griswold Museum), sightseeing in Hartford (Connecticut State Capitol, Ancient Burial Ground, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Old State House, Mortensen Riverfront Plaza), check into hotel

Day 5 - Bike at Downtown Hartford Y, golf at Gillette Ridge, sightseeing in Hartford (Elizabeth Park Conservancy, Mark Twain House & Museum, Stowe Center for Literary Activism, Parkville Market, drive home

Spending:

Transportation $505

Accommodations $404

Food $58

Entertainment $240

Total $1,207

 

 

Travel Log: Virginia, June/July 2026

 

 

Destination: Virginia

Date: June 28 to July 2, 2026

Party: 1

Itinerary:

Day 1 - Drive to hotel in Winchester VA after Asher sleepaway camp drop-off

Day 2 - Golf at Blue Ridge Shadows, drive through Shenandoah National Park for pics/hiking, detour to Luray Caverns and Dukes of Hazzard Museum, spend night at Lewis Mountain Cabins

Day 3 - Drive through Shenandoah National Park for pics/hiking, drive to Charlottesville, visit Cater Mountain Orchards + Monticello + Highland, check into hotel in Charlottesville

Day 4 - Visit Brooks Family Y, golf at Meadowcreek, visit Kluge-Ruge Aboriginal Art Collection + IX Art Park + McGuffey Art Center + Downtown Mall + UVA 

Day 5 - Visit Brooks Family Y, visit Market at Grelen + Montpelier + Main Street Orange, visit friend in Fairfax, drive home

Spending:

Transportation $472

Accommodations $417

Food $61

Entertainment $266

Total $1,216

 

A few additional notes beyond the facts above, to provide some flavor to my trip.

* Virginia's natural beauty showed out, whether I was driving through Shenandoah National Park or playing golf or eating my way through a family farm.

* I stayed in a cabin halfway through my drive through Shenandoah, which there were plenty of others roughing it harder than me (some who were walking the whole thing and/or pitching a tent), but for this city slicker it was an adjustment to not have wifi and to worry about food storage to avoid bear attacks.

* It was interesting to visit the homes of three founding fathers (Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe), who were 3 of the 1st 5 US presidents, right around America's 250th birthday, and with our nation still grappling with the confounding paradox of our earliest leaders expounding on the primacy of freedom while enslaving other humans.

 * Temps exceeded 100 for the last 2+ days of my trip, necessitating a state of constant vigilance around shade and hydration.

 

 

Travel Log: Cabo, June 2026

 

Destination: Cabo

Date: June 14-25, 2026

Party: 2 (Lee, Asher)

Itinerary:

Day 1 - Fly to Cabo via Denver, get rental car and groceries, drive 90 minutes to Cabo Pulmo National Park, check into resort, swim in resort pool

Days 2-4 - Hiking in the mountains, walk to nearby beaches, swim in resort pool, drive 2.5 hours to Cabo San Lucas, get groceries, check into condo unit

Days 5-8 - walk to Marina, boat tour to Arch, walk to Mexican buffet, drive 40 minutes to San Jose del Cabo, get groceries, check into condo unit

Days 9-12 - drive to downtown sites, drive to beaches and Shoppes at Palmilla, rent bikes to City Market, fly home via Austin

Spending:

Transportation $1,964

Accommodations $1,475

Food $392

Entertainment $118

Total $3,949

A few additional notes beyond the facts above, to provide some flavor to our trip together.

* Travel to and from Cabo was generally without incident. We had a 5am flight out so I had to wake Asher up at 3ish but he was game. Philly to Denver and Denver to Los Cabos went fine, as did customs on the way into Mexico. On the way home, Los Cabos to Austin went fine, as did customs on the way back into the US. Alas, we incurred an additional 3 hours of layover in Austin, first because our plane had a mechanical issue so they had to find another one, and second because our pilot got stuck in traffic and was late getting to the airport. So instead of a 9pm touchdown (already late for us!) we landed well after midnight and didn't get home until 1am.

* I found driving in Mexico to be an adventure. Some stop signs did not appear to be recognized, while in other cases there was no stop sign so I'd wait for crossing traffic because I didn't think they'd stop and they'd slow down and wave us through annoyingly as if we should've already gone. The main roads to Cabo Pulmo are completely unpaved and in some places are bumpy, hilly, and/or right on a cliff, so I white-knuckled it all the way. And, I kept missing turns, partly because I'd never been and partly because Google Maps gave everything in meters.

* Soriana Hiper is like our Walmart, a go-to before each of our three destinations for groceries and prepared foods. Asher enjoyed getting baked goods as well as one mango per meal, so about 30 for the trip. Super clutch was our rental car helper's advice to get stuff in town before making the 90-minute drive out to Cabo Pulmo since there's absolutely nothing out there. Our first place had a water cooler, but our 2nd and 3rd places did not, so we went through about a liter per day per person of store-bought jugs.

* Our first place, in Cabo Pulmo, was a cute villa with its own yard and porch; alas, it didn't have wifi so it was Asher's least favorite, as he had to go to the front of the property and sit in the restaurant to play is online games. Our second place, in Cabo San Lucas, was a 2-bedroom condo in a bustling neighborhood that was about a 15-minute walk from the marina, CSL's main tourist destination. Our third place, in San Jose del Cabo, was an amazing 2-bedroom unit in a luxury property, which we lucked into because our original reservation had a glitch so we had to rebook on the fly. Asher adored that place, as did I, as it had a huge balcony with water views, high-end furnishings and decor, and an infinity pool on the rooftop lounge. Each of the places had a pool, which was a great respite from the heat and something we enjoyed almost every day to cool off and be lazy.

* In Cabo Pulmo, I went for a run as soon as we'd unpacked, and literally five seconds I got stung by a hornet on the arm. The next day, running down the same pathway, I got three stings, two in the back and one in the shoulder. Needless to say, I avoided that route for the rest of our stay and went the long way. The first sting was the worst, and for about 48 hours the whole area was red and swollen, but thankfully it went away after that. 

* In Cabo Pulmo, the beach is about 2 minutes away through the back of the property, or about a 10-minute walk outside the front of the property. Alas, Asher never wanted to hang on there because it was far too hot in the middle of the day, so we only did short jaunts first thing in the morning. We also drove a short distance to an early morning hike halfway up a mountain, before it got too steamy for Asher to want to continue. Cabo Pulmo is known for its snorkeling, but that is too involved of an activity for Asher so we passed. 

* In Cabo San Lucas, we enjoyed a boat tour to the Arch, one of CSL's signature tourist sights. It was a beautiful day to be on the water, and more than made up for the walking in circles it took for us to find the tour, given that the website was wrong about the ticket office and three separate people who I asked for help were also wrong, so we tried four different locations on the marina before finding the actual check-in. After the boat tour, Asher wanted to go to a sushi restaurant right on the water but it wasn't going to open for two hours so we waited out the heat in a Starbucks, where for the price of two drinks we were able to access wifi, an outlet, and bathrooms. Another day we walked a mile in the opposite direction of the marina to try out a Mexican buffet. On another day, we drove to a nearby country club so I could hit golf balls at the practice range while Asher had a burger and fries. 

* In Cabo San Lucas, there was a popular restaurant right outside our unit. One night it erupted in cheers when Mexico won its World Cup match. Another night there was a very loud party in the parking lot of the restaurant that started around when we went to bed and continued all the way until after we woke up the next morning. Somehow Asher slept through all of it even though his bedroom window was closest to the action.

* In San Jose del Cabo, we drove to and walked around the downtown core one day, including the main plaza and art district, and got tacos at a fun restaurant that was showing World Cup action. The next day we drove to two beaches to take pictures and then went to a high-end resort to walk around the shopping area and grab a smoothie at its cafe. The third day we rented bikes and went to a high-end shopping center to window shop and get prepared foods. 

* In San Jose del Cabo, we enjoyed the decadence of our nice unit. Asher had his own bedroom and bathroom, but he really wanted mine, which had a walk-in closet, heated toilet seat, and direct access to the balcony. I spent a lot of time on that balcony, in self-reflection and journaling and prayer, as well as looking out into the water, so I will remember that for a very long time. 

Travel Log: Poconos, June 2026

 

 

Destination: Poconos

Date: June 8-9, 2026

Party: 2 (Lee, Jim)

Itinerary:

Day 1 - Drive to Poconos, lunch, warm-up, round, dinner

Day 2 - Swim at Pocono Family Y, round, lunch, drive home

Spending:

Transportation $151

Accommodations $0 (Jim covered)

Food $0 (Jim covered)

Entertainment $220 (I covered)

Total $371

 

Chores Over the Years

 

Amy and I bought our house in March 2000, when we were in our mid-twenties. I can still remember closing on the sale, celebrating at a nearby restaurant, and then breaking out in a cold sweat realizing I was personally responsible for an entire residential structure.

I'm not handy now, and I was even less handy back then. My two responses to this - gaining a new responsibility and having no idea how to handle it - were to study up, and to put myself on a schedule. Meaning I dug into "Dummies" books and "how-to" sites online, on things you need to do as a homeowner. And then I created a calendar for when those things needed to be done. I figured that I couldn't always prevent problems, but that it was worth it for me to invest an ounce of prevention since I was sure I wasn't ready to bear the pound of cure if I didn't.

These chores have become part of the regular rhythm of a given year. I clean every window and door in the house in April and October, turn off the outside water spigot once winter hits, and install room air conditioning units prior to the first hot spell of the year (because we don't have central air). Twice a year, I go all the way up to the roof of the house to see if our water sealant is holding up and our gutters are clean. Once a year, I check every circuit breaker in our panel. And so on and so forth.

Not the sort of fun activity one imagines when the weekend beckons. But it's the responsible thing to do if you're a homeowner, so as not to neglect the very place you are living and raising a family.

Over the years, I've been able to outsource some of this to the kids. For example, in their teen years, Aaron and Jada have at times owed me money and worked off that debt by taking on various things around the house that I would've otherwise had to do myself.

Ah, but presently they are both far from home for months on end. And one day, they (and, several years later, even Asher) will be out of the nest for good. And Amy and I remain, and we're now longer in our mid-twenties. So not only do meaningful chunks of time each weekend need to go into house maintenance, but I add to that time allocation by making sure I stretch before and after, especially my creaky back if I have to do things like hold the vacuum nozzle in weird places or hoist a broom up the stairs and onto the 2nd floor porch roof. 

I am lucky to have a roof over my head, luckier still that I own it. And, the aches and pains of middle age are also something to be thankful for, that I've gotten this far in life. This old house and this old guy are indeed getting older together, and while I wish for easier weekends I am thankful for the ones I do have.