Now—July 2026

My daughter’s first birthday came and went. My second father’s day has passed by. Everyone says it, but the time really goes so fast. I’ve gone from knowing how to do nothing around the house, to feeling moderately confident at DIY projects. This is mainly in the garden, where I’ve turned a lifeless heap of sand into something of a wildlife garden buzzing with butterflies, bees, and other critters. Summer evenings usually find me sitting outside and just enjoying the garden. I’m working on my Dutch integration exams. This somehow went from just an adventure to our home. And in fact, for our daughter I suspect she’ll always feel far more Dutch than either American or Ukrainian. I’ve finished the last non-dissertation course in my MA in Buddhist Studies. This deserves its own post, but these two years have changed and deepened my perspective on Buddhism at large and my own practice in ways that I hadn’t expected. One really nice thing is that teachers have been flexible in allowing…