In the seventh month of 2026 I celebrated 7 years living in Cologne, Germany with my beloved partner, brought another schoolyear to an end, celebrated Gay PRIDE in Cologne and lots more!
In the seventh month of 2026 I celebrated 7 years living in Cologne, Germany with my beloved partner, brought another schoolyear to an end, celebrated Gay PRIDE in Cologne and lots more!
June to me means PRIDE and my birthday month (though Cologne celebrates PRIDE/Christopher Street Day in July), the Summer Solstice, Father’s Day, Juneteenth, Refugees’ Day, end-of-schoolyear celebrations and goodbyes.
I also like to do some midyear reflection, lots of strawberry eating, rose sniffing, cake, hopeful for sunshine and warmth as spring flowers yield summer fruits in the northern hemisphere.
In the fifth month of 2026 I celebrated my father’s 80th birthday, little nephew’s 3rd, adventures around Hawai’i Island, big personal news, travel back to Germany to be received by a Renaissance Festival and Culinary tour!
The fourth month of 2026 featured Cherry Blossoms in Cologne, Jacaranda in Kona, and blooms everywhere in-between.
The third month of 2026 for me featured collaborating on International Women’s Day, a production of “The Nutcracker” ballet, Easter and the Spring Equinox among the bright green leaves and first butterfly appearances.
This is a peek way behind-the-scenes of my daily rituals, tried-and-true personal care and cosmetic favorites which I’ve chosen to be basic, minimal, and sustainable in my current lifestyle and in relation to environmental impact.
This record provides an amusing reference for my future self and perhaps of interest to other nosy/curious creatives who like to move through the world relatively lightly and well-equipped.
February brought me a sampler of this winter’s viruses. Still did a bit of teaching and creating, Karneval celebrating and game-watching, but getting sick put a serious crimp in my style!
“The Shrew Unleashed” is a creative feminist response, in poetry and dance, to the misogynistic messages in Shakespeare’s play “The Taming of the Shrew.” It is a green show performed by five dancers and a poet in three parts: selected Shakespearean sonnets, an Audience-Participation “Spontaneous Dance Poem,” and “Wonder Woman,” a spoken-word poem. Performances for school and public audiences took place March 11-15, 2015 inside and outside the Kennedy Theatre at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Themes in the work include the power of words, empowerment, and social justice.
I love to travel, even when it is “just” a long weekend getaway or back and forth between my homes of Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i and Cologne, Germany. Having become a bit of a gearhead while ultralight long-distance backpacking on the Appalachian Trail in the early aughts, I then navigated international travel and a move clear across the globe since.
I’ve become fascinated with essential items in demanding conditions and what minimal and creative living look like on the move for me. Over time I’ve also discovered that anticipation can add to enjoyment of my adventures, so I start packing well in advance, devise lists of experiences I’d like to do (and at the end of the trip, next time), items to confirm in advance, and the like. Here you will find my current packing list in video, checklist, and sketchbook form to inspire your adventures.
Reflective writing has become an integral part of my personal creative practice and I encourage students and clients to create their own simple process of capturing ideas, insights, and information so they can live extraordinary lives.
There’s no right way to archive your creative process, just what works for you. If you’re just getting started, keep it simple and try establishing the habit of capturing your intentions and thoughts in short bursts at the start and end of class, sessions, or days.
Consider using my prompts as impulses or others that resonate with you.