Tag Archives: katie

No Guts, No Story

The soup came next. It contained several cloves of garlic and a few green beans, but it was mostly filled with shriveled lumps of...something.

“Are those mushrooms?” Katie asked.

“I don't think so.” The soup had a distinct odor that I couldn't quite place. I grabbed a “mushroom” with my chopsticks and put it into my mouth. It didn't have much flavor, but its chewy texture made me want to spit it out. I tried, unsuccessfully, to tear the “mushroom” with my teeth. I took a swig of beer and swallowed it whole.

“Well? What is it?”

… Read More »

One Last Stop

On the day of our departure, Katie and I took a shuttle to the airport and loaded two carts with our luggage. When I saw the immense pile, it finally sunk in that we really were moving to China. In deciding what to pack, my biggest concern was that I wouldn't find pants or shoes in my size. I ended up taking every pair I owned. We wheeled our luggage carts to the counter and checked in our five bags, each of which weighed nearly fifty pounds...… Read More »

The Next Adventure

My girlfriend Katie accepted a job in Beijing, China. We'll be moving there together this fall. I don't know any Mandarin and know very little about Chinese culture. But really, how different can Beijing be from Madison?

Time to celebrate!

Avoiding the Screaming Barfies

We left just in time, or so I thought. With bitter cold temperatures descending upon Minocqua, our group took off early in the morning for the relative warmth of Munising, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. As we drove north, the mercury rose from below zero to around ten degrees Fahrenheit. Unfortunately for us, the UP had… Read More »

Biking to Devil's Lake

My girlfriend Katie recently bought me two panier bags for my road bike. After I got a rack for the back of the bike, I was daydreaming of the faraway places I could tour. But because I had only ever ridden for short distances in the city, I still had many questions: Would my 20-year-old… Read More »