2019 Guatemala
170 photos
2019 Puerto Rico
279 photos
2019 Iceland
558 photos
Concerts and Events in New England
309 photos in 16 sub-albums
Here you will find photos from local events we have attended.
2019 Galapagos with Sisa and Mukul
603 photos
Our dear friend Mukul from India has wanted to visit our compadres in Ecuador, and, being an avid birder, has also wanted to visit the Galapagos. We decided that it would be a good opportunity to take our 10-year old goddaughter Sisa on a trip as well. We made plans so that Mukul would spend a couple of days sightseeing in Quito and Mindo, and then meet us in Morochos for a few days with the family. Then the three of us would take Sisa to the Galapagos for a few days.
2019 Morochos Ecuador with Mukul
257 photos
2018 Guatemala with Tyson
479 photos
Tyson is a dear friend from Steph's middle and high school years. He now lives in Utica, NY, and we don't get a chance to see him as often as we'd like. When he saw photos from our trip to Guatemala with our friends the Tolers, he decided that he wanted to join us on a trip as well. We were delighted. He is a newly minted international traveler, having gone to Ireland last year. This was his first foray into Latin America, and he was a joy to travel with. Here is a record of our adventures together.
2018 Mobile, AL
55 photos
It has now been over 12 years since the passing of our dear friend Frank Brown. In the intervening years, we have become close with his daughter, Karmilla Ali. She is a professional jazz singer, and we have been wanting to go to a gig and see her in her element. We have also kept in touch with Frank's sister Eloise, who is now 87 years old. We hadn't seen either of them since we went to Mobile for Frank's funeral. We decided that a visit is long overdue. When Karmilla told us that she would be singing at the Gulf City Lodge as part of the Mystic Order of the Jazz Obsessed (MOJO) Jazz Jambalaya at the end of March, we decided to seize the opportunity for a reunion.
2018 China
279 photos
Spending Chinese New Year and the Spring Festival with our dear friends in Guizhou. Happy Year of the Dog!
2018 Ecuador with Sonam
511 photos
We had booked a trip to Ecuador for two weeks in January during which I would work remotely. When we visited Bhutan to see our Bhuatense son Sonam Tshering and his family in October, his sister/cousin Kinley invited him and us to visit her in Bangkok over Sonam's winter break from college. We were unable to take her up on the generous offer due to the Ecuador trip, but we had an idea. What if Sonam visited Bangkok and then flew to Ecuador to visit us? Bhutanese do not need a visa to visit Ecuador, so it seemed like the perfect plan. We booked flights so that Sonam would arrive and depart on the same days that we would, which would consolidate airport trips for the family. We had managed to snag ourselves business class tickets on Avianca for the same amount of money that we usually pay for economy on American, so that was a bonus. The only downside is that it is a red-eye, but being in comfortable business class seats meant that we should be able to rest comfortably. Poor Sonam had much longer flights than we had, flying from Bangkok to Amsterdam to Quito, with a long layover in between. We booked a room for him at Yotel at Schiphol Airport so that he was able to get some rest during his long layover. Sisa, Yupanqui, and Shina were very happy to hear that they would be gaining an honorary big "little brother."
2017 Guatemala / Ecuador
633 photos
We make it a point to visit Guatemala when each of our compadres' daughters turn 15. The quinceañera is a coming of age ritual which in their family is celebrated with a Catholic Mass and a party for family and friends. Yoselin is the fourth of five daughters to celebrate her quinceañera. We first met her when she was only four years old! The years have passed swiftly. Humberto and Paulina have always told us to feel free to invite any of our friends and family to visit them. Up until now, our dear friend Mukul from India was the only one to take them up on the offer. This year, our friends the Tolers (Kevin and Jenn and their daughters Julia and Meghan) decided to join us for the quinceañera. It is perfect timing, since Julia herself would be turning 15 just a month later. Julia and Meghan are both studying Spanish in school, and we knew that the art of the area would inspire Kevin and Jenn. Kevin, Jenn, and the girls would stay for 10 days, and when they returned home to Boston, we would take Paulina and Eddy with us to Ecuador for a week to meet our compadres there. This was a tradition that we began last summer, when we took Aracely and Vanesa. They are indigenous Mayan, and our Ecuadorian compadres are indigenous Kichwa, so it is an amazing opportunity for cultural exchange. Guatemalans only need a passport to visit Ecuador, so it is a perfect destination for their first plane trip! After a week in Ecuador, we would return to Guatemala for 6 days before returning home. I would work remotely from both countries, taking some time off to do some sightseeing as necessary. Yoselin's party was on Saturday night, July 22. However, I had quarterly planning meetings at work the previous Tuesday and Wednesday, so we couldn't leave until Thursday. Our flight was bright and early on Thursday morning; not ideal after two long days of intense work for me, but it would get us into Guatemala City early in the afternoon.