My grant writing was stalled several times this month by work-related travel. At the Future Vision Forum in DC, I stayed mostly at the hotel where the 2-day think tank harnessed insights from such great minds that had me experiencing major imposter syndrome. The gala in the gilded ballroom at the Cosmos Club, where I was surrounded by photographs of Nobel laureates and Pulitzer awardees, did little to quell my qualms. I ventured out only briefly for dan dan noodles from Planta Queen and kimji jigae from Anju which were both heavy, over-flavored, and disappointing. I did catch up with my old lab mate Vuk at the Graham Hotel rooftop bar, which provided reprieve before returning to a packed clinic and division meeting that wiped me out for the rest of the week. My other trip this month was the Thorny Issues meeting in Portland, where the Devers Eye Institute compiled such engaging talks that I even paid attention to the glaucoma and cornea lectures between my own presentations on monkeys, CRISPR, and teleophthalmology. A session on mindfulness helped set the tone for a meditative stroll along NW 23^rd St, where I socialized with local eye docs over pu erh at Smith Teamaker on the way to the faculty dinner of delicious peruvian fare at Adina. After the meeting, my host Aris took me on a packed half-day tour of the city with panoramic views at Pittock Mansion, a fully-bloomed Rose Garden, plump koi at the Japanese Garden, chocolate croissants from Ken’s Bakery, multi-tiered Multnomah Falls, and Columbia River views at the Vista House, before returning to his home for dinner with his wife and kids followed by nocciola gelato from Pinolo. Between the work trips, we attended a non-work OME retreat in Truckee that provided a pleasant afternoon of bocce ball, pickleball, pool basketball, and foosball, as well as a visit to the Brick Fest Live event in downtown Sac – an all-out Lego mania complete with race tracks, dioramas, glow-in-the-dark bricks, architectural builds, and photo ops with life-sized statues. Back home, we finally defeated the Elden Beast at level 200 after 271 hours of gameplay, allowing us to embark on our next adventure through Hyrule in Tears of the Kingdom. The heart containers, korok seeds, and ultrahand feature brought back memories of BOTW, and promises many more hours of family fun for this winter and holiday season.

We avoided holiday traffic by traveling to Lassen National Park a week before Labor Day. Unsure of charging station availability, we took Melody’s car to the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center early Saturday morning to see if any ranger tours were available but found no luck. So we stopped by Emerald Lake and Lake Helen before hiking to Bumpass Hell to check out the sulfurous steam vents, hydrothermal springs, and mud pots. We shared banh mi and kimbap at Kings Creek for lunch, then hiked to the Cold Boiling Lake. I fell asleep on the drive to the not-so Hot Rock, but awoke for the Devastated Area trail that illustrated the volcanic activity that resulted from the 1915 eruption. We completed the highway loop at Reflection Lake, where we followed the Lily Pond Interpretive Trail, but without the leaflet to interpret the posted landmarks. Exhausted, we retreated to our mid-century bungalow in Anderson which featured scenic views of Mt. Shasta and a bunk bed custom-built inside a bedroom closet for Westley to curl up in with his books. After enjoying a homemade Oreo cream pie from the local market and dining on Costco kalbi and mul-naengmyeon, we relaxed on the mosquito-free patio and hammock chair before calling it a night. We awoke Sunday to hike the Kings Creek Falls trail, swear in our Junior Ranger at the Loomis Museum, and scope out Manzanita Lake. We ventured into Redding for Laotian and Thai fare at Champa Garden, then checked out Matrix Cards & Games which inspired us to an afternoon of Uno, Mancala, and Azul before another Korean dinner spread. On Monday, we returned to Manzanita Lake for Westley’s first attempt at kayaking, then Redding for Smokin’ Joe’s BBQ ribs and tri-tip sandwich, and then to Turtle Bay, where Melody squeezed in a Zoom meeting while Westley and I explored the museum before checking out an interactive Cats & Dogs exhibit, the expansive playgrounds, and an aviary that featured ground-hugging and neck-biting lorikeets. We strolled across the Sundial Bridge, only to realize that we were too hot and dehydrated to complete the botanical gardens, and decided to drive home. Our Lassen trip taught us how ground squirrels differ from chipmunks, and that grasshoppers can make loud clicking sounds. It also let us relax on Labor Day, and instead do some bonsai and furniture shopping, defeat Malenia, and welcome Liam and Aiden for Westley’s first sleepover over Korean BBQ, s’mores, and backyard camping. I hope I got enough rest to prepare for student applications, grant writing, conference travel, and study section over the coming weeks.