Month: September 2022

August and September

August was the vacation month. September was the transition month, packed with school preparations for Kate and David, doctor appointments, catching up with friends in town, and some service I opted to do for my department. Above all, Chris went through a surgery (ablation) on his heart. It went well and his recovery has been smooth, but the built-up anxiety prior to the surgery and the worry from all sorts of scary thoughts were not fun. Our church congregation prayed for him several Sundays in a row, text messages came in at 6:40 am (which woke me up) on the surgery day, and homemade chicken noodle soup and a multi-course Bangladeshi meal were delivered to our house. We are fortunate to have such supportive and loving friends.

My parents were concerned on the other side of the world, counting down the days like we did. When my mom found out Chris worked quite a few hours the day after his surgery, she was not happy and insisted on sending a message to him. The message says: LIFE first, money second! I don’t know where family stands on that list.

My sabbatical became more real when I saw my colleagues hustling between classes and meetings while I, in my cozy sweatshirt with a sunflower on the back, wondered if I should start my day reading Roosevelt’s biography or reviewing my French lesson notes. With such luxury, came a deep obligation to optimize my time usage. I noticed that other than my initial desired activities (research, learning French and reading), there are a few other things that I started doing more and felt fulfilled in doing so. Cooking is one of them. Without being drained on my usual teaching days, I cooked more during the week. As I packed sour-sweet ribs, sauteed napa cabbage and rice into Kate’s thermal lunch box, I thought I have finally found my comparative advantage in motherhood.

Back on my progress report:

Research: not much is done, except that I seek feedback on my paper on childcare choice from a colleague, made some editorial changes accordingly, and sent it off to a journal.

French: I made a decent amount of progress by studying lessons 3-10 of Season 3 Coffee Break French. I managed to hang out with the French club members individually on different occasions, but the group has not assembled these two months. As we all have now transitioned into the fall routine, I am hoping to get all the ladies together soon.

Reading: I finished 3 books: The Four Loves, The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, and Brick by Brick. The Roosevelt’s biography is absolutely a masterpiece. It has politics, it has history, it is based on a legendary figure, and above all, it is beautifully written. What a treat! Thanks Aisela for the recommendation and lending me the book. It was worth packing this brick-like book to Montana and back.

Montana

We have been visiting Montana every summer for the past a few years, but this time marked our most adventurous and eventful trip yet.  We made a conscious decision to do only a minimal amount of work (research/business) and planned more excursions than we ever have before. It also helped that we no longer had an infant in tow.

Cabin Living

We stayed in a cabin for 5 nights. During that time, we had no cellphone signal or WiFi, and minimal access to restaurants and shops. It is ironic how the removal of civilization greatly enhanced our experience. Instead of reaching for my phone out of boredom, I grabbed whatever reading material was in arm’s reach: “29 Hiking Trails Around Bozeman” or “The Winter Landscape of Yellowstone Park“. The former informed me Pine Creek Trail was “deceivingly flat” while I was totally out of breath when I reached the waterfall. The latter showed me the amazing way workmen remove 7 feet of snow off roofs in Yellowstone. When Netflix is not an option for after-kids-go-down entertainment, we naturally picked up the book we were reading at the time. For me it was Teddy Roosevelt’s biography and for Chris it was the James Herriot series. They happened to be so appropriate for our surroundings and fit just perfectly with the never-stopping sound of a creek.

We brought a cooler of grocery and snacks. With a fully stocked kitchen, we managed to eat well. Not once did I miss the convenience of Uber Eats. Waking up to the woods and running water outside somehow inspired Chris to put on a gourmet breakfast every day. Drop biscuits, pancakes, French toast all made from scratch, paired with bacon, scrambled eggs and fresh fruit. Maybe that is why I already want to go back.

The word “luxury” gained a new meaning for me on the morning I walked down from the deck straight to the creek and started fishing. The kids, still in their pjs, poked around in the trees and collected pine cones to decorate the bench on the water. Chris was sipping his coffee leisurely and watching (mostly guiding) me fish. The water was so clear and air so crisp. The fish were biting, and I felt nature was just a rod away.

Yellowstone Park

Kate looked doubtful as I excitedly announced: “We are in Yellowstone National Park!” She asked: “Are you sure, mom? I don’t see any swings or slides.” My answer came readily. It was on the arch at the entrance: “This is a park ‘for the benefit and enjoyment of the people’. It is for kids and adults! It has better things than swings and slides. It has wild animals and geysers!”

The last time I was here was 11 years ago. The day after our wedding, Chris and I got into a car with our parents and left for a road trip to the West. It was our so-called “family honeymoon”. We saw a grizzly bear, a black bear, bison herds, and the one-of-a-kind beauty of colorful pools and hot springs. My dad left with an album of nice pictures he took in the park. He carried it everywhere so that he could share this experience with all our relatives and his kite-flying friends back home.

Maybe it is Roosevelt’s hunting adventures in my book, or the delight from cabin living, I gained a new admiration for the landscape and wildlife on this trip. The blue sky extends with no end, and mountains give in to more mountains. Car rides are no longer boring when you start counting  horses and spotting elk. Have your eyes peeled, because you may encounter moose or antelope. When Kate shouted: “Gazelles!” We had to remind her of the continent on which we live.

Fly Fishing

The game is on the moment Chris gets his fishing license. Every summer, he counts the number of fish he catches. This year was a total success with 35. Chris is a good and devoted fisherman. His casts are beautiful and his patience is unmatched.

On most of our hikes, he brings his fishing rod and tries different holes. He says “one last cast” just like David says “one last candy”.  Never trust them. While he is fishing, the kids go on a wild raspberry hunt or share a granola bar on a rock. I find a shady spot to squat and soak in all this wildness.

I can see why fishing is addicting. It is a victorious feeling to catch a fish that is practically invisible until it decides to bite.  And no sooner do you remove the fly then the fish disappears again, becoming one with the creek.

Chris made Kate a fishing rod out of a tree branch and helped her cast to a promising spot.  A subtle shadow moved toward the fly, thought better of it, and retreated back behind a log.  I can’t imagine a better playground for kids, and adults alike.

Behind the Scene

The nature was truly beautiful, yet it was equally raw. The heat, the remoteness, the proximity of grizzlies, the dirt, the bugs of all sizes and shapes, even just the unfamiliar scenery. They all dragged me out of my comfort zone and stretched me in different ways. It was not easy at times, but I had to shake it off and keep my eye on the prize.

As I reflected on the trip, I came to this realization, whether at home or in the wild: good things take work.