Westley kicked off the new year finally undergoing his urology procedure that had to be repeatedly rescheduled over the past two years. His first encounter with general anesthesia went smoothly, and I took advantage of his recovery to complete the RG gundam kit that we started over the holidays. I also spent time upgrading our home network gear and hunting for Pixel 8 cases and wireless chargers from Temu, having frantically replaced my dead phone days before our Mexico trip. My old lab mate JB was visiting from Korea earlier this month, so we shared spicy hot pot that lasted us through mid-week. We were glad to have cleared the fridge by the time we were ready to embark on our lab retreat in SF last weekend. We drove down Saturday morning with my niece to queue up for Golden Gate Bakery egg tarts and Hon’s Wun-Tun House dumplings before meeting with lab folks at the Exploratorium. The psychedelic glow cinema mesmerized us, while social experiments like Team Snake taught us to work together. We were most excited for the cow eye dissection, even though they forgot about the retina (!). After gathering kalbi, bulgogi, kimchi, seaweed, and banchan from a nearby H-mart, we settled into our oceanside Airbnb. A few last-minute cancellations and initial lack of heat kept the house feeling empty and cold, but we quickly warmed up with our DIY kimbap dinner, indoor hoops, and a heated game of Pandemic. We started Sunday with high-quality dim sum at Koi Palace, then headed back to the Embarcadero to board our ferry to Alcatraz. Here, we learned about the island’s history as a fort then prison, the local flora and fauna, and life of inmates and guards. The engrossing audio tour detailed the different cell blocks, escape attempts, and kitchen violence with the “pop slap” sound of knife stabs. We stopped for hearty clam chowder at the Fog Harbor Fish House at Pier 39 and pineapple buns from Pineapple King on the way back to the house for an instant ramen cookoff and game of Wingspan. We awoke Monday morning to more kimbap to clear out the leftovers before checkout. The charging station had technical issues that kept me from joining my family shopping in Japantown, but gave me enough juice to make it back with our niece with time to spare for video games and a make-up piano lesson. With Melody out of town and an atmospheric river trapping us home this weekend, we spent a lazy weekend editing travel photos, cooking stews and soups, playing Zelda, and making another gundam. With lots of upcoming travel next month, it was nice getting some father-son time at home.

We decided last minute to take a family vacation in Playa del Carmen after Christmas. Being neither big eaters nor alcohol drinkers, we are not the type to benefit from all-inclusive resorts. But with unlimited entry to a host of theme parks – Xcaret, Xel-Ha, Xplor, and Xenses – we were ready to try out the “all-fun inclusive” Hotel Xcaret Mexico. We spent a quiet Christmas at home packing waterproof band-aids, reef-safe sunscreen, water shoes, and extra swim gear. Our red-eye to Cancun was uneventful and check-in was a breeze despite an attempt to lure us into a timeshare presentation for a $170 coupon. After sampling pancita and quesadillas at the Mercado de la Merced lunch buffet, we tried out the water slides and climbing wall selfies in the kids pool, which left Westley passed out through our meaty Brazilian BBQ dinner at Las Cuevas. We began Wednesday at Xel-Ha with fish therapy, dolphin and stingray encounters, and snorkeling in different inlets while Westley discovered pina colada, then returned to our hotel for excellent grilled octopus and ribeye at Cantina Los Faroles. We skipped the lines at Mercado next morning for breakfast at Xin Gao, then boarded a traijnera flat-bottomed boat past the Hotel Mexico Arte to Xcaret park. Floating down the underground river here reminded me of my college trip two decades ago, and both Melody and Westley felt accomplished completing the course. After our snorkeling got cut short by Melody’s mask malfunction, we lunched at La Caleta’s buffet, which we walked off at the turtle exhibit, aquarium, aviary, mariposario, and Mayan village. We rested our feet at the Xcaret Mexico Spectacular which featured Mayan assketball and fire hockey, lofty birdmen dance and battle reenactments, and regional musical performances complete with live horses, doves, and macaws, followed by poolside steak and seafood at La Trajinera. We returned to Xin Gao for more miso soup, matcha pancakes, and salmon yakitori for breakfast on Friday, then headed to Xplor for an exhilarating ATV drive, 7-zipline course, and another underground swim past stalagtites and stalagmites. Lunch at Chibali introduced us to donut-topped milkshakes and an impressive candy bar from which we stocked up on treats for an afternoon of 8-ball and TOTK. After an underwhelming beachside dinner at Las Playa, I soaked in our hot tub while Melody dried our swim gear with a hair dryer before bed. We tried Xenses on Saturday, where we relied on sounds, smells, and touch to traverse different terrains in the dark, then kept our balance ascending a gravity-defying “uphill” street. We took turns at a waterslide and zipline that Westley either wouldn’t or couldn’t do, then floated down underground rivers of saltwater and sludge which left us cold and muddy. We were nevertheless impressed by the details, including a lemonade faucet from a lemon tree and optical illusions that made good use of their “xelfie” photo system. We returned to Xcaret for birria, pozole, and churros at La Cocina, then back to the Mayan Village for a ceramics workshop and souvenir purchases before returning to the Cantina for family-style roast piglet. We spent Sunday back at Xel-Ha to tube down the lazy river, watch manatee get fed, and snorkel some more. The Mexican buffet was better than the international fare from our previous visit, and dinner at Xin Gao reminded us to avoid Asian cuisine in Mexico in the future. Westley stayed up just late enough to check out the festive but deafening NYE countdown while Melody slept through the party. We enjoyed our last morning at the Mercado buffet, then split up for souvenir and photo purchases before flying home on New Years Day. Our resort experience had me feeling indulged, pampered, and constantly overstuffed, reminiscent of HBO’s White Lotus. I was nevertheless fascinated by the impressive organization, attention to detail, and focus on Mexican culture that make this region a tourist hotspot.

With holiday season around the corner, we took advantage of my parents’ visit to join in on the parties and celebrations. My lab organized a hot pot potluck complete with retina-decorated macarons, followed by a Westley-led origami session. We managed to finish the copious leftovers before Thanksgiving dinner, which we kept simple to prepare for my family reunion on Black Friday. After months of coordination, I managed to gather aunts, uncles, and cousins from SF, Portland, and San Jose for a day of dim sum, family photos, Super Smash Bros, and seafood banquet. The second wave of leftovers fed us for another week, leaving little opportunity to cook or to go out to celebrate my dad’s 80th. I did manage to get a cake with numeric candles that Westley suggested keeping for his 08th birthday. We continued gorging ourselves at the Alta holiday party at Mulvaney’s B&L – with a short presentation by the owner himself, dim sum with Melody’s OR staff, and the Eye Center holiday party, which felt less crowded and less festive than previous years. Melody and I also tried out the omakase menu at Chef Frank, which was less impressive in presentation, quality, and price than the one at Okesutora. At home, we spent more time exploring the depths of Hyrule and collecting poes. I checked out the Fall of the House of Usher and season 1 of Last of Us. Mike Flanagan’s new horror miniseries on Netflix smartly reflected the gothic works of Edgar Allan Poe, while HBO’s video game adaptation captured the deep, emotional tone of the Naughty Dog classic. Before my parents departed, we took them shopping in Roseville, ordered our cloud sofa, then visited Old Sac for the Theatre of Lights show with the Dea’s. The Asian dinner option was closed, leaving us settling for pizza which was better than expected. With cold winter rains settling in, we look forward to staying inside with just the three of us.

This year’s AAO in San Francisco promised less travel time, but ultimately unfolded into a longer trip overall. I spent last Friday morning reorienting my parents after more than a year since their last visit, which helped me avoid Bay Area rush hour to park my car. I uploaded my talk before joining fellows for lunch at Super Duper but was so wiped out by Sub-day that I skipped all the receptions for yummy Chong Qing Xiao Mian and Netflix to cap off the night. Amidst a Saturday morning of meetings and consulting, I made time for JT’s chicken adobo and pork sinigang, which was a bit sour for me, but still better than pastas from the UCD and MEEI receptions. Fortunately, I was redeemed by CAOS‘ banquet-style dinner next evening at Harborview. On Monday, I checked out the Yayoi Kusama exhibit and collection at SF MOMA en route to my final session at the YO lounge. I found no luck bonsai-hunting at Katsura or Utsuwa, but at least scored hakata-style ramen and a hojicha frappe before the drive back. At home, I found time to repair my car dent and replace my bike tire in preparation for the Pioneer Fall Festival. Volunteering for Ms. Chang’s milk bottle toss after my recent COVID booster made me sore in both thighs and shoulder. Fortunately, Westley was unfazed by my exhaustion, and managed to reprise his ninja character for Halloween, reach level 6 at Swim America, and rock his first piano recital playing Brahm’s lullaby. With work travel winding down, we hope to get more time to rejuvenate this month.

October has been another busy month of work travel. I was able to power through a new R01 submission, even while traveling to the Gene Therapy for Ophthalmic Disorders summit in Boston. The short trip gave me a chance to revisit old stomping grounds like Hong Kong Eatery in Chinatown, which had changed to a takeout format due to the pandemic. After my gene therapy workshop, I dined with my classmate Leo and his family at Pagu’s, where the walk from my guest house took me down memory lane (i.e. Mass Ave) through Back Bay, MIT, and Central Square. After stopping for ramen in Coolidge Corner next day, I took a familiar stroll past Trader Joe’s and Stop & Shop to check on our Brookline condo on the way to Logan Airport to scope out the fancy new Sapphire Lounge before my flight home. Between clinic, grand rounds, and MD-PhD and fellowship interviews, I had little time to enjoy my Yolo Bypass bat tour with Westley before heading next to NYC, where I spent more time with grant reviews than my parents, but at least shared some dim sum and lobster noodles at their favorite spots. I spent two lonely nights in Newark for an ad board, then returned to the city for the Retina Society meeting. After my talk on myopic monkeys, Ala and Raj joined me for a stroll past Times Square for Kochi’s Korean-themed tasting menu, which felt less satisfying than the South Indian fare at Semma next evening, where the gunpowder dosa (yum!), goat biryani, and venison shank were far more deserving of their Michelin star. The lavish event at the Temple of Dendur brought back memories of my childhood visits to the Met and reminded me how lucky I was growing up in the city. Back home, I avoided retinopathy from the solar eclipse, and accompanied Westley to our annual Grandpa’s Barn visit and Neighbors’ Night Out before returning to the East Coast for the PED2 Study Section. Despite being mostly stuck at the hotel, I managed short excursions with colleagues for Jinya’s tonkotsu ramen, Da Hong Pao’s dim sum, Tortino’s linguine, and Le Diplomate’s escargot and onion soup. The whirlwind month of travel had me seeking reprieve at home with my family to adventure in Hyrule.

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.

My trip to ASRS in Seattle this year was short but action packed. I headed straight from my red-eye to beat the breakfast line at Bacco Cafe, meet with industry folks, stop for Pike Place Chowder, and join an IDMC work lunch, before registering for the conference, presenting my case, and dining seaside at Aqua by El Gaucho. Traveling light with no luggage, I squeezed in 9 meetings after my presentation on CRISPR’d monkeys on Sunday, then sampled spicy shabu shabu solo at Qiao Lin Hotpot before my flight home. Last weekend, we visited High Hand Nursery, where we failed to get a maple tree, but scored some gelato for Westley and fabric and gourd art for Melody. We passed Roseville on the way back to shop for a rug and couch for our second-floor landing. Sadly, the buffet at Mefhil no longer served goat curry, and neither the chicken n’ waffles at Sarom’s, or pizza n’ pasta from Mamma were worth writing home about. Westley upgraded to a 20″ Trek bike from Facebook marketplace, and advanced his board game skills to include chess and Killer Bunnies. He also overcame his movie fears to enjoy Arrietty, Pom Poko, and the Super Mario Bros. movie, while Melody and I wrapped up the final seasons of His Dark Materials and Picard, which nostalgically reunited the TNG cast for a final mission. On weekends, we caught up with my old classmate Allen’s family over burgers, then shared leftovers and a movie with Liam’s family as we counted down the last days of summer before second grade begins.

July marks the arrival of new students and trainees. This year, I took on a new role as Associate Director of Davis-based Medical Student Research, for which I will help UCD med students in Sac find labs in Davis. This meant summer BBQs and pool parties with new MD-PhD and ARC-MD students, and reconnecting with the vision science folks at Ed & Marie’s vineyard in Winters. Even Westley joined in the fun in his swimsuit and got to compete in cornhole. In lab, I took on a pair of high school students from the Young Scholars Program, which along with my niece brought some youthful energy. At home, we kicked off the month celebrating Westley’s friend Shaan’s birthday at the Rocknasium, shared snacks and a chaotic game of Uno with the Dea’s at the July 4th fireworks at Community Park, then hosted our retina year-end gathering to celebrate the incoming and graduating fellows over burgers, wings, and kulfi popsicles to beat the heat. We sent Westley to UCD Youth Camps to buff his athletic and swimming skills, despite having to pack lunch and snacks every day. He tried to show us his bowling skills at Memorial Union afterwards, but we forgot to bring socks and broke out our cue sticks for some 8-ball instead. Despite record temperatures, we kept up pruning our Japanese maples and propagating the kurapia, although my 8-year-old ficus bonsai did not survive the heat wave. We shared our loss with Melody’s family at her Aunt Audrey’s memorial this weekend, which gave us a chance to visit her parents and old stomping ground. At work, we successfully dosed our first human patient at UCD with ocular gene therapy last week, which hopefully will pave the way to our eye center becoming a center of excellence for regenerative therapy.

My first invitation to present at the SOE meeting took me back to Prague. Despite being nearly a decade since my last visit, my memories of the streets and people of this romantic city still seemed fresh on my mind. After blasting through morning clinic, a burger, lobster roll, and Frankfurter (my new term for running through Frankfurt airport), I settled into the hotel next to the conference center. I missed dinner plans with colleagues, and instead headed to Kantyna for delicious cafeteria-style meats, including a juicy slice of beef tongue. On Friday, I registered and uploaded my presentation, then headed to the Klementinum for a nerdy tour of the astronomical tower and Baroque library. I explored Old Town Square, passing the astronomical clock and a tower of books at the Prague Library, then made my way to Nase Maso for their dry-aged cheeseburger and beef tartare. Our afternoon discussion panel went smoothly, and we dined afterwards on excellent linguine and octopus at Brick’s with a sunset riverside view of the Charles Bridge. Saturday morning included an early visit to the Zizkov Farmer’s Market. The stands were still being set up, so I worked on a grant proposal while enjoying a fluffy croissant from La Caveau and foamy latte from MamaCoffee. From the market, I walked to Palace Lucerna to check out David Černý’s statue of St. Wenceslas riding an inverted horse, as well as his nearby kinetic sculpture of Franz Kafka’s Head. I tried out some chlebíčky from Lahůdky Zlatý kříž, then returned to the hotel to rest my feet before heading back out to Vysehrad. The historic fort included a beautiful cemetery that is home to Dvorak and Smetana’s graves, as well as the Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul where a wedding was just finishing. I dined on Ferdinanda’s goulash and fries which had enough calories to put me to sleep all night. I flew back next morning via Frankfurt and Dulles binging on Season 6 of Black Mirror, arriving home to spend the last minutes of Father’s Day with Westley. Lucky I have an extra day off on Juneteeth to recover at home.