Captain’s Log, Stardate 12/8/25–01/20, 2026
After a longer-than-intended delay in transmissions, the captain is back online. December moved fast, covered a lot of ground (literally), and reminded me just how lucky I am to have good people in so many corners of the universe.
Right before winter break, I got to explore the local version of Hawaiian food with a dear friend from Colorado. It was one of those simple, happy moments—good food, good conversation, and the feeling that even far from home, connection still finds you.
While observing the cultural traditions of SJA, I had the joy of subbing for students during a beloved community ritual: the “ramen party.” For those unfamiliar, this is a birthday celebration where students all bring ramen and enjoy it together during advisory. It turns out that a room full of teenagers, hot noodles, and laughter is a pretty excellent recipe for joy. I mostly supervised and admired their organization (and restraint—no ramen disasters were reported).
I also helped out my dear friend, the middle school music teacher, with organizing during the holiday concert rehearsal and performance. It was such a good reminder of how incredibly talented our students are and how dedicated our music teachers truly are. The performances were fantastic, and it was one of those nights where you leave feeling proud to be part of this school.
The night before heading to the U.S., I took a little solo adventure to Seoul—wandering through part of a night market district, visiting the Seoul Lantern Festival, and staying in a hostel in an older neighborhood. The lanterns, the lights, the billboards—it all felt festive and hopeful, a perfect way to kick off the holidays.
Next stop: Iowa—the Home World. Captain Kirk was not spotted during this visit, but the return was still immensely rewarding: time with my boys, reunions with great friends and allies, and a visit to a former Starfleet posting—the school where I served before accepting this Jeju assignment. I got to watch former cadets compete on the basketball court, and they did not disappoint. The boys’ game went into multiple overtimes—apparently, regulation time is merely a suggestion. On the girls’ side, one of my former students set the school record for three-pointers, which was equal parts thrilling and completely unsurprising. Pride levels were off the charts.
School life continues to be busy and rewarding. I’ve taken on a few more responsibilities as an Advisor for Pokpo House. For my American friends, think Harry Potter—students are sorted into houses, earn points, and compete throughout the year. At SJA, the six houses—Dongmoolgoon, Haebyeon, Oreum, Pokpo, and Seom—are inspired by Jeju’s local features and the characteristics that help students succeed. Pokpo House is easily identified by their red shirts, strong house pride, and enthusiastic participation. I am choosing not to overanalyze the Star Trek implications of this uniform choice. I’ll leave it at that.
Before setting course for the next mission, a brief personal log entry is required. Stardate 1/19 marked another successful annual orbit of the sun for the captain—officially logged as Year 39 due to ongoing temporal anomalies that continue to affect age calculations. I am deeply grateful for the many birthday messages and well-wishes transmitted from across the galaxy; each one was received with genuine appreciation. Special commendations go to my Jeju crew, who capitalized fully on the captain’s well-documented obliviousness to execute a flawless surprise celebration—no misdirection required. A reminder that even light-years from home, an excellent crew knows exactly how to make a moment memorable.
And now, the next adventure begins.
This weekend, I’ll be chaperoning our Model UN students in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I’m looking forward to warm weather, meaningful conversations, and spending time with these thoughtful, impressive students as they represent their countries—and themselves—so well.
All in all, the last few weeks were full of emotions, and I’m choosing to focus on the good.
End log.
Mission status: Tired, grateful, and exactly where I’m supposed to be.
Setting course: Onward.
After a longer-than-intended delay in transmissions, the captain is back online. December moved fast, covered a lot of ground (literally), and reminded me just how lucky I am to have good people in so many corners of the universe.
Right before winter break, I got to explore the local version of Hawaiian food with a dear friend from Colorado. It was one of those simple, happy moments—good food, good conversation, and the feeling that even far from home, connection still finds you.
While observing the cultural traditions of SJA, I had the joy of subbing for students during a beloved community ritual: the “ramen party.” For those unfamiliar, this is a birthday celebration where students all bring ramen and enjoy it together during advisory. It turns out that a room full of teenagers, hot noodles, and laughter is a pretty excellent recipe for joy. I mostly supervised and admired their organization (and restraint—no ramen disasters were reported).
I also helped out my dear friend, the middle school music teacher, with organizing during the holiday concert rehearsal and performance. It was such a good reminder of how incredibly talented our students are and how dedicated our music teachers truly are. The performances were fantastic, and it was one of those nights where you leave feeling proud to be part of this school.
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The night before heading to the U.S., I took a little solo adventure to Seoul—wandering through part of a night market district, visiting the Seoul Lantern Festival, and staying in a hostel in an older neighborhood. The lanterns, the lights, the billboards—it all felt festive and hopeful, a perfect way to kick off the holidays.
From there, the journey jumped star systems quickly. I spent a few days in Wyoming with family, soaking up quiet time and some truly gorgeous sunrises. Then it was on to Minneapolis, where I finally got to celebrate the holidays with my chosen family—a tradition I’ve missed for far too long. That time filled my cup in a way I didn’t even realize I needed.
Next stop: Iowa—the Home World. Captain Kirk was not spotted during this visit, but the return was still immensely rewarding: time with my boys, reunions with great friends and allies, and a visit to a former Starfleet posting—the school where I served before accepting this Jeju assignment. I got to watch former cadets compete on the basketball court, and they did not disappoint. The boys’ game went into multiple overtimes—apparently, regulation time is merely a suggestion. On the girls’ side, one of my former students set the school record for three-pointers, which was equal parts thrilling and completely unsurprising. Pride levels were off the charts.
Back on Jeju soil, I rejoined friends for another 20 km Olle hike on a beautiful Saturday. The views were stunning, the company was great, and my legs reminded me that I am not, in fact, a hologram.
School life continues to be busy and rewarding. I’ve taken on a few more responsibilities as an Advisor for Pokpo House. For my American friends, think Harry Potter—students are sorted into houses, earn points, and compete throughout the year. At SJA, the six houses—Dongmoolgoon, Haebyeon, Oreum, Pokpo, and Seom—are inspired by Jeju’s local features and the characteristics that help students succeed. Pokpo House is easily identified by their red shirts, strong house pride, and enthusiastic participation. I am choosing not to overanalyze the Star Trek implications of this uniform choice. I’ll leave it at that.
Before setting course for the next mission, a brief personal log entry is required. Stardate 1/19 marked another successful annual orbit of the sun for the captain—officially logged as Year 39 due to ongoing temporal anomalies that continue to affect age calculations. I am deeply grateful for the many birthday messages and well-wishes transmitted from across the galaxy; each one was received with genuine appreciation. Special commendations go to my Jeju crew, who capitalized fully on the captain’s well-documented obliviousness to execute a flawless surprise celebration—no misdirection required. A reminder that even light-years from home, an excellent crew knows exactly how to make a moment memorable.
And now, the next adventure begins.
This weekend, I’ll be chaperoning our Model UN students in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I’m looking forward to warm weather, meaningful conversations, and spending time with these thoughtful, impressive students as they represent their countries—and themselves—so well.
All in all, the last few weeks were full of emotions, and I’m choosing to focus on the good.
End log.
Mission status: Tired, grateful, and exactly where I’m supposed to be.
Setting course: Onward.
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