I’m 45 and earned every gray hair I have, but that doesn’t mean “middle-aged” or “empty nester” resonates. Yes, I have a son recently launched for college (in Hawaii) and I do have the arthritis to make said son cringe when I sound like a Rice Crispy. Yes, my role and occupation are Technology Services Executive and my Executive MBA paves my post-retirement to return to teaching, but my former life as an academic and researcher gave me the credentials to write The Buddhist’s Guide to World of Warcraft.

I grew up the successfully ambitious perfectionist that only comes with the American dream a Japanese mother and a retired-military dad encouraged. Fast forward a few decades, and I’m exploring what it means to put myself first without pushing myself to continuously optimize what it means to be human.

Less ambitiously driven achievement that fuels recognition at the cost of burnout. Less using the word “should” in a world defining success as skinny, healthy, and happy. More living in the moment, even if it’s uncomfortable. More dabbling in something just to explore “could”. More laughter – even at my own expense. More connecting with others – in the moderation an introverted only child needs.

I’ve become more Buddhist as I’ve aged than earlier as an Asian Studies academic. “Unfolding” started as an anti-resolution theme for the year to see what happens when I dabble in goals without an attachment to the outcome. “Unfolding Anyway” is what happens when the micro-plans for self-discovery keep getting derailed as the universe’s way of Buddhist hazing.

But I’m not alone. My Frenchie, Curie, and my Cavelier puppy, Ada, are not only named after Fallout 4 characters (named after female scientists), but they’re also my partners in crime. Treat the pictures on this blog as amateur photography by an avid aesthetic studies nut. Photography is my way of capturing how I see the world – beauty, humor, and everything in between – because singing, pottery, and playing ukulele are less digital-friendly.