Half Chance

Tonight I played a couple rounds of Settlers of Catan. There is definitely a degree of skill and strategy to the game, but a large part of it comes down to chance as well. In the first round, I was well on my way to dominance through a sheep monopoly. As luck would have it, […]

Stay The Course or Abort Mission?

There were tears, whispered conversations, coin-flipping, bribery-fuelled negotiations, even a few break-ups. Nothing could spark drama among my friends and coworkers during my time in Japan like this one word: Recontracting. Once a year, in the darkest, coldest and most depressing time of year, I had to sign my name on one of two lines: “I […]

International Label Day 2015: Wanderer

“Not all those who wander are lost.” -J.R.R. Tolkein If I ever got a tattoo, it might have to be this quote. I am a wanderer. On my fourth grade report card my teacher wrote: “Janelle is smart but her mind tends to wander.” She meant it as a weakness, but for me it’s always been a […]

The Day I Left

There is a small speck of dust in the pit of my stomach when I wake up. It grows quickly as I go through the motions I planned out so carefully the day before. Get dressed, throw nightclothes into bag. The dust becomes the size of a mustard seed. Fold bedding, place neatly in the corner. Now it’s becoming […]

Six Life Stories In Six Words

From little wanderer to grand adventurer. Three divorces later, my parents smile. “Best day of my life!” -everyday You had me at Super Mario. 5 years, 2 degrees, overqualified, underpaid. Wife of grad student seeks kitten. What’s your story in six words? Share it below in the comments, or […]

War, Peace, Society, and Space Robots

In university I took a fascinating course called “War, Peace and Society.” We always used to joke that the class should just be called “War,” as we never made it through the “war” part to talk much about “peace and society.” In retrospect I realize the thing about peace is that it can’t really exist without […]

Sleeping Duck

So I just got home from work and it’s already after 11pm. We had a big reception this evening which I had to do a lot of prep and coordination for, then clean up after, so it was a VERY long day! I simply don’t have time or energy to do justice to the topic […]

Coffee, Cats and Rainbows

If we were having coffee right now, I’d smile at you from behind my lactose-free half-sweet with-whip peppermint mocha and ask you what you ordered, and would you like to split my cranberry bliss bar? If we were having coffee right now, you’d point out I got whip cream on my nose, and I’d laugh […]

“Video Games In Heaven” And Other Things I’m An Expert On

What are you an expert on? If my “Google search terms” are to be believed, I am an expert on video games in heaven. More people found my blog by asking Google “Will there be video games in Heaven?” or some variation of that than any other question. Fear not! I have the article just for you: […]

Mansion Moomin

I spend about 1/3 of my time in a mansion. Eight hours, to be precise, on your average workday. On those inevitable days when I’m feeling down or discouraged about work, I have only to remind myself: “Janelle, you have a private corner office in a 100-year-old mansion. The grass couldn’t possibly be greener anywhere else.” I […]