明けましておめでとうございます！今年もよろしくお願いします。
I’ve sent these “happy new year’s” greetings over and over the past few days as I get ready to head back to Japan with a new group of St. Olaf students. This year, I’m honored to take the fourth group supported by the Luce Foundation grant that drew me, Paul Jackson and many other friends and colleagues together in an exploration of how we can connect our Asian studies and environmental studies programs at the college. As I update the syllabus, look at my Moodle page, and ponder the blog posts that will soon bring this website to life, I can’t help but remember all the wonderful adventures we’ve had in prior years, and especially the thoughtful, funny people I’ve gotten to know along the way. So happy new year to all of you reading, and best wishes as we begin 2019, whether we travel together this year, or reflect gratefully on times gone by.