Today is our daughter Elle’s twenty-second birthday. We had a wonderful, pre-birthday Italian-themed dinner about a week ago in Malmö, so today, Charlotte and I will celebrate Elle via a video call this afternoon, Bangkok time (Our timezone is six hours ahead of Sweden).

Nothing I’ve done in my life comes even close to the significance and emotional engagement as being an integral part of Elle’s life. Obviously not as much today as our daughter is an independent young woman with a mature perspective on how to solve whatever challenge comes her way. Sidenote: I was nowhere near as sensible or level-headed as Elle is when I was 22 back in 1984, which I’m sure most of my friends from that decade can agree with and attest to.

Today, Charlotte and I have more of an advisory role in Elle’s life. But above all, we have a great time whenever we’re together with scores of wonderful memories from all our adventures in Asia, America, Africa, and around Europe.