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I stumbled into Geography, and it has made all the difference.

I majored in Anthropology for my Bachelor's degree back in Iowa, and never took a Geography course until I started my MA at CU in 2000. Thankfully, my courses at CU and work as a Teaching Assistant opened my eyes to the conceptual tools of Geography, while supporting my passion for field-based research. My MA (2002) and PhD (2008), both supervised by Prof Timothy Oakes, explored the landscapes and labor of tourism in rural Japan, which I have written about extensively and have taught about at the National University of Singapore since 2010. 

During my time in the Guggenheim building, I was lucky to be surrounded by supportive, fascinating, and fun fellow grad students, some of whom remain close friends. I fondly remember Friday colloquia, weekday escapes to the mountains, potluck dinners, TA support sessions, holidays together, and more. I will also be forever grateful to my Professors, who pushed me to engage with complex ideas and created an atmosphere of deep, open conversation in their classrooms. That said, one of my most profound memories was a semester spent doing GIS labs in the dark recesses of the Guggenheim basement. The experience made me appreciate my instructors who helped me survive the journey, and it reminded me why I prefer being out in the field, talking with people and walking through the Japanese countryside.

These days I share my love for Geography and the field with my own students. As the lone Geographer in the Department of Japanese Studies at NUS, I have the opportunity to teach about deeply-Geographical concepts, like in my course called "Home", and field-based research methods, like in my course about the politics of heritage tourism, which includes 10 days in Japan. (), I also continue to write about Japan and field-based research, including a book about the landscapes and labor of Japanese hospitality called "Ryokan: mobilizing hospitality in rural Japan" (2022).

I treasure my time at CU ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ and my luck at becoming an accidental Geographer.