Sabbatical to Harvard University Overview

September-Dec 2022

I arrived into Logan International Airport with two suitcases, a backpack and about 80 items (including my passport) to embrace my sabbatical at Harvard University. I was going to sit in and observe a course and teach a session for their Master's of Medical Sciences in Immunology and learn how professional development is delivered to Harvard's bioscience PhDs and MSc's. I had also set up a professional development monthly workshop series with Tufts University and some work with UMass Medical.

All of these activities were made possible by me building professional relationships with colleagues at Harvard, Tufts and UMassMedical over years of conference attending and speaking.

The first few weeks I stayed at Jamaica Plain, a neighbourhood in Boston, which was right adjacent the Harvard Arboretum, a beautiful place where I thoroughly enjoyed the forest trails for my daily runs or walks. 

The second half of my semester, I moved to Boston Commons, right in the heart of the city, cobblestones and all. 

I worked with creative, intelligent, enthusiastic faculty, staff and students. I attended thought-provoking seminars all over campus. I made new friends and reconnected with old ones. I learned lots about life at Harvard and about myself through the process.  

Harvard definitely has the scholarship vibe. 

I kept notes. I will detail them in the entries to follow!

Updates for 2025

Dear Everyone,

Happy 2025!

It has been a while since I have written. Many things have happened in my life and am just now absorbing and processing. I think I will start writing again as the stories I have within me are ready to be told. 

Some stories about motherhood with older children. New stories about my career, sabbaticals to Harvard and Stanford, the launching of our book, the journey with cancer (I am ok now!), my music productions and Spotify debut, and the emotional experience of an amicable, conscious uncoupling. Co-parenting. How I learned so much about myself through it all. So many things to share - I will try to write weekly. I hope these stories help anyone who might be going through any of these, anyone who decides to lead an authentic life and walk another direction when everyone else seems to be walking elsewhere.

I might take these new stories to another website - will let you know if I do.

Thank-you for reading, thank-you for either visiting for the first time or coming back after I had taken a break. Ready for some stories? Stay tuned.

Visiting from Heaven: Butterfly

Butterfly

By Nana Lee, April 24, 2022.

When my mother was younger, I asked her if she could be another creature, what would it be.

“A butterfly.” she replied.

“A butterfly is delicate yet strong, pretty, and can fly into the sky as if it was floating without a care in the world.”

We would talk about that from time to time.

She passed away when she was 47 from colon cancer.

On the day of her funeral on Sept 26, 1997, the morning of the service had been raining, lightly.

We all drove to the cemetery and the rain magically stopped as we stepped out of our cars. The first movement I noticed was a that of a white butterfly circling her headstone. Her wish had come true. She had come to visit as a butterfly. She circled everyone’s heads before she rose up into the sky as if to say “I’ll be ok. I am flying now! Love you all.”

Ever since that day, I remember her when I see those butterflies – the wings visit me at important times in my life – when I fell in love, became a mother, lost a pregnancy, or just when I needed some extra strength to be. I knew. She will always be there. As long as I remember.

As long as the butterflies fly.

See some of you in Winnipeg in June, 2022!

 https://umanitoba.ca/health-sciences/research/canadian-student-health-research-forum#career-development-workshop

Launching "Inspired" a 30 Day Music Journey

Welcome to my series of original compositions or arrangements which were created through inspirations from you and the world. This journey takes you on multiple interludes which hope to inspire you as well. Each piece will have its story of inspiration written in the description box. Away we go! #wellness

Inspired playlist https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvJ73m7molrUBzX4i0hNgaHCmNxpyLYXA

Starting Day 1 with Hope. https://youtu.be/V7uJT3hF1_8

Reminisce

During our current times, I reminisce about in-person classrooms, lunches with friends, dinner parties, concerts, meetings with students, exploring campus full of students, hugging our grandparents, meeting our colleagues in-person at annual conferences, weddings, graduations, memorials. Missing these things make me look forward to them even more. Cheers to all the memories we hold of each other and the hope to one day make some more in 3D space! Miss you, my friends!

Reminisce

https://youtu.be/1KGC3z8riD8

Warm thoughts for this holiday season

Hello Everyone, 

Captured some nature photos this year accompanied by some rearranged holiday piano music.

Link here: Christmas 2020

Stay safe - may you share some meaningful moments with your loved ones!