Happy New Year! If you’re wondering where this blog wandered off to after November 21… fair question. The short answer is: life happened, the calendar filled up fast, and suddenly it was January. So before we go any further, let me say what needs to be said—I’m sorry for the long pause.
The quiet stretch wasn’t planned, but it also wasn’t surprising in hindsight. Thanksgiving rolled in, followed immediately by the end-of-semester rush, and then the Christmas holiday arrived right on cue. Somewhere in that blur of grading, deadlines, and family time, blogging slipped down the priority list. By the time things slowed even a little, the year was wrapping up—and I figured it made more sense to pause and come back fresh in January rather than force a half-present post in the middle of the chaos.
During that time off, I was also using my vacation days in a very un-vacation-like way—getting a new house ready. We’re still in the middle of the process, thanks to one stubborn delay: carpet for the guest bedroom, the master bedroom, and the master closet. The good news is that it’s finally scheduled to be installed on January 5, which also happens to be the day this post goes live. Once that’s done, we can start moving more furniture, and then turn our attention to getting the current house ready to sell. So yes, we’re technically still between houses, but at least the light at the end of the hallway is now carpeted.
Since my last post, I also received word that I wouldn’t be heading up a new department at my institution after all. While that kind of news can come with mixed emotions, it ultimately brought some clarity. Instead of splitting my time across competing responsibilities, I’m able to focus fully on my instructional design work—the part of my job I truly enjoy and where I can do my best work. In the end, it turned out to be a better fit for this season.
On the academic front, I wrapped up my graduate-level course in American Politics at Indiana University at the end of the fall term. I’m jumping right back in this spring with Political Philosophy, which starts in January, and I’ve also registered for my final course—Comparative Politics—scheduled for the summer. So yes, I’ll be busy again, but I’m officially on the home stretch, which feels both exciting and a little unreal.
Alongside all of that, I also taught POLS 1101 for the first time at my home institution this fall. It was a half-term course, which meant things moved fast, but it was a great experience overall. I’ll be teaching the course again in the spring, once again during the second half of the term. Getting the chance to teach the same course back-to-back has been especially helpful, since I can immediately apply what worked well and make thoughtful tweaks along the way.
Outside of teaching, I also wrapped up a contract instructional design role with the Georgia Film Academy in late fall. That project kept me busy right up until the end of the semester, and it was rewarding to see everything come together before the year closed out. Looking ahead to the spring, I’ll be shifting right into another instructional design role with the USG eCampus collaborative, working on the development of a new math course. So yes, spring is shaping up to be full—but it’s the kind of full that comes with interesting work and clear direction.
In the midst of everything else, Gracie and I have also started working on her second book. We’re still early in the process, but it feels good to be back in that creative space again. The plan is for it to be released sometime in 2026, and while there’s plenty left to do, it’s already shaping up to be a fun project to return to whenever life gives us a quiet moment. And if you missed her first book (or just want a refresher), you can find it on Amazon!
I also spent some time breathing new life into my creative shops. My Zazzle store has been revitalized, and I’ve been adding new designs there, along with fresh products on my Redbubble account. It’s been a nice balance to all the structured work—creating things just because they’re fun, useful, or make someone smile. If you’d like to take a look, you can find everything here:
At this point, I’m fairly certain I’m forgetting at least one thing—because that’s usually how it goes when you try to summarize a couple of busy months in a few paragraphs. If something important didn’t make the list, it wasn’t for lack of interest or effort. It’s just been one of those seasons where the days move fast and the to-do list never quite catches up.
As 2026 gets underway, things are still busy—but they’re busy in ways that feel focused and meaningful. Between teaching, instructional design work, coursework, and a few creative projects in progress, I’m easing into the new year with clearer priorities than I had a few months ago. I’m looking forward to being back in this space more regularly, sharing updates, ideas, and the occasional lesson learned along the way. Thanks, as always, for reading and for sticking around—even during the quiet stretches.