The coronavirus crisis forced many people to drop pretense and futile attempts at perfection and simply act like real, flawed, often-awkward human beings.

ThinkingLeslie FarnsworthJune 9, 2020culture, business, management, employees, leadership, coronavirus diariesComment

Second Languages in a Time of Face Masks

I have only a few days or even weeks before I’ll need to communicate a bit more in a French-speaking world. And I’ll have to do through voice-muffling masks.

Month-in-Review Highlights: May 2020

The year has made staying positive increasingly difficult. Hang in there, my friends.

JournalLeslie FarnsworthJune 4, 2020postmortem, goals Comments

What’s Observing Leslie?

This quick primer can give you the broad strokes on what to expect from Observing Leslie—but only reading the site on a regular basis will fill in the color.

JournalLeslie FarnsworthMay 15, 2020writingComment

How I Chose My E-Reader

In which I go on a highly picky journey to find an e-reader and assess the Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo options.

JournalLeslie FarnsworthMay 12, 2020reading, literature Comments

Month-in-Review Highlights: April 2020

Coronavirus April managed to make up for March’s benevolence by throwing many activities related to goal achievement into the penalty zone.

JournalLeslie FarnsworthMay 6, 2020friendship, business, networking, postmortem, goalsComment

The Coronavirus Diaries: The Beginning of the End

Eight weeks ago, I started the coronavirus diaries to document the happenings, thoughts, and impressions I had during the pandemic. This marks the final consecutive-week entry.

The Coronavirus Diaries: Possibly the Penultimate

This is the seventh and possibly penultimate entry in a diary I’ve posted weekly to document the happenings, thoughts, and impressions I’ve had during the coronavirus pandemic.

JournalLeslie FarnsworthApril 26, 2020culture, politics, business, writing, coronavirus diaries Comments

The Coronavirus Diaries: All of Us Were Mistaken

When all this started, I’d predicted we’d be mostly back to normal by now. Others predicted it’d take a couple of weeks longer. All of us were mistaken.

JournalLeslie FarnsworthApril 19, 2020culture, politics, writing, business, coronavirus diaries Comments

How to Spend Two Days in Ghent

In the late middle ages and early Renaissance, Ghent was one of the main centers of wealth, culture, politics, commerce, and all things intellectual.

WanderingLeslie FarnsworthApril 15, 2020culture, travel Comments

The Coronavirus Diaries: Each Week, Something New

I almost called this entry “The Light at the End of the Tunnel,” but that just seems to ask for trouble.

JournalLeslie FarnsworthApril 12, 2020culture, business, politics, coronavirus diaries Comments

Month-in-Review Highlights: March 2020

Given the utterly unique and bizarre nature of March 2020, my monthly goals-review session surprised me.

JournalLeslie FarnsworthApril 8, 2020goals, postmortemComment

The Coronavirus Diaries: Far from Finished

This entry wraps the first month in a diary I’ve posted weekly to document happenings, thoughts, and impressions during the coronavirus crisis.

JournalLeslie FarnsworthApril 5, 2020culture, business, politics, coronavirus diaries Comments

Books I've Read: Q1 2020

Need book recommendations? Here’s a list of books I chewed through in the first quarter of 2020. Favorites bolded!

JournalLeslie FarnsworthApril 1, 2020books, reading, literatureComment

The Coronavirus Diaries: The Stress Corrodes

This is the third entry in a diary I’ve posted weekly to document happenings, thoughts, and impressions during the coronavirus crisis.

JournalLeslie FarnsworthMarch 29, 2020culture, business, politics, coronavirus diaries Comments

Crisis Resources for Business Leaders

I’ve compiled a list of links and resources that I hope can help anyone in a leadership role in business better navigate these challenging times.

ThinkingLeslie FarnsworthMarch 24, 2020business, leadership, employeesComment

The Coronavirus Diaries: Battening Down the Hatches

This is my second week of a diary to document happenings, thoughts, and impressions of the coronavirus, or COVID-19 crisis, in real time. Everything has happened so fast.

JournalLeslie FarnsworthMarch 22, 2020culture, business, politics, coronavirus diariesComment

A Grown-Up Gap Year

Riana and Colin are taking a gap year in Prague from their home base in Vancouver. Though gap years aren’t unusual, their timeline is a bit later than typical.

WanderingLeslie FarnsworthMarch 18, 2020travel, expat Comments