Weekly Message from HOS 2026/06/08-2026/06/12

Dear Keystonians, 

What a great week this has been on campus and in Beijing. Almost every day I have gotten to exercise outdoors in our beautiful neighborhood. Over the weekend, I went on a longer bike ride along the Chaobai River, which has beautiful dirt tracks along the riverside that make you forget you are in a huge city. On weekdays, when there is less time, I ride along the Wenyu River park and back through Luoma Lake to campus in the early mornings or late afternoons. 

We are surrounded by incredible natural beauty here in Beijing. Sometimes on those rides, I see the same types of birds as we have on campus. The magpies always catch my eye. I wonder if they are related to the birds on our campus? Or maybe they are the birds from our campus, checking in on me as I travel through the neighborhood.  

I love every season in Beijing. This season of “Grain in Ear” (mangzhong) is the final solar term before the summer solstice, and it is simply stunning. Cool mornings, blue skies, green everywhere—it’s, as someone said this week, “Beijing just showing off!”  

Even with school still in session, there is time in the morning and evening to get outside and enjoy. We all know the benefits of being outdoors for our mental state. Let’s make sure we don’t allow our commitments to force us to suffer from “nature deficit disorder”—a term from Richard Louv’s 2005 book, Last Child in the Woods. As Louv writes, “Nature is often overlooked as a healing balm for the emotional hardships in a child’s life.”  

How do you connect with nature in this precious season? Our campus provides a natural sanctuary for all of us. Whether it is time on the playground or a healthy walk after a meal, we can enjoy all seasons—especially this one.  

Louv also shares a beautiful Native American saying: “It’s better to know one mountain than to climb many.” I feel this way about biking around Beijing. Of course, I want to explore other places too. But given the opportunity, I want to know this place—this city, these river trails, these magpies—more deeply than anywhere else.  

I hope you find time this weekend, and every week, to enjoy nature, even if it rains. 

Warmly, 

Emily