(Headphones or external speakers recommended!)

Nella Fantasia
Composed by Ennio Morricone, lyrics by Chiara Ferraù
Pianist: Dwight Okamura

In my imagination I see a just world
Where all live in peace and honesty.
I dream of souls that are always free
Like clouds that soar
Full of humanity; deep in spirit.

In my imagination I see a bright world.
There even night is less dark.
I dream of souls that are always free,
Like clouds that soar, full of humanity.

In my imagination there is a warm wind
That breathes over the cities, like a friend.
I dream of souls that are always free,
Like clouds that soar
Full of humanity; deep in spirit.

Greetings, friend!

2024 was a year of many blessings for us. The short story is that we’re happy, healthy, and safe – and very grateful for that.

  • Ian (Wan Xiao-An) is now 8.5, and what a delight he is! Our house is bursting with LEGOs, science projects, board games, music, paintings, sculptures, and new pets. (Finnegan-again, third of his name, is our longest surviving fish: a minnow who was “rescued” from a pond.)

    • Wan Xiao-An (his preferred name) started at a new school, Berkwood Hedge School, and the community has welcomed us in with open arms. It’s joyful to see him so engaged, and we’re so thankful for the wonderful teachers and staff who make the school so special.

  • Jessica continues with her many projects – running a thriving coaching business, sharing the stories of multipassionate people through her podcast The Ampersand Manifesto, and singing & performing classical music and musical theatre. This year, she’s integrated Pilates and meditation into her wellness routine.

    • If you or someone you know is looking for an executive & leadership coach, reach out at j@jessicawan.com. Jessica specializes in 1:1 coaching with senior leaders across multiple industries, including the arts, tech, and startups.

    • Jessica also took on a part-time Venture Partner role at the new VC firm Raisewell Ventures, where she’ll be coaching startup founders and leaders.

    • A few times a year, she gets to coach MBAs at Haas through the Teams@Haas program, and she also serves as a coach for the Wise Women’s Council – such fulfilling work with great people!

  • John still teaches a whole lot of undergrads.

    • Berkeley’s brand new College of Computing, Data Science, and Society just granted its first degrees: over 1,700 graduates across its Computer Science, Data Science, and Statistics majors.

    • LILT continues to develop some pretty fancy AI tools for translation and multilingual content generation (and we’re hiring).

    • His beloved little sailboat Cricket carried him safely to San Francisco, Tiburon, Sausalito, and Angel Island.

  • Sesame is now 2.5 and a nice blend of youthful activity & a warm loaf of bread with fur!

Highlights of the year:

  • We went to Cazadero Performing Arts Family Camp, which filled us up with creativity, connection, and wonder. John took up the banjo, Jessica delighted in acting & improv, and Ian built magical fairy houses and carved a stone dagger. And we slept in a van (John’s lifelong aspiration). We can’t wait to go back next summer!

  • We also had the opportunity to travel to Maui, Tahoe, Disneyland (Ian & Jessica), Minnesota (Ian & John), and Toronto & NYC (Jessica solo trip).

  • We saw so many amazing shows this year, like Mummenschanz at Cal Performances and MEXODUS at Berkeley Rep.

  • Our persimmon tree was bountiful this year – the first year it’s fruited since before the pandemic!

  • Parenting has had Jess & John returning to old childhood loves: ice skating, coloring, painting, Disney soundtracks, and playing Space Quest and Kings Quest.