A short partial review of some of my near family's education and travels

• I say these things *not* to boast but to avoid the idea that we are just colloquial ignoramuses, completely deceived. Or at least, we try to learn and serve.
• (We have many shortcomings of course. I could elaborate, but it is not the point here. :)
• I majored in Russian history for a little while, with a whole semester class on Stalin (but it has been a long time).
• (Privyet, but I haven't been there yet or got my xterm to show what foreign keys I am typing.)
• Most of my siblings have master's degrees, and some of our children.
• A son-in-law is working on a PhD in materials science, another is a science teacher and knows Bulgarian, and an uncle has a PhD in polymer science.
• An aunt has been a nursing instrutor at a university.
• My dad and his parents were born & raised in Mexico. As an adult, he spent 2.5 or 3 years in Argentina.
• My mom has a degree in Asian Studies & knows Mandarin, has traveled to China a couple of times (as a planning, Mandarin-speaking tourist).
• I lived in Central America for 2 years as a missionary, then majored in anthropology for a little while (before going into software).
• I made 2 brief trips to Europe for work.
• A nephew is a widely traveled chess grandmaster, and as of this writing on a 2-year Church mission in Australia. Another fine nephew serves in Washington State
• Some of his siblings are also good players, and served 2-year Church missions in Indonesia and Finland, learning those languages.
• My brothers served in Peru, Chile, Oklahoma, 2 years each, and a daughter in Florida (18 months), & others known, similarly: Ukraine, Russia, etc.
• (This volunteer service is generally at the expense of oneself or family. One does not choose the location but is assigned centrally.)
• My uncle (by marriage) was instrumental in the big "medfly" discovery and mitigations in California starting around the early 1980s.
• ...and much other of reading, degrees, travel/living outside the country, teaching, language study, among our family & people we know.
• Etc...