About
Born in Washington, DC, in 1941, David spent his earliest years in that metropolitan area, but at the age of eight, escaped, as it were, to Rio de Janeiro, his father’s first post as a Foreign Service Officer. The experience gave him a second language, a second culture, and a love of wandering. Four years in Rio were followed by two in Rangoon, where he was again allured by a world not his own and felt comfortable enough to explore. Growing up abroad (not necessarily good grades), he believes, strengthened his qualification to be accepted at St. Paul’s School, followed by Princeton University, then the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He had a forty-year career in international development finance at the Inter-American Development Bank, working with countries throughout Latin America and serving as the Bank’s Representative in Brazil, Bolivia, Nicaragua and Mexico. Twice married, the second time for keeps to Martha Luz Diaz Zelaya in 1978, he is the father of Michael by his first marriage, and Andrea, Christopher and Jonathan by his second. He retired from his job at the Bank in 2004 and returned to his residence in Bethesda, MD, where he sometimes feels a foreigner, and spends a good amount of time abroad, where he often feels at home.
Featured Work
Different Paths: Struggles on the French Camino to Santiago de Compostela
THIS IS A DIFFICULT STORY for me to tell. And the difficulty lies not so much in getting the facts straight as the feelings.
It is the story of my pilgrimage on the French route to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain in the fall of 2013 with one of my closest friends, Ricardo Blanco. Over much of the way, I struggled with my own inner turmoil over how I wanted to do that pilgrimage, and my failure to be clear with my friend (and perhaps his with me); at times I lost perspective and a sense of purpose, not to speak of humor.
So I tell the story to try to gain some clarity about the venture and about the relationship, to relive an experience that, despite the conflicts and confusion, I treasure. And I tell the story in the hopes that it will strike a note with others who have engaged in similar adventures, or intend to, and that it will provide a few hints on what to do, and what not to do, on a pilgrimage to Santiago, or anywhere, for that matter.
