As I sit here glued to CNN (really, I should wait to watch later but it’s fun to watch the percentages change bit by bit), I’ve been thinking back to how much Africans adore Obama. Because of his Kenyan father, I can’t tell you how many times (like millions), I’ve been asked in Africa, as […]
Awkward Travel Moment: Being Mistaken as a Victim of Abuse
Cultural differences… sometimes it’s as simple as wondering whether or not I should take off my shoes at the door. Other times it is taking continual shots of rice spirits at a Laotian wedding because you’re not sure if it’s rude to refuse. And then there is the time when a white girl’s sunburn highlights […]
When HIV is No Longer a Statistic
It felt slightly wrong. I mean, I knew it wasn’t really any of my business, but my curiosity somehow got the best of me. I slipped into the room next to mine at my homestay and picked up the bottle on my grandmother’s dresser. The description was in Afrikaans but I was almost positive […]
A Positive Experience in Barcelona
I was recently reminded of the five days I spent in Barcelona on my around the world trip in 2010. Whenever Barcelona is brought up in conversation, I am quick to pipe in, “Oh, I love Barcelona!” And I think many people share this same sentiment. But I have also come across several people that […]
A Little Escape to the Outer Banks
When Megan and Sarah, former colleagues from South Africa, contacted me on Wednesday to take a little vacation starting on Thursday, it all happened so fast. We wanted a fun place to meet between New York City and South Carolina and found ourselves meeting in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. They picked a house […]
A Last Minute Getaway & Stop at South of the Border
When I opened my email on Wednesday morning, there was a message from my dear friend Megan who I worked with in South Africa last year. She had taken a last minute flight from Colorado to New York City to visit our other friend Sarah, and they wanted to meet up. I was about to […]