Featured image: The view of Marrakech’s Medina (old city) from the roof of the riad where I stayed. Riads, many of which have been turned into hotels, are traditional Moroccan houses centered around an interior courtyard. I know you just clicked on a post tagged, “London, England,” but sorry, this is a dispatch from Morocco. I promise that I am living in London, do have classes to attend there, and don’t spend all of my time traveling. I will be…
Featured image: A rufous-tailed hummingbird I took a picture of our one free day so far. A Meditation on Panama, Life, and the Distant Future I’m writing this by the light of my headlamp in the rural mountain community of Barrigón, Panama. There was power last night—but not tonight. “No hay luz,” my new seven-year old neighbor told me when I got back from classes at the nearby El Cope National Park. Travel abroad is intended to push you out…
Featured image: The Taj Mahal Hello from Delhi, India! It’s been just over a week since I arrived in Delhi with 29 peers and 2 program coordinators, and I can’t believe how quickly the time is flying by! This is probably because of our hectic schedule, where we (my homestay roommate and I) leave the house around 8 AM, have class from 9-5:30, and return home around 7 PM each night before having to eat dinner, do homework, and…
Featured image: Cloudy Centro di Bologna, with the the historic Due Torri in the background and Piazza Maggiore in the foreground. [TW: this article makes mention of racial discrimination and sexual harassment.] I felt nervous about my arrival abroad, but “terrified” was never in my vocabulary. I had prepared mentally for changes, and I obviously knew it wouldn’t be “The Lizzie McGuire Movie.” But the culture really set in when it came to my POC identity and consent. Adjusting…
Featured image: The courtyard of Istanbul’s Süleymaniye Mosque. Istanbul is gorgeous. And fascinating. And overwhelming. My mom (who is visiting me in London) and I recently spent four days in Turkey’s cultural capital, which we soon realized was not nearly enough time. Somehow, despite wanting to visit for most of my life, it had escaped my notice that Istanbul is the fourth largest city in the world, with a population of more than 15 million—not including the millions more who…