I’ve loved photography since the age of 12 when after much cajoling, my parents gave me a point and shoot camera. Throughout middle and high school, I practiced photography consistently, asking anyone and everyone to model for me. Right from the start, I adored it. As I advanced, I graduated to increasingly sophisticated cameras: a … Read more
Since his death on June 8, 2018, I’ve thought a lot about Anthony Bourdain and what he meant to me. I was 15 or 16 when I watched No Reservations for the first time. The show lit a fire in me — I used to sit in front of the TV with a legal pad, … Read more
In this post, I’m going to share my best tips for making friends in a new city. In the past ten years, I’ve moved seven times. Somehow, I’ve somehow managed to make friends wherever I’ve lived. Not only that, but it’s gotten easier each time. The truth is, I’m not the most outgoing or charming … Read more
In the past ten years, I’ve lived abroad in three countries: Argentina, France, and most, recently, Uganda. As a result, I’ve learned that moving to another country will change you, in ways big and small. From what you to eat to how you see the world… and possibly even your accent. Here’s how living abroad … Read more
Since I was a child, I’ve been entranced by two things: books and faraway places. Though I didn’t leave the country until I was 15, I explored as much as possible without going anywhere. I read stacks of books. I took my red wagon to the library. I called an empty closet my ‘travel room’, … Read more
Me at my college graduation in 2012 In my twenties, I’ve felt so much pressure (both internal and external) to find the right career. I think most of us have. Since graduating from college, I’ve worked in sales and marketing. I’ve freelanced and blogged and au paired. I’ve entertained many, many career paths, from journalism … Read more
To quote Carrie Bradshaw, I’m what you might call a bonafide city girl. From the time I left home at 18, I’ve lived in as many cities as possible: Chicago, Buenos Aires, Paris, Denver, Boulder, and Kampala, Uganda. Excitingly, I just moved to a new city — Ann Arbor, Michigan! In celebration of that, I … Read more
Five years ago, I (melodramatically) posed the question, “Is it smart to travel young?” At the time, I was 22, working in Paris as an au pair. Though I loved my life in Paris, I feared I had preemptively ruined my career by taking a gap year. I certainly hadn’t, but I understand why I … Read more
When I first moved to Uganda, I thrilled at my newfound dating options. Finally, a pool of politically savvy, well-traveled men interested in things beyond dogs, hiking, and marijuana! At first glance, dating abroad seemed eminently easier than dating back home. But after a few months of going on more Tinder dates than I care … Read more
Yeats once wrote, “It takes more courage to examine the dark corners of your own soul than it does for a soldier to fight on a battlefield.” After walking nearly 500 miles on the Camino de Santiago, I fully understand that sentiment. The Camino was an intense physical challenge; I walked for five weeks, averaging … Read more