The sun was setting as I arrived in Harar in eastern Ethiopia. A nine-hour drive from Addis Ababa, this ancient walled city was my first destination outside of the capital and one that I was anticipating the most. The city dates back to the 7th to 11th centuries (estimates vary) and grew to become both …
Happy New Year! I woke up this morning in a new apartment in a new city, ready for a new year. After a disappointing 2015, I am ready for a fresh start in 2016 and it really will be a new start in about every way imaginable. I am in the middle of …
Last year around this time, I had high hopes for 2015. Rather than making vague resolutions, I set specific goals. I was going to learn French. I was going to publish an e-book. I was going to pay off all my debt. I was going to reach my ideal weight. I was going to finish …
I stood as still as possible as a narrow paintbrush ran across my face, from the middle of my cheek up to the corner of my eye. Soon, my cheek was covered in red, green and yellow stripes and I closed my eyes as the young artist sprinkled gold glitter on top of it all. …
I leave for Ethiopia in just a few days and I feel completely unprepared. I booked the flights for this trip back in the spring when I stumbled upon a ridiculously low airfare on Qatar Airways to Addis Ababa (less than $700 – cheaper than flying to Europe!). But I held off on really planning …
When I was 13, my dad offered to take me on a trip over spring break. My choices were Washington, D.C. or Disneyworld, and picking D.C. was a no-brainer for me (when my brother got the same offer, he went with Disneyworld). I remember bits and pieces from that trip. We had to change hotels …
This time last year I was getting ready for a trip to Mali and Burkina Faso – two countries in West Africa that are off the radar of most tourists. But now is your chance to discover Burkina Faso for yourself! In connection with the annual Passports with Purpose fundraiser, I am partnering …
Donate to Passports with Purpose & Win a Hiking Trip in Burkina Faso! Read More »
As the alarm on my iPhone went off, I slowly turned it off and flipped on the light. The phone said 5:00 a.m., yet the alarm clock next to my bed said 6:00. Despite being 99% sure it was indeed 5:00, I turned on the TV in my hotel room only to see that the …
After discovering Open House Chicago for the first time in 2014 and going into it completely ill-prepared, I approached this year’s event with a bit more planning. One of several similar events that take place around the world, Open House Chicago is a two-day architectural extravaganza that opens up 200 buildings throughout Chicago (and Evanston!) …
I’m writing this as I sit in my hotel room in New York City, the day before the marathon. I had the best intentions to chronicle my marathon training regularly over the past 12 weeks but as you may have noticed, that just didn’t happen. Life has been crazy busy (read: work has been crazy …