Ah, New Year’s resolutions. It’s that time of year again, right? When I looked back at last year, I also took a look at my New Year’s resolutions post from last January. It was specific, yet vague at the same time and as I read through it, I realized I really didn’t stick with any […]
Goals for the Year Ahead Read More »
Border crossings always make me a little nervous. I was pulled aside and questioned going from Moldova to Ukraine, fought past dozens of pushy Uzbek women going from Tajikistan to Uzbekistan and was worried I wouldn’t even make it from Georgia into Azerbaijan. While nothing truly horrible has ever happened, I still wake up with
Crossing the Border from Mali to Burkina Faso Read More »
With one day left to go in 2014, I have been relishing the chance to slow down and reflect. The last few months have been a whirlwind of activity and I really haven’t had a chance to just stop and think. At all. Last January I wrote about 2014 being a year of yes and
2014: My Year in Review Read More »
It was late afternoon by the time our pirogue pulled up on the banks of the village of Kalabougou. Located on the left side of the Niger River, it was less than an hour’s ride from Segou, a town about four hours north of Bamako. The visit was timed perfectly – it was a Saturday,
The Pottery Village of Kalabougou Read More »
I don’t often spend Thanksgiving at home. Past Turkey Days have seen me drinking pisco sours in Cusco, eating pizza in Rome and sampling questionable Mexican cuisine in Irkutsk. But I’m not sure any of those experiences quite compare to spending the holiday in West Africa. I started the morning in the village of Folona,
Celebrating Thanksgiving in Mali Read More »
I knew what I was getting into when I left. Just days before I got on the plan to Bamako, Mali, authorities ordered enhanced screening procedures for travelers returning from the West African nation due to a new outbreak of the Ebola virus. But I carefully read everything I could find on the CDC and
What Happens When You Return Home After Visiting an Ebola-Infected Country Read More »
After the amazing reception I experienced in Menie, I thought I knew what to expect when I arrived in Folona the next day to visit the Passports with Purpose/buildOn school there. I thought wrong. Folona wasn’t quite as remote as Menie – it was just a few kilometers off the main road from Bougouni to
A New School for Folona Read More »
I could see the crowd gathered as our truck slowed to a stop along the dirt road. My hair and face and glasses were covered in a thin layer of dust from the drive through the bush to reach this village of just 600 people. I was not prepared at all for what I was
The Village of Menie Gets a School Read More »
Every piece of clothing in my backpack seems to be covered in a layer of red, sandy dust – just like my shoes and sandals and backpack and camera and pretty much everything else I brought with me for my two week journey through Mali and Burkina Faso in West Africa. The last two weeks
Trying to Put My Time in West Africa Into Words Read More »
By the time you read this, I will have visited the two schools in southern Mali that Passports with Purpose raised money to build last fall. Much more on that will come very soon. But first, it is time for this year’s PwP fundraiser! Running from December 2 to December 17, this year’s
Support Families in Honduras & Win a Grand Canyon Hiking Trip! Read More »
