Wow, has it already been two months since I moved to Washington, D.C.? I generally feel like I have settled in well and gotten into a good routine here. Waking up and doing yoga, walking to and from work, running or going to the gym after work (and still getting home by 7!!). I’ve got …
While my new home of Washington, D.C. was digging out of a massive snowstorm a few weeks ago, I was on the other side of the country, running along the rainy waterfront in Portland, Oregon. My trip to Portland was originally mostly business, but due to the impending storm, I moved my flight up a …
Friday marked one month since I moved from Chicago to Washington, D.C. – my first time living outside of the Midwest in my entire life. Here’s a look at how it’s gone. First up, the move itself. I wasn’t bringing any furniture with me to D.C., so I didn’t think it made sense to hire …
One foot in front of the other, I told myself. Just put one foot in front of the other. My legs felt like lead as I tried to propel myself forward, relying a little too much on my hiking poles that kept collapsing under the pressure. So many thoughts floated through my head, the most …
“Katie, look! A dik-dik!” “Where?” “Over there.” “Where?” “There.” “I don’t see it, where?” “There, running away into the woods.” “Oh.” And thus went what seemed like the first hour of my “game drive” through Awash National Park, located a few hours’ drive from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. (By the way, a dik-dik is a …
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 …
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 »
