I don’t recall his name, the menemen trucker. Let’s call him Osman. We met him on the side of the road in Middle of Nowhere, western Turkey. It was a dusty town full of old beater cars rattling down worn-out streets. My rolling luggage made a terrible racket as I drug it along. Heads turned. … Continued
Dear Gratitude, It’s been awhile. Not since we’ve spoken – I feel your presence every day – but since we last met on the road. My best adventures always involve you. From Germany to Japan; my home in the Pacific Northwest to the streets of Boston, I have been so fortunate to travel and meet … Continued
“If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily.”-Gerald Good It is hard to feel gratitude continuously as our rational mind complicates the situation every moment. My life’s journey till date has taught me that unless you feel thankful, expressing gratitude, serves no purpose. In my adolescence, I … Continued
“No, don’t go to Thailand! It’s too dangerous! Go to Australia and we will pay the flight.” – Family member “Oh wow, you are going to Thailand two days after the bomb attack?” – Colleague My brain goes nuts. I do not worry much but nonetheless, I have to be careful. I do … Continued
Rainbows in El Salvador I was sitting at a pupuseria in San Francisco, staring at a map on the wall when I said, “I want to go to El Salvador.” My boyfriend at the time got a funny a look on his face, his voice dripping with judgment when he replied, “What the hell for?” … Continued
The Canadian Safari To dream of love is a cliché, to imagine escape can be perceived as freedom. A combined experience of love and freedom however, is a dream come true. I decided to pursue my long term dreams of traveling around Canada, a year ago. My journey through the country was like a walk … Continued
I once heard someone say that the homelessness problem should instead be addressed as a houselessness problem. It’s about adequate shelter, not about the credit you build up when you can make monthly payments on a dwelling. It’s about carving out a small space for yourself in a world teeming with bodies but which has … Continued
I remember the moment well. Saigon had fallen to North Vietnam, bringing an end to the tumultuous Vietnam War. A tidal wave of refugees was fleeing the country. My family was among them. Weeks after our clandestine evacuation, we were living in tents with thousands of other refugees at Camp Pendleton, a short … Continued
“It takes stamina to climb,” said the Chinese tour guide, looking up into the eager faces of my ninth graders, American students from a private school in New England. We were about to hike part of the Great Wall of China on a brisk March morning. Eighteen students,two guides, two teachers and me. The grumpy … Continued
From this picture, a classic photo of the Hungarian parliament building I took from the opposite bank of the Danube in December 2012, you get a sense of the majesty that is Budapest. You get no sense of one of the days in my life that made me most grateful for the generosity of human … Continued