Published in Farewell Alarms·Nov 14, 2020America Is DifferentAmerican tourists are no longer revered. They are pitied. — “Are you running away from America?” He said as he chucked my bags in the trunk of the car. I had stayed at his tiny bed and breakfast near the sea in picturesque Cesme, Turkey. It was a coastal town that was reminiscent of Greece. I couldn’t go to Greece…Travel4 min read
Published in Without Borders·Sep 30, 2020I Thought I Wasn’t SentimentalUntil I was left with nothing on the other side of the world — “Look over there on that shelf.” “This shelf?” My friend flailed the phone camera around. “Not that one. I want to keep that shawl over there.” I tried to point as if that would help. “This one?” …Travel4 min read
Published in Farewell Alarms·Sep 7, 2020To The American TouristPlease leave! — I didn’t have to look up from my laptop to know something was amiss. I had walked outside the tourist area at least a few streets away and found it. The perfect cafe. My cafe. It wasn’t listed on TripAdvisor. There were no tags on Instagram. …Travel3 min read
Published in MuddyUm·Sep 4, 2020Steve the AlpacaThe Ultimate Side Hustler — Now that we have all been in quarantine for the summer, we have nothing new to talk about. The Zoom meeting chatter dies down faster than before. The next best thing to not having a zoom party in the first place is to hire some entertainment. …Side Hustle2 min read
Published in Be Unique·Sep 4, 2020The Dos and Don’ts of Attending a House Party on ZoomI survived and you can too. — Navigating the “new normal” social situations we find ourselves in is no easy feat. The virtual house party is no exception. I give props to the extroverts trying to replicate their favorite parties via Zoom. And virtually pat on the back the introverts clicking “Join Meeting” with anxious anticipation. If…Humor3 min read
Published in Farewell Alarms·Sep 3, 2020Three Reasons Why I Won’t Go Back to Siargao, PhilippinesEven though I’m still dreaming of the Ceviche — After traveling to several Southeast Asian countries, I have been to my fair share of islands. The Philippines was never on the top of my list, but some friends were going last year and I decided to join them. The company was lovely. Siargao itself was lacking. Here are three…Travel3 min read
Published in Be Unique·Aug 28, 2020Quarantine Made Me Do ItI learned my lesson — Volunteering in Nepal and traveling around Asia for the last 7 years taught me a few things. One of them being, I’m a strong believer in daily connections with strangers. Whether it be tossing a ball back to kids playing in the street or sharing stories with new friends over…Personal Growth2 min read
Aug 17, 2020Lessons on Friendship from the Top of the WorldFinding home and losing it I stared out the window, gazing at the beauty of the majestic Himalayas. Sprawling Kathmandu below slowly faded from my view. I was trying to hold back the tears. I didn’t cry often, but once I started it was almost impossible for me to turn…Friendship5 min read
Aug 17, 2020Lessons on Contentment from the Top of the WorldThat morning I had woken up early, ate a full breakfast, taken some extra long, deep breathes and said a few more prayers readying myself for the day. No matter how hard I tried nothing could prepare me for what lay ahead. I had sold my motorcycle and needed to…Contentment6 min read
