Sometimes you just don’t know what you’ll get! Image by Flickr user John Stavely. I’ve stayed in hotels all across Togo, in addition to making shorter trips to Burkina Faso,…
Budget Safari in West Africa: Journey to Pendjari National Park
The author en route to the heart of Pendjai. Image by Mark Hanss. This March I took time off from volunteering in Togo to visit Pendjari National Park in neighboring…
Foreign Furry Friends: Animal Adoption Abroad
Just think of the cuddles! Image by Flickr user Sarah. I never thought it was a good idea to adopt a pet while living in Togo. I’m traveling once I…
Can Love Travel? Tips for Long-Distance Relationships
Image from Pixabay. Sustaining a relationship across the miles is not most people’s idea of the ideal situation, but for lovers of international travel, sometimes circumstances and opportunities necessitate a short-…
Learning a New Language by Immersion: The 5 Things You Must Do
Immerse yourself in words. Image by Flickr user Jason Eppink. Before coming to Africa, most of my language-learning had been in a classroom. When I studied French on my own…
A Unique Cure for Homesickness: What DON’T You Miss About Home?
Some things are better where you are! Image from Pixabay. I’m not ashamed to confess it: I’m homesick. After living in West Africa for 20 months, the feeling has come…
Tailor-Made: How to Get Your Own, Custom Pagne Outfit
Health clinic employees celebrate Togolese Labor Day, May 1, with a set of matching pagne. Image by Winter Heath. Why Get a Tailored Article of Clothing? In big cities and…
Traveling with Goats: How to Survive Your First Bush Taxi Ride
When there isn’t room inside the bush taxi, people improvise. Image by Alison Griner. Your first experience traveling in a country where bush taxis are a mode of transportation can…
How to Haggle Like a Pro: It’s an Art, Not a Battle
Woman barters for jewelry with Kenyan girls. Image by Flickr user meaduva. Many Westerners have a deep-seated aversion to haggling. But when approached with the right attitude, haggling can truly be an…
What’s for Dinner? Togolese Staples + 3 Quick and Easy, Village-Friendly, Comfort Food Recipes
Tuna burgers cooking. Image by Flickr user Hillary. Let’s face it: Although sampling local cuisine is one of the highlights of visiting a new place, it can be nice to…
One Year in Togo, One More to Go: Searching for Successes
Crates set up for World Cup viewing. Image by Chelsea Clarke. After a month of rambling through Ghana, Morocco, and Spain, I am nervous to return to the rural Togolese…
A Picture of Gender Equality on a Short Trip to Morocco
Reflection in the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. Photo courtesy of Chelsea Clarke. I’m writing from a cafe in Fez, one chosen for the sole woman sitting in the window,…
West African Villages Don’t Have Closets: Coming Out (or not) in Rural Togo
To come out in the savanna. Image courtesy of Chelsea Clarke. Why would a lesbian want to live in West Africa, anyway? Months before my departure for a two-year-long volunteering…