Did you know that India has 22 official languages? According to a census from 2018, there are 19,500 languages or dialects spoken in India as mother tongues! Therefore, when you’re…
Learn, Socialize, Experience Before You Go: Slow Travel Prep
The flight isn’t the beginning of your slow travel adventures. Image by Polly Barks. I could feel my cheeks getting redder and redder – the curse of being a redhead…
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…
What’s Mushrooming? There’s More to Do in Karlovy Vary Than You Thought
Karlovy Vary is a charming little town in western Czech Republic. Image courtesy of Samantha Marangell. Living in this beautiful little Czech spa town has been quite delightful. Karlovy Vary…
Top 5 Things I Miss About Peace Corps
Few bonds are as great as those between fellow Peace Corps Volunteers. Image courtesy of Samantha Marangell. People often ask if I would do Peace Corps service again. What they really…
A Few of the Strangest Things: On Readjustment to US Life
Giant local parking lot, with not a building or a person in sight… I recently moved back to the US after living abroad as an urban Peace Corps Volunteer in…
The Secret to Having an Awesome Adventure Vacation
Happiness studies have shown that pre-vacation anticipation gives as much or MORE happiness than the vacation itself. Within days of returning, vacationers don’t report being happier than those who never…
“You’re so literal!” – Using Bilingualism to Understand Communication
One little word can change the meaning of everything. Image from boston.com. “I’m still coming to understand just how literal you are,” my mom once told me over a long-distance…
Firsts: Art Gallery Hopping in Chelsea
Even if you feel you aren’t able to converse eloquently about a piece of art, jumping from art gallery to art gallery in New York is a worthwhile experience —…
Visiting Beijing
I arrived in Beijing two days after the earthquake and the tsunami hit Japan in March 2011. Asia was in a state of alert: anything – at any time —…
The Sexiness of Multilingualism
It is an indisputable fact that multilingualism gets my juices flowing. Forgive the naughtiness, but one of the ultimate pleasures of travel is upping the chances that I’ll run into…
Using the Wrong Accent
As I try to develop a new accent for an upcoming theater performance, I find myself in all sorts of philosophical conversations with myself about the connotation of an accent,…
Keeping in Touch or Keeping Your Distance?
When you leave a travel destination, do you intend to stay in touch with those you’ve met while traveling? I speak not only to fellow Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs), but…
Remembering Fall: Many Words and Miniskirts
The Florida air has chilled. While it may feel like winter elsewhere–and with devastating consequences due to two powerful storms–it is now autumn in Florida. As a California girl, fall…
Bars Abroad
The room is dim and smoky, and a waitress weaves through the packed tables with bottles and glasses balanced precariously on a tray. Music is playing – it could be…