Most Wanderful women would agree that we should all travel humbly. But what does the word humble actually mean, and what does traveling humbly look like in practice? The word…
4 Tips for Feeling Settled During Long-Term Travel
Trying to feel at home while exploring Brighton’s busy city center. Image by Jill Robinson. It’s been just a few weeks since I landed in Brighton, England, and I’m reminded…
5 Ways to Cope with Pollution Culture Shock
Garbage on the beach. Image by Flickr user epSos.de. Have you ever traveled abroad and marveled at the pristine beauty of a beach or lake? That is, until you got up…
Close of Service: Goodbye, Peace Corps Colombia!
On Dec 6, 2013, I rang the bell marking the “Close of Service,” or COS, of my Peace Corps Service in Colombia. My service, like most things anticipated since forever,…
America vs Germany
When I came to the United States last year I thought for some reason I would go back to the Western World and everything would be more or less the…
Returning Home: Reverse Culture Shock
Returning from Peace Corps service left Samantha split between two cultures: American and Moldovan. Image from cabincrewdreamer.blogspot.com. I totally underestimated what it would feel like to move back to a…
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…
Cultural Dips
After a few days of traveling and translating for my English-only-speaking boyfriend in Peru, I am feeling much more comfortable about speaking and explaining Spanish. In fact, several people have…
From Suramérica to Suburbia
It is inevitable to experience “reverse culture shock” after spending a long period of time abroad. Culture shock is the experience of a new language, food, people, and trying to…
Learning to Say (and Admit) “I Am a New Immigrant”
Anee olah hadasha. I am a new immigrant. This was one of the first things I learned to say in my Hebrew ulpan, or intensive language class. I had been…
Reverse Culture Shock
Reverse culture shock is tricky. I’ve been back in the U.S. for about a month now. In many ways, I am still in the honeymoon period. I am thrilled to…
The Ins & Outs
While spring has surely arrived in other parts of the world, in northern Japan it is puttering along in fits and starts. The first signs were the pale green cabbage-flowers…
Slippery Surprise
We were coming to the end of our whirlwind trip in India. My travel partner and I had seen the poverty of Delhi, the ghats in Varanasi, the Taj Mahal…
Must Haves: Studying Abroad
Over four years ago I embarked on one of the most life changing endeavors of my life…I studied abroad. This was actually my first time ever traveling very far without…
Varanasi Ghats
On our first morning in Varanasi, we made our way through the streets and down to the Ghats that define this ancient city. Our interest in the ghats (a series of steps…