This post deviates from my usual focus on being a religious feminist in the USA, and it deviates for a good reason: I am in the process of moving to…
Going Back…Home?
A little over a month ago, my family sat on a plane for hours and landed bright and early in Taipei, Taiwan. The last time I had visited Taiwan…
Meatballs and Ice Cream: Tastes Like Summer
I recently graduated from college, and my brother from high school. To celebrate the class of 2012, my family threw a double graduation bash. Like any graduation party, the house…
The Joys of Gelatin (and Pudding) Desserts
I’ll be honest: I haven’t cooked a meal for my family in quite a while. This is because, after months of searching, I got a part-time job! Then I graduated…
Danger: Kale Chips Cooking
During a recent visit to my godparents’ house and a lovely meal of ham sandwiches, I noticed but avoided the ham’s table companion: green clumps in white bowls at either…
Fearing the Unknown – Studying Abroad in North African (Islamic) Countries
I remember the exact moment I told my parents I wanted to study abroad for a semester in Morocco. My mom gave me her raised-eyebrows-concerned-face and said, with no small…
Being “American”: A Hard Habit to Break
I was warned about many things prior to coming to Barranquilla, Colombia with the Peace Corps six months ago: Your life will be a fishbowl—everyone will know exactly what you…
Tasty Tuesdays: Admirable Vegetable Makes Admirable Dish
My mom and my dad are both skilled in the kitchen, whipping up meals and muffins of every variety, constantly introducing new spices, new vegetables, new textures, and flavors to…
Temporary Families, Sicily Adventures
In a lot of respects, I am a low-maintenance traveler. I am the type to forget my guide book at home, buy a map at the train station, pick a…
Being House Hunters
I can’t imagine what my coworkers think about me. Since moving to Chicago in June, I have adopted a dog, begun a new job, gotten engaged, started planning a wedding,…
(super)human rights
Recently, the following video has been running rampant all over the Internet: I’m going to start by acknowledging how important what Mr. Wahls did is. Speaking up for your…
Parenting: It is a Privilege, Not a Right
As this article goes to press, another toddler has passed away, a tragic victim of domestic violence. Here in New Zealand, an average of 10 children a year are killed…
Turkey Din Din with all the Trimmings
You will have to forgive my total admittance of ignorance when I say that up until a couple of years ago there were a couple of things I didn’t know…
Reflections on Home
Home is a funny thing. For the first 18 years of my life, home was the one bedroom apartment I shared with my mother, father, and sister in Manhattan. And…
Escaping City Boundaries
Lying back in the sun, eyes closed with the breeze from the lake cooling me and listening to the band of crickets and cicadas, it’s hard to believe that I’m…