As a hijabi who loves to travel, I often think of myself as a representative of Islam in foreign lands. This makes me strive to not just look great, but…
Visiting a Mosque Embarrassed Me, but Not for the Reason You Might Think
I step into Sultan Ahmet Mosque, head covered, shirt sleeves and pant legs the required length for my gender, just one more tourist visiting the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, and…
Is Dubai a Woman Traveler’s Paradise?
When I first accepted an offer to teach in Dubai, I had a million and one questions. Is it safe? Will I have to dress modestly? How are women treated?…
Why You Need to Visit Sanliurfa and Mardin, Turkey – Before Everyone Else Does
There are cities that we think about when we think of Turkey: Istanbul, Ankara (the capital), and Cappadoccia (famous for its unique landscape and hundreds of hot air balloons) are…
Breaking with Etiquette: How to Talk Politics While Travelling
Don’t be scared; discuss! Image courtesy of Delia Harrington. Polite society says we shouldn’t talk about religion, politics, or money. As someone who is fascinated by all three topics, I…
4 Fabulous Female Travel Writers of Days Gone By
Putting pens to paper around the world. Image courtesy of Wikipedia. With the launch of #gogirlreads, our new Travel Book Club, I thought it would be fitting if, before we…
Hats on Parade: Sundays in Harlem
Every Sunday morning, hundreds of tourists pour out of chartered busses on W 125th street in Harlem, with one thing on their minds: gospel music. The fame of Harlem’s gospel…
Hijab or Not
Hijab is more than a veil; it’s a practice. Image from alitchick.blogspot.com. When I was living in Montreal, I had the supreme privilege of learning about hijab – the Muslim practices…
Seeing the Abstract in the World of the Real: Being a Minister of Faith
If you walk into the suburban Episcopal Church on a Sunday morning, you’ll be struck first by the massive stone walls that rise up around you and the candles in…
Mormon at a Bar: A Nondrinker’s First Time Out with Drinking Buddies
It’s 10pm on a Friday night, in a town the Princeton Review usually names among the top party schools in the country, and I have just finished a reading with…
Roots of my Values
When I started school, I was enrolled in a private Catholic school despite being from a family with no religious tendencies at all. We moved when I was 7, before…
Starving in Solidarity: Ramadan Fasting for Newbies
“Have you converted?” they asked me? No, ma’am. “So why are you celebrating Ramadan?” I was doing a solidarity fast in honor of Ramadan (and my own innate curiosity in…
Religion: A Stable Force for a Traveling Girl
In just a few days, I will leave Provo, Utah, a town where I have lived for eight years now. A number of people have told me that I’m adventurous…
Being a Mormon Woman: What it Feels Like.
Right now, there a lot of people with thoughts on what it’s like to be a Mormon woman. Along with those who watch from the outside and speculate on Mormon…
A Multilingual Easter
The first Easter I celebrated away from my family was during my undergraduate years at McGill. Lent and its culmination, Holy Week, had always been important features of my faith,…