Adding stamps to my passport, one adventure at a time.
Anyone who knows me knows how much I love New Year’s. I love the idea of a fresh start. I love spending time reflecting on the year that passed, and then setting goals for the year ahead. (Honestly, I do the same thing each and every Sunday. There’s something about a chance to shake off... Continue Reading →
When I started this blog in 2015, I knew exactly what I wanted it to be. I had a one-way ticket to Beijing, China. I was set to live abroad for at least a year. No matter what, I knew I’d be having experiences worth capturing and adventures worth remembering. And as much as I... Continue Reading →
When most people think of Turkey, they think of Istanbul. It's the city that's most well-known, and for good reason. In a certain area of the city, you run into a significant piece of history every block or two. In fact, if you want to see the most famous sites the city has to offer,... Continue Reading →
Last month, I quietly marked an anniversary: My eight-year expat anniversary. Even typing that, "eight years" seems surreal. To think ... It's been eight years since I left my job at a news company. Since I packed up my one-bedroom apartment in Boulder, Colorado, and shoved everything in a storage unit. Since I said teary-eyed... Continue Reading →
As I stood on the sidewalk, I shook my head. “I know I’ve done something wrong,” I muttered to myself, “but what?” Something in that conversation had gone awry. The taxi driver’s laughter, while clearly not intended to be mocking, made it clear I had misunderstood something. And as I watched him pull away from... Continue Reading →
October 28, 2022 As I huddled up to Manfriend, another gust of cigarette smoke wafted by. *insert choice expletive here* “This is just ridiculous! If they don’t let me outta here in 10 minutes or less …” I threatened (emptily, but with a lot of gusto). One look at Manfriend told me he felt the... Continue Reading →
Last year (2022) was a stunning one. It challenged my partner and I, and brought us moments of incredibly joy. By the end, it also brought sadness of a grief that hasn't yet ended. And as I do every new year, I've been reflecting on the past 12 months a lot lately. What have I... Continue Reading →
Before Manfriend and I set off, we were warned a few times about the number of stairs. “Are you sure you want to go all the way down?” family members asked. “It’s like 400 stairs!” (I’ve taken some liberties here, as they were actually speaking Turkish … but this is the gist.) We shrugged and... Continue Reading →
When you start learning any language, it’s incredible just how many words you need to learn to communicate. Especially as an adult, books will often focus on key words and phrases for travel or business trips. However, there’s so much more to daily conversation that has nothing to do with inquiring about where the bathroom... Continue Reading →
On August 20, 2022, I celebrated a pretty cool day: The end of the seventh year I’ve lived abroad. With nothing particularly special planned for the day, I commemorated the anniversary with a lot of reminiscing, which turned into photo viewing, which then turned into me spamming my Instagram followers with A LOT of stories... Continue Reading →
Wild-Eyed and Wandering 