Toshikazu Kawaguchi adapted this slim novel from a play, and I can envision it unrolling just as wonderful on the stage as on these pages. Kawaguchi takes a sci-fi idea and makes it commonplace - in this particular cafe, in one particular seat, one can visit the past.
Read MoreIn today’s world, travel can be scary – even more so if you’re a solo female traveler. Be smart, be informed, be precautious, be nervous – but go anyway.
Soak it in. Bring back what you learn. Grow in ways you didn’t think you could. Demand the world acknowledge you as a full human being despite any differences you may have from the status quo. Live up to the bravery you find inside you.
Read MoreChances are, you've heard of Gruyeres because of the famous cheese - but yes, it is an actual town. Many people will recommend you visit, should you be in Switzerland, and though I generally am not big on tourist sites I have to agree with this one.
Read MoreIt was meant to be temporary. I was not meant to get attached. Three years in the deep(er) south for school, and then my Yankee patootie could scramble back up north. I really just needed a rental apartment and a good coffee shop to make that work.
Read MoreAs soon as I walked up to Caffe Driade, I could tell that it was a very special place. Down a short gravel path off a busy main street in Chapel Hill, this cafe is like walking into a different world. It's a calm, green oasis - an immediate respite for computer-weary eyes.
Read More“Even if he didn’t carry the scent of leaves disintegrating to mud at the bottom of a river, the aroma of the bowl of bayou, heavy with water and sediment and the skeletons of small dead creatures, drab, fish, snakes, and shrimp, I would still know he is River’s by the look of him.”
Read MoreI thought there was no way Lucerne could hold up, in real life, to the beautiful pictures in my guidebook. But, as always, Switzerland proved my doubts wrong.
Read More“You and I may not live to see the day, and my name may be forgotten when it comes; but the time will arrive when great outbreaks of cholera will be a thing of the past; and it is the knowledge of the way in which the disease is propagated which will cause them to disappear.” John Snow.
Read MoreOngoing list of special arrangements from indie bookshops!
Read MoreTypically I prefer my coffee nearby and convenient - I want to be able to get it STAT when the craving strike. But certain places are simply worth driving out of your way for, and Honeysuckle Tea House unquestionably falls into that category.
Read MoreToo bad my thesis isn’t on pandemics.
Read MoreAsk 10 different people and you will probably get 10 different answers as to what states of America can be considered part of the American Midwest. As a lifelong East Coaster, I considered Ohio the gateway to the Midwest and with a not so eloquent segue, where my most recent trip occurred.
Read MoreStop Street Harassment
How many times have you been catcalled? Wolf-whistled? Followed? Assaulted in public? Street harassment is part of a spectrum of gender-based violence that makes public spaces considerably less safe for women and minorities, especially those with disabilities, trans and LGBTQIAA+ folk, and religious and ethnic minorities. Stop Street Harassment is dedicated to collecting robust data on sexual harassment, sharing stories, supporting local groups to change gendered norms, and provides the only street harassment support hotline. Learn more here and support them here.
Curamericas Global
A vast majority of maternal deaths are entirely preventable. Curamericas hopes to eliminate maternal and child deaths by providing safe birthing centers, nutritional support, and more. They are rigorously evidence-based and dedicated to projects that are ultimately self-sustaining and community-driven – the white savior complex prevalent in so many international development orgs doesn’t fly here. Learn more about their work here, and consider joining or donating to their big annual fundraiser, a “Mom-A-Thon” that requires no actual running but is a “race to save lives.”
Your alma mater’s survivor support and/or GBV prevention center
The landscape of gender-based violence resources and support on university campuses has changed drastically over the past ten years, and with MeToo, Devos’ proposed hacking of Title IX, and general budget cuts in education your university’s center could probably use some support. Consider donating time or money, or if you feel strongly about the matter use your clout as an alumnus to write a letter to the school’s newspaper or contact campus administrators explaining why supporting survivors and prevention efforts is so important to you. My University of Mary Washington fam can support the Center for Prevention and Education on Giving Day here, while #MasonNation can learn more about the Student Support and Advocacy Center (SSAC) here. A quick search of your uni’s website should provide you with details for your particular college; if not, that’s another issue to raise with campus leaders!
One Love Foundation
Prevention and education materials for students tends to be a bit dated…or condescending…or just hard to relate to. The One Love Foundation is dedicated to producing high-quality, relevant, and FREE materials aimed at promoting healthy relationships among college students. Having worked with them in the past, I really can’t say enough about them. They also support One Love Clubs on college campuses across the nation, which seek especially to involve college athletes in relationship education. Learn all about them here.
The Abortion Access Front
Abortion AF (formerly Lady Parts Justice League) describes themselves as “Habitat for Humanity for Abortion Clinics” – basically, they visit clinics around the country volunteering time to spruce up centers and basically make sure the employees, volunteers, and patients feel loved. They also provide daily updates about reproductive health issues and host pretty awesome events like comedy shows to raise money for reproductive health access. Donate here, volunteer here, join the newsletter here, and learn more about them here.
I don't write for the money. Not necessarily by choice - if I could rake in the dough just by writing I would certainly do so, and I am working my tail off to head in that direction. But let's be honest: at the moment the amount I make from writing barely covers my coffee tab.
Read MoreMaine is the “final frontier” of the east, AKA, the final northeastern state before reaching Canadian provinces like New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
Read MoreI think it is safe to assume that nerds the world over never lose their spirit for the pursuit of knowledge and have some undying sense of determination. When these two qualities are combined, the world better watch out!
Read MoreAs a police officer in Washington, DC, I police areas dense with tourists who are often victims of crimes. Lucky for you I’m also a fellow world traveler, and below are a few strategies to help you protect yourself and your property while exploring.
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Hello all! I am officially halfway through my time in London and I figured it’s time for an update! Thank goodness for the internet.
So, let me see if I can cover the important bits.
Wait, why am you there?
I’ve been working towards what feels like a never-ending Master of Science in Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. I started classes via distance-learning in 2016. Hopefully this will be my final year, so I applied to study on-campus for a semester (an option open to distance-learning students once they’ve completed core courses). And so, I’m taking two five-week courses while maintaining my online classes and starting my master’s thesis. With a little luck and coffee, I will be done with everything by December 2020!
Where do you live?
I’m in Notting Hill. Notting Hill is great. I get to gaze at multi-million pound flats through the window of my crappy dorm room. It’s aspirational, I suppose. Actually, it is an adorable neighborhood - it overflows with tourists on the weekend so I tend to do my exploring on quieter weekdays, and I’m nice and close to the tube stop. I found a “home-base” coffee shop and I come here often enough that the baristas recognize me, and often they make my entire morning better. There’s also a glorious historic one-screen cinema, where I escape when I feel homesick, and I’m within walking distance to Hyde Park, where watching the city’s dogs romp around in the mud never fails to cheer me up.
How are classes?
Frankly - hard. And different. Spring courses are delivered in 5-week sessions, with lecture and group work two and a half days per week. It’s intense, and the style is definitely different from the US educational system. I’d gotten a taste of the difference through my online classes, but it’s more pronounced in person. Perhaps the best part of my classes is the fact that my classmates and lecturers come from such a wildly varying collection of backgrounds, professions, and countries. It does make for some interesting, er, culture shock. My first course was on family planning programmes. Surprise surprise, the US is not well-regarded. My next course, starting this week, is Human Rights, Ethics, and Health. Perhaps not a fluffy class, but I’m excited for it.
And life?
Oiy. Again, frankly - hard! I’ve been more homesick than I thought I would be. When I step back and look at it, this hasn’t just been an adjustment to a new city. It’s been several adjustments at once: living in a city this big. Living on my own after seven years living with a partner. Living as a full-time student after working + studying simultaneously for so long. Missing my job. Missing my dog! Probably the biggest shock has been how massive and multicultural London is. I’m not ignorant, but it’s a different story in person. When I moved to Geneva I pretty quickly learned the city inside and out - you could walk across the entire city in about an hour. Everywhere I’ve lived, that sense of familiarity has been very important to me - I’m fine on my own if I feel a connection to the town. London, however, is twelve cities in one. My neighborhood is entirely different from the neighborhood my school is in, and each one is large and diverse. Honestly, I also didn’t expect to go whole days without hearing another person speak English. It’s beautiful. It’s crazy. I’m happy and grateful but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t lonely or overwhelmed a lot of the time. And ultimately, I think that’s ok. I know I’ll be fine. This is just what this part of life looks like.
Ok but the weather?
London weather is angry and does not like to categorized. You’ll come out in the morning thinking it’s a perfectly pleasant day, and when you step outside for lunch it’ll be miserable, just to mess with you. No city outside of Chicago has business being this windy. I get migraines when the weather changes abruptly. In most places, this means I get a migraine when it rains. In London, I seem to get migraines when the sun comes out. But, because the weather is overall temperate, rarely getting too hot or too cold, the whole city is alive with trees, parks, green spots, even an odd magnolia tree or Spanish bayonet, which does make a world of difference. Plus, the spring flowers are starting to bloom!
How do you feel about current events?
It’s been a weird time to be studying the UK, I’ll grant you that. I certainly have an opinion on Brexit, but I’m not experiencing any difficulties due to it, so I’d rather let folks who are directly impacted speak on that. The city seems to be protesting in humorous, eloquent, and understated ways - “London is open” is a common refrain. Also, I certainly did not plan to be studying public health during a novel virus outbreak. I’m a little nervous regarding the potential impact on international travel, and my “normal brain” and my “public health brain” are definitely viewing things differently. We have been having specially-scheduled lectures on the outbreak - second one is tonight! In terms of US politics, it’s kind of nice to have a little space. However, I feel like I’m constantly having to catch up on politics updates. It’s like getting your news through a satphone.
What next?
It’s studying all the way down. I’ll be back in the States the end of March/early April (I should really book that plane ticket…) After that it’s cramming for June exams, thesis-writing, and family time. I’m hoping to travel some more following stages of my thesis.
What did I forget to cover? Shoot me your questions, recommendations, letter/souvenir requests, etc. Thank you all for your support!
On a grassy bald more than four hours from civilization, I had an acute realization that this thing I was doing – this is how hikers die.
Read MoreCanterbury, Kent first captured my imagination in 2012, when I visited as part of a study abroad program. We visited from London, and it was the first site that really reached out to me. Fast-forward eight years, and I feel much the same way.
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