Talk is easy. It was one thing to be home for the summer, telling people that I’m moving to London to pursue not only a master’s in travel writing, but to get my career going as a writer itself. And yet, it’s been another thing altogether now that I’ve actually arrived. Well, I tell myself, … Read More
“Bravery is being the only one who knows you’re afraid.” — Franklin P. Jones Sometimes, I never learn. You would think having done this whole “moving to London” thing before, I’d have taken a more relaxed approach during the summer leading up to this year’s Big Move. Two years ago, I was so worried about … Read More
As a child, Canada did little to hold my attention. I knew it was there, of course, like a distant relative you hear about from time to time, but my vague knowledge of its presence – this large terra incognita somewhere north of New York and New Hampshire – came only from the footnotes on … Read More
It had been a long flight. Of course, the six and a half hours from Toronto to Heathrow pale in comparison to past flights to and from New Zealand, but what I hadn’t realized was how lucky I’d gotten on them – on my ten-hour flight from LA to Fiji, I had a row of … Read More
Free breakfast and lunch, unbelievable discounts on hotel reservations across the country, and a seven-minute commute (did I mention that’s walking?) could all easily vie for the top thing I loved about working as a breakfast server for an international hotel chain this summer. But despite the daily wonder of eggs made to order and … Read More
Day five was winding down. I was back on the road after Rotorua and all that stood between me and the Coromandel Peninsula was a little town with a big name – Paeroa, New Zealand. Anyone who’s spent any time in New Zealand has probably had the chance to taste the country’s national soft drink, … Read More
There’s no denying the popularity of referring to Rotorua as Roto-Vegas, a nickname that just about sums up the conundrum of this central North Island city. With a population of about 55,000, it is known for its significant Maori population and manicured English gardens (a contradiction in and of itself, perhaps), but also for its … Read More
A brief look at the syllabi of my college transcript will reveal an education of highly questionable “real world” applicability, one defined by courses such as SLFK 212: Slavic Folklore Ritual and Family Life, JPTR 322: Intro to Modern Japanese Literature, and ANTH 237: The Culture and History of Still Photography. Although there’s no disputing … Read More