I ate my salad standing up, as I watched my steak gristle in the pan with the butter, onions, and mushrooms that I had tossed in. A TEDxtalk played on my phone next to me as I watched my sizzling meat, glancing over every now and then to see the charts that the speaker was … More Living in the Belly of the City of Lights
Someone knocked on the door. “Uh, Linet, someone’s at the door!” I called out, unsure if I should answer it. A face popped into view through the window next to the metal door, and Dorcas’ eyes peered in. Her short hair, cropped close to her head, bobbed as she nodded in greeting. Though I had only seen … More How Making Friends and Understanding Culture Are Directly Tied
Sometimes I try to remember what it felt like the first time I made a friend. The furthest back I can remember using the term “best friend” I think was when I told my parents and anybody who asked that a little girl I spent all my time running around and holding hands with in my first pre-school … More Making Friends on the Playground
A good number of French people have a hard time saying my name. I tell them my name is Kate, and they repeat “Kay-tuh,” almost a two syllable name, which sounds funny in comparison to my singular American syllable. The lady at Starbucks spells it “Kathe.” I say it to strangers as I kiss them on … More I Am a French Child
There are certain things I do wrong while I’m studying abroad. I look at my pocket map while I’m walking, and have been known to stop on a dime when I realize I’m going the wrong way, subsequently causing a train wreck of pissed off Parisians to run into me. I’ve stepped on plenty of … More Your Soul is Showing..
What is one do when offered the world? Should they laugh? Cry? Weep, even? Or just sit, content and pleased, feeling only how rich it is to be so fortunate? This past weekend I felt like doing all of the above. I visited Strasbourg and a small town in Alsace in France, and Freiburg and the … More Experience, “The World,” and Far Too Little Sleep
The afternoon is probably my favorite time of day. I finish my time at the school by hanging out with the kids and teaching them songs, games, or just talking and telling stories. It’s quite literally the most rewarding and redeeming part of my work there. I relish and soak in every minute of that … More Picking Apart Pieces of Kenyan Culture
I ran my first half marathon with my mom. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I trained hard and sweat harder in order to cross that finish line, but, as if that wasn’t enough, paid 150 dollars just to participate in the race. … More EnRICHment: What Would You Pay for the Experience?
Something’s happened over the past decade that has made us a culture of flakes. I’ve noticed lately that people have gotten incredibly picky when it comes to, well, pretty much everything. Sometimes it feels like our culture is high maintenance, hard to please, and, honestly, a little bit selfish. And I’m just as guilty of … More Curing Flakiness: A Generation Scared to Commit
I have a hard time explaining the feeling I get before I travel somewhere, whether I’ve visited before or not. I get this little knot of excitement somewhere deep inside my stomach that almost makes it impossible to sleep the night before I’m set to leave. As I get closer to my destination, the little … More A World Too Big for Small Minds: The Beauty in Travel
The Transition Artist 