Mother of Turtles
The first baby turtle I saw was a disappointment. I had thought he would be green. Poor thing, he didn’t know how much he let me down. How many foolish hopes I had placed on his little fragile body.
Read MoreFake Tanning and the Orbs of Distraction
With shaking hands, I unwrapped a cheerful turquoise suit made of a modest swim skirt and a triangle top. It was cut so low I hoped to achieve “orbs of distraction,” that would deter attention from the less desirable parts of my body.
Read MoreTokyo Body Shame
Snip! My head suddenly felt a lot lighter. I cringed. How much hair was just taken off the back? I nervously glanced around at the classy Japanese ladies chatting with their stylists. Hopefully, if I just became partially bald someone would have reacted a bit. Geez, what was I doing here anyway? I should have learned by now to avoid language barrier haircuts! But the salon was an air-conditioned refuge from the sticky streets of Tokyo.
Read MoreGroped atop the Second Pitch
Fear froze me into full-blown rigormortis. I was so shocked and scared I couldn’t do anything.
Read MoreHow not to go rock climbing in Spain
“Necesito equpio para escalar. Es possible rentarlo? I need climbing equipment, is it possible to rent?” My high school Spanish was rusty.
The well-dressed saleslady (I’d never seen staff in heels at a sporting goods store before) wrinkled her nose at my unwashed clothes that still stank from my bus/train/ferry travel from Morocco.
Read MoreHow to Fight Loneliness: Ramadan in Morroco Part III
I was alone. And hungry.
Read MoreI was Morocco’s Cheapest Mountain Guide: Ramadan in Morocco Part II
You get what you paid for.
Read MoreRamadan in Morocco: Part I
Is this the end?
Read MoreFinding My Inner Child on Kilimanjaro... What a Brat!
I was in one of the poorest countries on earth, and I felt sorry for myself.
Read MoreThe Monkey Poop Chase: Boabeng-Fiema, Ghana
My neck ached from looking up, and sweat ran down from my hands grasping binoculars to my oversaturated armpits. The jungle shimmered through through waves of humidity, accentuated by pulsations of the chorus of a million insects.
Read More
Eat Pray Love Nearly Killed Me
“Yahweh will provide.”
Read MoreSlovakia: Mortal fear takes a lot of energy
The cocoa was as thick as a melted candy bar. I looked out the window of the chalet and watched the swirls of snow blow down the steep Slovak mountainside.
Read More