In October, we lost someone so magnetic that he’s still pulling us together, even in death. Someone so funny and kind that at his funeral we laughed (almost) as much as we cried. Someone so good to the core that he was donating as much time and money as he could, without fanfare or pretense. … Continue reading
I never meant to be a return traveler. The allure of more and more exotic passport stamps is pretty strong. Almost as strong as the allure of new and different countries. But at this point, I sit firmly in the category of a return traveler. I went to France in 2006 and returned in 2010. I went … Continue reading
Sometime last year, I read a few articles on HerCampus.com, a website dedicated to (and written by) college women all over the country. Started by three Harvard women, it has an especially strong presence in the Boston area and a vibrant NU chapter. Earlier this summer, in a fit of boredom, I investigated how to … Continue reading
In light of my upcoming time in Greece with a group of 145 students, 11 other staff and myself, I’ve been thinking about what has made my past travel groups some of the best communities of which I have ever been a part. The way we recognize the members of our community shows a lot … Continue reading
I awoke last week to a facebook update from Angie: Mata is underwater. Mata is incomunicado. My reply: come mierda. Eat shit. Sort of the Spanish equivalent of the f-bomb. For Mata los Indios and other bateyes, a flood, even for a short time, can be devastating. It means the truck with potable water cannot … Continue reading
Put on: sneakers: anything flip-floppy will get muddy or you’ll feel the rocks through them as you scramble up hills shorts or a skirt that come to the knee, so you attract as little attention as possible. Even though the people you interview will be wearing less. and even though covering up more DOES NOT … Continue reading
Once upon a time, the DR could make a lot of money selling sugar all over the world. But it needed more workers, so they imported Haitians by the thousands. But they didn’t ant the Haitians to stick around, so during the dead season they were kicked out. And on and on it has gone … Continue reading
The bog almost looks like a peaceful lake. Then I notice all the trash and remember that the bottom, only six inches or so from the surface, is covered in pig refuse. It feels like home. It feels like where we are supposed to be. I don’t search for bugs as I walk gingerly in … Continue reading
This Dialogue has been reminding me more and more of the Egypt trip every day. And it must be so, because people who aren’t here have been commenting that it seems like I feel the same way about this Dialogue as that one. After Esther asked me about the trip that has had the most … Continue reading
