March 9, 2021 Time of the Season When I arrived in Florida two years ago, I was convinced that I was going to stay here forever. I lived in Taiwan long…
February 12, 2021 Of Fernweh and Fast Cars Fernweh. I remember first hearing that word in college in Pittsburgh, sitting next to a teammate of mine who had just about as much of the travel bug as I did back then. We were no more than nineteen or twenty, sitting and staring at maps, language books, and googling flight prices. The literal meaning of the word is something I have experienced many times in my life: far-sickness.
October 23, 2020 Why We Need to Listen to Our Nostalgia As the end of the year draws closer and closer, it is becoming more apparent just how insane this year really has been. To be…
September 14, 2019 How to Prepare for Hurricanes Now that winter has arrived and many Floridians are putting on their sweaters, jeans, and other long articles of clothing, so, too, has hurricane season come and gone. The word “hurricane” to anyone outside of Florida or new Florida residents sparks a bit of fear and worry. People google it, see the terrifying images of storms like Katrina or Irma and they begin to assume the worst. But I’m here to tell you that despite hurricanes being incredibly terrifying, unless you have a direct hit or you are close to the center of the storm, it’s more likely that you will experience intense winds, lots of rain, and if you’re a surfer, some gnarly waves leading up to the hurricane’s arrival.
February 24, 2019 Taking on Taiwan: Ch-Ch-Changes Recently, I explored some old posts of mine, just to see if I think the same way I did back then about things. It was rather interesting, reading it and remembering exactly how I felt. At the same time, however, I have to admit, I have trouble associating with who I was back then. Just remembering the things I used to see daily in university and back home compared to the things that I am used to now makes me realize how truthfully different my life has become. If you want a glimpse of it, check out this post. Contrasting them is trippy.
December 5, 2018 Tattooed Back in May 2013, I went in for my first tattoo ever. I was terrified, but I spent a lot of my days back then in a constant state of anxiety. So, in an effort to push myself past my comfort zone, I sat under the needle for about an hour. I got my first tattoo, and one that would cause me a lot of controversy for a couple of years: a girl breaking out of chains.
December 2, 2018 Travels from the Time Vault: Czech Republic Growing up, my parents were adamant about exposing us to our heritage. Both of my parents come from diverse backgrounds. My mother is English, Irish, Scottish, and Polish, while my father hails from Germany, Czechoslovakia, and England. Any family gathering we went to was complete with delicacies from every side of our heritage. They spared no expense when time proved available and there was a chance to explore uncharted territory. I was very blessed with a lot of chances to see England, Germany, and other parts of Europe before reaching adolescence. Among those as I reached my teenage years, Czech Republic made it onto my list of places visited.
November 25, 2018 Travels from the Time Vault: Sweden Twelve years ago, my father received an email from a local hockey coach. We’d barely been in the Chicagoland area a year at this point, but the coach presented an idea worthy of consideration. In the spring, coincidentally during spring break, he was taking a team to Stockholm, Sweden, and he asked if we would be willing to participate. I’d be the only girl on an all boys team (and the first girl to every participate in the tournament), which to me, was just a small detail included in the entire offer. I’d stay with a host family and we’d be there for a whole week, taking in the Swedish culture, playing against Swedes and some Finnish players, and exploring the city. In my mind, it was a no brainer: we had to go. Luckily, everything checked out. Five months later, we gathered at the airport with the team and embarked for Arlanda International Airport.
November 11, 2018 Travels from the Time Vault: Naples The tall mountains of the Mediterranean coastline seemed even larger from on top of them. I had spent the last two hours on a bus full of kids my age—twelve and thirteen years old—ascending the majestic peaks ever so slowly, each circle we did around them bringing us closer and closer to the point where I felt uncomfortable staring thousands of feet down to the small foreign fishing towns below. The mere sight of the distance between sea level and me made my stomach twist but also gave me a sense of wonder when I realized just how small the area was.
November 7, 2018 The Not-So-Snow Day in September It was a Tuesday morning in September. Third grade had just started barely two weeks earlier and I was getting used to my new teacher, Mrs. Crowe. She had long red curls and big brown eyes. When she talked, any topic she brought up was bright and cheery. She made math sound like the happiest thing in the world. Walking around as we worked on our workbooks, enthusing about how “math was the key to everything” and telling us if “we could multiply and divide, you could do anything” in that happy, cheery voice of hers. Some days, I believed what she said to be true.
