From Nicosia to Boston, with love

Yesterday, I had a long discussion about hate with the class I have grown to love.  We were in the middle of filming a documentary about the creation of their book on bullying. For the past week, they had nervously been preparing answers in English to the question, “Why is this project so important?” The … Continue reading »

Travel Top Tens: Jordan and Israel

Dear friends and family, I love exploring the world with my parents. They have always loved to travel—they love exploring new landscapes, foods, and cultures; photographing the most amazing sights in the world, and creating circles of friends populated by peoples from all walks of life. From a young age, they helped instill this passion … Continue reading »

Bully for you, Faneromeni

“Who is a bully?” Though we don’t often answer this question directly, it is one our subconscious is constantly formulating an answer to as we navigate our relationships with others. The stereotypical answer to this question brings to mind the big, bad playground bully, who is all about using physical force to control those he … Continue reading »

The royal treatment

From the open second floor hallways of Faneromeni, just above the roofs of the countless shoe sellers and cafes in the Old City, there is a breathtaking view of the Kyrenia Range beyond. These gorgeous mountains run along the Northern coast of the island, rising suddenly from the desert plains and calm shoreline. Once one … Continue reading »

Return to paradise

Hello again friends and family! This week marks the halfway point of my Fulbright journey. Though this moment feels as if it came in the blink of an eye, glancing back at my September posts, I remember how much has transpired since then. Like any job, the learning curve of the first few months was … Continue reading »

Reflecting on the future

Hello friends and family! As I sat down to write my last blog post of the semester this weekend, nostalgia (and a bit of shock) predictably set in. Since then, I’ve tried upwards of a dozen times to summarize what has undoubtedly been an exceptional semester here in Cyprus and abroad—one that has run the … Continue reading »

A gift for Syria

Hello friends and family! December has always been one of my favorite months of the year. It marks the end of the fall semester and transition into family time, cities and towns decking themselves in twinkle lights and friendly snowmen, and, most delightfully, the giving of gifts among friends. These gifts can be tangible and … Continue reading »

Travel Top Tens: Istanbul Edition

Hello friends and family! I hope all is well with you and yours as you travel home from Thanksgiving gatherings and push aside those lingering food comas for the chilly week ahead! Though there’s no arguing that there’s no place like home for Thanksgiving, if you can’t hang with turkey in the States, hanging in … Continue reading »

Culture in crisis

Dear friends and family, If you asked me one year ago, a little over a month after I had turned in my Fulbright application, to describe a life in a country smack dab in the middle of the Arab Spring, I don’t know if I would have ever dreamed of my current circumstances. I don’t … Continue reading »