Romans live small. Kitchens are small, showers are small, beds are small. There are no houses in Rome, only overcrowded apartments in overcrowded neighborhoods. I knew this when coming to Rome. I was ready for this lifestyle shift and to live like Romans do. When I stepped into my apartment, a wave of assurance came […]
Hello MTV, and Welcome to my Crib Read More »
I’ve never been much of an “outdoors” person. Hiking is exhausting, camping is terrifying, and fishing is uneventful. I have allergies, which means watery eyes and a runny nose whenever I walk outside. And most irritatingly, mosquitos love sucking on my sweet skin, and I always find the red itchy spot before I find the
High Flying in Switzerland Read More »
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and Rome can’t be explored in a day. There is so much to see and do, so I broke up my sightseeing into three separate days: historical sites, Vatican City, and Trastevere. I’ve always known Rome was a large city, but I really understood that when I walked it.
A Walking Tour Through Rome Read More »
In the United States, a hundred-year-old building would be considered old. In Rome, not so much. In Rome, there are no skyscrapers with ceiling-to-floor windows. No Time Square Plaza advertising the newest perfumes, or elevators with glass floors. Each building is a different shade of brown, from light caramel to dark coffee. They are usually
A temporary blindness came over me as I stepped from the sun into the dark church. A large, blurry, blue hole morphed across my eyesight like a lava lamp. Shoes squeaked, bodies shuffled, and mumbled prayers filled the room. A deep male voice echoed a Polish song, heard but not seen. As peripheral objects began
My first day at La Casa Verde was a Tuesday, and Tuesday was trash day. The streets of Desamparados were lined with mounds of trash to the point where sidewalks were unwalkable. Rotten food, week-old diapers, used tampons, and sour milk. The stench was unbearable. Street animals broke open the bags in hopes of finding
Climate change has been a bit of a hot topic lately – in the news, TED talks, Instagram stories; I even stumbled upon a climate change group seminar at a coffee shop. Pollution isn’t new, so why is it so popular now? A few months ago, scientists released a statement with an ultimatum regarding our
I barreled onto the grass median coughing up smoke as if my esophagus was an exhaust pipe. The mud and rain soaked into my jeans as I crouched on all fours, dry-heaving and panting, and something about those opposites made it impossible to breathe. White faced and doe eyed, I looked at my car, the
This past year, I lived in my sorority house with thirty other girls. When I joined my sorority in August of 2017, I had no interest in living in the house. Shoebox rooms, community bathrooms, another roommate – why would I? By November of that same year, I was signing a contract with our house
A Year in the Life: Living in the Kappa Kastle Read More »
There it was, staring at me – the shiny tin full of hot dogs. All piled one on top of the other, skin on skin. I quickly dressed one in a bun to cover up the nakedness for my own comfort. Moving down the buffet line, I added one of each condiment to show my
Something about the Hot Dogs Read More »
