"Nobody comes to Berlin for the weather." Before cities shut down, flights were cancelled, masks/gloves/anxiety became the norm, jobs and lives were lost because of COVID-19, I traveled to Berlin this year. I was optimistic that in the world the flu would stay the flu, but that's not the case. We may not have a … Continue reading The Grays of Berlin in March
I’ve had a lot of opportunities to teach photography and environmental science over the past six months. I want to use this space to reflect on what I’ve learned, to create a time capsule I can look back on, and to hear feedback from others on their teaching tips. I never imagined when I was … Continue reading Teacher Takeaways for Leading Informal Science Learning
To highlight the life and energy of Puglia, Italy amid current environmental devastation, I will be posting photo-essays about southern Italian cities I had the chance to visit in 2015. On-going protests wouldn't stop me from visiting the region again, but to each his own. Travel consciously. Ostuni — a small town near Bari known … Continue reading Rainy Days in Ostuni, Italy
Last fall I wrote a few posts about Melendugno, a rural town outside of Lecce, Italy. Read this to learn what you can do in the fight between citizens protecting their beautiful seaside town and those profiting by building a natural gas pipeline. Or this, about my experience farming three years ago in this land of … Continue reading Salento’s Changing Landscape: Learn More About #noTAP
While in Melendungo, Italy I watched parts of Nausicaä, an animated Miyazaki movie, with the girls of the Danish-Italian family I lived with. For a long time I thought Nausicaä was a really hip Danish film, made worse by the fact that I kept coming into the room when it was half way over. (It’s … Continue reading Pave Paradise — Melendugno’s Past and Present
Matera held the absolute best and absolute worst experiences for me. I'm writing this now in response to Nik's post highlighting her favorite craftsman in Florence and the recent discussion of sexual assault and harassment in the news and on social media — two unrelated topics in Nik's case, but not in mine. I decided … Continue reading Talking to Strangers in Matera, Italy
It's almost Thanksgiving. My Trader Joe's Vanilla Pumpkin candle is burning as I write. Among all the light, love, acts of kindness, and pumpkin of this season my heart breaks in the final days of the farmer's market. But this year my heart hurts just a little more. I've been teaching gardening and nutrition to … Continue reading Giving Thanks for Gardening
Every fellow WWOOFer I've met has crazy stories to tell. About a year ago a college professor of mine invited his five advisees to family dinner. It turned out three of us sitting on the same side of the table had all WWOOFed within the past few years. One woman volunteered in North Carolina for … Continue reading WWOOFing Diaries: The Kitchen Garden
When I’m restless and looking for some positivity in my life to get that dopamine flowing I turn to hobbies. Now wait isn’t this a travel blog? Why yes, my friend but sometimes we need a local substitute for the thrills and joys of plane-hopping and stepping out of our comfort zones. Running is a … Continue reading Rock-Climbing and Soul Searching
I can't stay in one place much. Maybe my heart can't stay in one place, my body has certainly been living at home with my parents on and off for four years. Nik and I have come up with four ways to travel the world so far: short-term study abroad in a small town, long-term … Continue reading Save on Study Abroad, WWOOF Instead
