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
Category: Figuring It Out
Escaping Crowds: Going off the Beaten Path while Traveling
Just before I left New York to study abroad for a full semester in Florence, Caryn introduced me to Girl in Florence - American expat ( & immigrant, as she often points out) who wound up in Florence and has become guru for all things Italian. I scoured through her blog, soaking up all of the recommendations … Continue reading Escaping Crowds: Going off the Beaten Path while Traveling
What’s a Girl Got to Do to Get a Visa Around Here?
I've been applying to jobs semi-regularly lately and after I get a rejection letter from a job I didn't even really want in the first place/after an especially trying round of applications, I say "wait why don't I just teach in Italy? What's stopping me again?" Then, I remember............. The Visa (dun dun dun). So … Continue reading What’s a Girl Got to Do to Get a Visa Around Here?
“You are not like other American girls; You are not scared.”
Drunk and on my way home from my friend's house in Oltrarno to my house in Santa Croce, I stopped to sit on the bridge and look at the Ponte Vecchio while I FaceTimed my friend. A man on a bike rode by and we greeted each other and then he stopped. I hung up … Continue reading “You are not like other American girls; You are not scared.”
Crying Outside the Visa Office
I keep running list of titles of chapters for my memoir in the Notes section of my phone. However since a memoir seems too premature and too intensive than I'm really prepared to take on right now, they shall become blog posts. Here's the first. I had been thinking about taking a TEFL course for … Continue reading Crying Outside the Visa Office
Beating the Blues Abroad
I wish I could say that studying abroad in Florence was the best semester of my life -- that every moment was a dream and that I was never sad. However, I was in the process of losing my friend group, I was away from my parents for the longest time of my life and … Continue reading Beating the Blues Abroad
Update From The Elusive/Distracted Nik
Hi friends! I have exactly one week left in Italy as of the time of writing this. How crazy. This month has gone by so so so quickly and I caught myself so many different times looking up at the buildings / sky / whatever in tears thinking "I am so grateful to be in … Continue reading Update From The Elusive/Distracted Nik
Rock-Climbing and Soul Searching
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
Come Hell or High Water (…or Ants)
Hi!! I'm in Italy! My mom, stepdad and sister dropped me off and the airport. I went through security. I sat down next to a charger in my gate and thought....what now? Why? Why am I going to Italy? What am I doing? I wanted to gather up all my things, run to baggage check … Continue reading Come Hell or High Water (…or Ants)