ITALY | Tuesday, 22 Mar 2011 | Views [1100] | Comments [1]
Blaring sirens, gunweilding carbonari, potent herbs, loud Italians: Rome. The line to get into the Colosseum was chaos. In true Italian style, there was not so much of a line as a blob of humans. Claustrophobia kicked in 20 minutes into the wait but ... Read more >
ITALY | Tuesday, 22 Mar 2011 | Views [326]
“What now?” asked Sean looking around the Marco Polo International airport. “I don’t know.” We stood in the middle of the airport’s entrance trying to make sense of the signs we couldn’t understand. I dug through my overly full backpack and found ... Read more >
ICELAND | Tuesday, 22 Mar 2011 | Views [321]
The sky was fading. The Atlantic Ocean was churning. And Iceland was the moon. I looked out the window. I had never seen anything like it. I doubted many people had. Large craters sprinkled Iceland's face like old scars. Snow blanketed the terrain.... Read more >
CHINA | Tuesday, 22 Mar 2011 | Views [305]
"Do you see our bags anywhere?" My head circled the merry-go-round filled with fat suitcases, tattered duffel bags, and two dog carriers with terrified inhabitants. Heaving a sigh, I shook my head. Out of the 300 passengers on the plane, fate ... Read more >
FRANCE | Tuesday, 22 Mar 2011 | Views [363]
“Happy New Years sweetie,” I whispered, my body rocking back and forth as the train chugged up the Swiss Alps. Sean sat up, alarmed. “It’s not me who’s farting!” “What?” I laughed, confused. “It must be him,” explained Sean, pointing below him to ... Read more >
UNITED KINGDOM | Tuesday, 22 Mar 2011 | Views [538]
My husband paced nervously in and out of herds of angry people. I sat on my suitcase and noticed that my dirty hot pink underwear had been poking out the side of the suitcase the entire Tube ride. Oh well. I read the sign again: ... Read more >
ITALY | Tuesday, 22 Mar 2011 | Views [381]
My brain refused to accept the words flashing before my eyes: Your card has been retained. Contact your bank. My heart stopped. A person would have to be an idiot to travel halfway around the world with only one debit card. Unfortunately, ... Read more >
Tags: atm, mafia
SINGAPORE | Tuesday, 22 Mar 2011 | Views [289]
Things really went to hell in Little India. “This is useless!” I hissed while standing in the middle of the street and turning in circles. “This is not useless,” corrected Sean, once again consulting the map from our battered Lonely Planet guide ... Read more >
INDONESIA | Tuesday, 22 Mar 2011 | Views [300]
“Where you go?” I shook my head, smiling politely. The sun bore down on my bare shoulders and I cursed myself for forgetting to put on sunscreen as we rushed to catch our ferry to Indonesia. “Where you go?” A posse of five Indonesian men followed ... Read more >
THAILAND | Tuesday, 22 Mar 2011 | Views [362]
I look around and contemplate this new hurdle: the Bangkok train station bathroom. Women clog the one alley way that runs in between the stalls. I am the only white person around. This is an automatic problem. Thai people are extremely gracious hosts ... Read more >
THAILAND | Tuesday, 22 Mar 2011 | Views [310]
“Jackie!” My ears perked up and I stopped walking through the hordes of people swarming around me. Smiling at human nature, I shrugged. Who on earth would be calling for me at a random night market in Krabi Town? Everyone I knew was scattered on different ... Read more >
MALAYSIA | Tuesday, 22 Mar 2011 | Views [520]
I couldn’t have located Malaysia on a map one year ago. For that reason, I found it extremely ironic that I would probably die in the Cameron Highlands. “Are you ever scared?” Sean asked hesitantly from the front seat of the Land Rover, eyeing Daniel ... Read more >
Tags: trekking
LAOS | Tuesday, 22 Mar 2011 | Views [423]
Gravity let go of me. Soaring above the jungle, the world around me is silent except for the constant zzzzzzzz of metal scraping against metal. Oddly enough, it’s a sound I enjoy. It’s a sound of liberation. For 30 seconds, I am weightless. For ... Read more >
Tags: zip lining
CAMBODIA | Tuesday, 15 Mar 2011 | Views [453] | Comments [1] | Scholarship Entry
“Hey lady, ten postcards one dollar!” I look down as I walk and sure enough Molly is still following me. “You see,” she declares proudly, shuffling through the souvenirs. “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. You buy from me!” ... Read more >
Tags: #2011writing, travel writing scholarship 2011
