From Transkei With Love
The desire to understand the complex system that is “freedom” on the African continent is a strong one. It has been a mess of colorful joy and utter sadness coupled with anything from disbelief to chaos. I spent some time hovering in and out of the almost “alternate” spheres of rural-urban Gauteng, South Africa. Everything [...]
Ten Reasons to Visit Ghana
By: Sojourner Walker Williams I have always been firm believer in responsible, sustainable, local travel. I see travel as one of the best ways to uplift struggling communities and stimulate and revitalize local economies. There is enormous strength in our tourist power. When we as travelers make conscious decisions to journey forth in a deliberately [...]
The 21st Century Woman in Africa: South Africa meets Mozambique
Five weeks ago, I was left speechless. It had to do with the daily national newspaper “The STAR” and three images that were splashed on the cover page. Scenes of the previous day’s Youth Unemployment Subsidy Protest March were the focal point of many a story from there on out. For me, the images were [...]
What to bring away from Kony2012
It’s been roughly two weeks since Invisible Children’s Kony 2012 campaign and video went viral. The video has sparked a flurry of status updates, tweets, articles, and video responses. (see see here, here, and here). Although I believe the Kony 2012 campaign is problematic through a lens of both policy and culture, I am grateful for the [...]
. Although I believe the Kony 2012 campaign is problematic through a lens of both policy and culture, I am grateful for the [...] "Pin It")
Deadly Liaisons: Morocco and the HIV virus
Should you happen to be a male tourist indulging in a spot of Moroccan nightlife and not be aware of its somewhat seedier side, you could be forgiven for thinking that the cities are brimming with beautiful, single Moroccan women that just happen to find you utterly irresistible. Yet for many of these seductive women, [...]
A Tale Of English Charm, Donkeys and Breast Enlarging Cream
When my husband accepted a job as the manager of a large fruit farm in rural Morocco, we moved there with no preconceptions of what our life would be like, and not because we chose not to think about it, but because we really didn’t have a clue what to expect. We certainly weren’t under any [...]
Marathon Tourism
Since 2006, “running a marathon” has also come to mean “travel excuse.” In fact, I cannot imagine myself running a marathon (whether half or full) in a town I’ve been to before. A race is a phenomenal reason to get to a place you wouldn’t have thought to visit and is a fantastic way to [...]
 in a town I’ve been to before. A race is a phenomenal reason to get to a place you wouldn’t have thought to visit and is a fantastic way to [...] "Pin It")
Finding home: Settling In
I’m not gonna lie – when I first got to Ghana, I felt like a fish out of water. I think a bit of travel hubris had me expecting I’d be able to take my 23 countries and counting and jump right in. Instead, I found myself staying in an abandoned-feeling hostel on the outer [...]
It’s All About Inspiration!
Funny the Way it Is by Dave Matthews Band (One of the most inspiring songs I know!) …10 weeks on since returning to the Western world and I’m still thinking about Africa. So much has happened this summer, including other volunteering trips to Nicaragua and family time spent in Portugal, but Tanzania is constantly in [...]
 …10 weeks on since returning to the Western world and I’m still thinking about Africa. So much has happened this summer, including other volunteering trips to Nicaragua and family time spent in Portugal, but Tanzania is constantly in [...] "Pin It")
Finding Home: Paia, Part 2
Continued from Part 1 here. On my fourth morning in Maui, I woke up to a flurry of emails and phone calls. I’d applied for a fellowship with a growing non-profit called Vittana months previously, but it wasn’t looking like any opportunities would come together for the fall. Instead, I had planned to return to [...]
