When I was on the brink of adopting a full grown cat, a co-worker who volunteers with a local cat rescue suggested I try fostering kittens. Fostering means you bring (usually 2-3) kittens home so they can adjust to human interaction in a safe environment. Meanwhile, they’re out of the shelter and less susceptible to communicable … More An Experience in Fostering
White, red and black sand beaches, luxury resorts, fantasy swimming pools, world-class snorkeling, fine dining: Hawaii’s tourists can have it all. After spending thirteen days on the Hawaiian island of Maui, I’ve come away with a distinctly unexpected reaction to the place: fear. Not fear in the sense you might fear vampires or a robber in … More Bring your Adventure Shoes
It’s a busy morning at the coffee shop. Baristas parade past, delivering food to patrons. One has tattoos up and down his legs and arms, maroon shorts that hit mid-thigh and a grey v-neck t-shirt complementing a full beard, and round-turtle shell glasses. A woman with big gold-hooped earrings sits hunched over notes, scribbling. She’s wearing … More Notes from a Fashion Museum
My favorite pose in yoga is shavasana, also called, “corpse pose.” At the end of a yoga practice, you lay on your back, legs apart, arms wide, palms skyward and breathe with a normal rhythm. It’s a nap. Shavasana is my favorite pose because I’m really good at it but also because it is the best reward after … More You Do You
Sipping on some dragon pearl tea, which is quite bitter, I will tell you a tale. We’ve all heard the story of Jack’s magic bean that grows into a huge stalk, which takes him up to meet the giant. A golden goose makes an appearance and grants Jack 3 wishes, probably. Have you ever wondered, … More Leann & the Magic Fava Bean
We did not think of the great open plains, the beautiful rolling hills, and winding streams with tangled growth, as “wild.” Only to the white man was nature a “wilderness” and only to him was the land “infested” with “wild” animals and “savage” people. To us it was tame. Earth was bountiful and we were … More Haunted by the Wild West
I had forgotten the most vital lesson that had become my motto while living abroad… … More Studying Abroad in Perpetuity
Amsterdam is often called “The Venice of the North,” but I found the epithet completely misleading. Venice’s canals are the bustling thoroughfares; Amsterdam boasts wide paved streets criss-crossing the watery depths below. Where Venice feels small and inclusive, Amsterdam’s neighborhoods ramble for miles. In Venice, a traveler is more likely to get lost in … More Amsterdam is Calling
I wanted my trip to the Columbus Museum of Art – recently remodeled and reopened – to be different. I wanted to approach the museum experience for this review as an engaged and curious visitor, an admirer of the arts, rather than a museum worker sniffing for the next innovative technique. … More Looking at Art, Differently
Even with all my privilege, finishing my MA program in Art History was the most emotionally draining experience I’ve ever had. I can’t see into the future, so maybe it’ll be worth it then, but I can honestly say it doesn’t feel worth it now. … More Grad School: One of Life’s Terrible Jokes
The Ohioan 