I slowly extend my hand and feel the warm water lap at my fingers, kicking my feet just enough to keep myself afloat. It's a "warm" Sunday in Niger, the thermometer approaching 99 degrees Fahrenheit. Above me, a large tree shelters part of the pool from the hot sun. In exchange for shade, the tree … Continue reading Ça va, toujours
Hi, it's been a while - four years, actually - and I wanted to apologize for ghosting you. It was never my intention to abandon this space. Over the past few years I'd thought about writing, but I didn't know what to say. There seemed to be enough people shouting and sharing their opinions, so … Continue reading Sorry for Ghosting You
“You're a Christian?" he asked me. "Are you an evangelical?" Although the dimly lit bar buzzed around us with late-night conversation, I was certain that no other discussion resembled ours. “I’m a Christian, but not that kind of Christian,” I replied quickly, hoping to claim my ground before any stereotypes did. He looked relieved, but … Continue reading I’m a Christian, but…
Yesterday evening was a historic night for students at the School of Public Health. You wouldn't have ever guessed though, because if you peered into the Countway Library of Medicine at 4 pm you would have seen me dozing off in a chair. My professor didn't warn me that our reading assignment entitled "Health Systems" … Continue reading The Beginning and End of Harvard
I can explain how this all started. Me: “Ugh. I used to be fun, lighthearted...now I’m so serious all of the time.” Todd the Therapist: “I want you to practice levity. Loosen up more. Pretend that your life is a sitcom.” A sitcom? I didn’t know how to pursue this until the next day when, … Continue reading Bumble: the Sitcom
"Kay, are you alright?" I hear a knuckle tap my door. "Can I come in?" I bury my tear-stained cheeks in my pillows and whimper. There is nothing easy about being twenty years old. "Honey, what's wrong?" I consider the best way to answer my mother's question: my body is livid that I went another … Continue reading Yesterday is not Tomorrow
I haven't logged into this website since May. In fact, I haven't even looked at my blog since May. This delay is not accidental; I have pondered blog topics nearly every day, yet I've avoided writing at all costs. You would think that a tumultuous and uncertain season, like my past five months, would render … Continue reading The Moment I’ve Avoided
The border patrol officer skimmed my passport. “Where are you staying in Togo?” Pause. “I don’t actually know,” I said, my eyes avoiding his gaze. If only I had known then just how true the statement would be. I rested my chin on my sweaty fist. “You don't know?” His eyes were now directly in … Continue reading Hitchhiking to Nowhere
“She has five children.” “What?” I had completely zoned out. “Five children?” I glanced at the health record in my hands. “But when I screened her in Kandi she told me she has eight children. Eight pregnancies, eight deliveries, and eight living children. That was only three months ago.” Esther, my fellow team member and … Continue reading Moons & Menstruation
Some people say a picture is worth a thousand words. My friend Suzanne happens to be pretty skilled at taking photos so I reckon hers are worth even more. I'd love to share some of the photos she has taken of Benin. Some of are Cotonou, where our ship is docked, and others are from … Continue reading 1,000 Words
six feet & growing 