The longest and saddest goodbyes for me often took place over summer breaks. It was a time where my friends and I usually went “back home” to see our families. As an immigrant from a country 14 hours and a couple grand away, we could only afford it once every few years. This situation is…
Hitchhiking in the Canadian Rocky Mountains – as a 5’2”, Female
There are a handful of things we don’t confess to our mothers: like getting piercings in sketchy neighborhoods in Rio from artists who don’t speak English or crossing into countries illegally. Crowning the list of adventures that would provoke parents to fly across the globe and drag you back home from your backpack straps is hitchhiking. There…
The Best and Worst of Travel in 2018
With a full-time job in the first chunk of the year and grad school for the last bit of it, traveling in 2018 seemed grim. But the universe is a magical system and somehow always finds a way to align you with your goals if want them bad enough. This year I managed to take…
Harassment and Discrimination in the Clouds: My Interview with Flight Attendant Amneet Banga
Sweatpants, hair tied, chillin’ with no makeup on – that’s not exactly the first thing that comes to mind when we picture a flight attendant. But I’d caught Amneet on her day off in her hotel suite near Pearson Airport. With comfort in her attire and a soda in the hand, she invited me in….
Dodging cabs, cops, and construction while biking in NYC
When learning how to bike as a 10-year-old, I got in an accident with a kid I classify as Satan’s offspring. I still have the ugly scar on my right hand. Fast forward 13 years, I’ve moved to a small town with shitty bus service and realized the 20 mins walk to campus was 20…
Turbulent Nature, the Silk Road, and Pakistani Ingenuity in the Northern Areas
Some people aren’t good with babies, others aren’t so hot with dogs… …though both of the above give me equal amounts of anxiety, mother nature is probably what agitates me most. We often get so engulfed in blue beaches and starry nights that the fear of being alone or lost among them starts to evaporate. The…
Why Lahore Remains Lahore: A Dip into Pakistan’s Cultural Hub
If you’re not already familiar, there is this saying in Punjabi coined from an old song: “Lahore, Lahore aye“, that “Lahore is Lahore”. Sometimes words aren’t enough to describe something. Lahore is one of those. Calling it Lahore is more than enough to explain it. The singer also repeats the line “Ho jinnay L’ore naee tak’ya o’…
Dear Aunties, Stop Telling Us to Get Married
“I’d already had your father when I was your age” “If you let this “primal age” pass, you’re only going to get divorced men” “Learn to do this *insert house chore* properly because you’re going to have to do it for your husband/family soon” “Hurry up and get married because you also have younger siblings”…
I Interviewed Women of Colour about Traveling & Here’s What They Said
Traveling alone is one thing. Traveling alone as a WOMAN is another. Traveling alone as a WOMAN OF COLOUR, well that’s sometimes a whole other minefield. I could sit here and go on and on about my experiences as a woman of color (comment to let me know if you want my take) but I…
Why I’m Super Excited to go to Pakistan this Summer
I’ve dreaded going to Pakistan since I can remember. I’m not a fan of the Karachi heat, nor am I good at family stuff. Since our trips last less than 2 weeks, I have zero friends. This is NOT about hating my country so lay off the judgments. I remember tweeting it was really hot…
