My advice to anyone wanting to learn more about a culture through travel is simple: eat. My inner gym fiend hates me for saying this but we all know I only workout to binge on calories the size of Kanye’s ego. Traveling on a budget has oftentimes caused me to suppress food as last…
Category: Opinions
Love Letters to Cities Every Brown Girl Dates
Traveling is like flirting with life. It’s like saying, “I would stay and love you, but I have to go; this is my station.” – Lisa St. Aubin de Teran I’ll admit it. I’m a bit promiscuous when it comes to dating cities. Spending the day with one and waking up with another has become a…
Ideas For Gifts That Travelers Actually Want
Christmas (and my birthday) are around the corner and I’m reminded of it every living breathing minute as a mall girl. Yes, I’ve taken up retail now. What can I say? I’m just a sucker for corporate holidays that I don’t even celebrate. Personalizing gifts for individuals is something really important to me and watching…
Privilege Check: Let’s Stop Saying “Anyone” Can Travel
I often ask myself what it is about travel I love so much. Initially, I thought it was all the new places and experiences. Though this is true, there’s more to it. I’ve only recently put the pieces together. The real reason I love to travel so much is because I get to indulge in…
Everything You Need to Know Before Teaching English Abroad
I’m sure many of us have thought of doing this at some point. Especially when we’re broke and desperate to travel fresh out of our undergrad with little to no experience in teaching whatsoever. If you end up finding the right opportunity, take these tips with you. You are not a real English teacher so…
One small step for man, one giant leap for Chef Zahra
August 3rd, 2017 This day should really go down in history. After 21 years, 7 months, and 3 days, Zahra Khozema cooked herself a meal without the help of a microwave, Maggie, or mama. As someone who LOVES to eat, it’s a shame I can’t cook. It truly is disgraceful, not because I should know…
I Graduated From My University, Not My Program
This week, I graduated from my undergrad in Media Production. Like a lot of immigrant families with dreams for their children to be doctors, lawyers, and engineers, my parents still ask me what my major is because it falls in none of the above. And at this point, I can’t even answer. Stepping into my…
Sorry For Being a Shitty Daughter Ft. Ottawa’s 2017 Tulip Festival
My mom and I drove down to Ottawa this Mother’s Day weekend to help my little sister move back to Toronto. I slept the entire way while my mom drove and answered emails while she packed. I boost feminism and the power of women often but I’ll be the first to cringe when my mom…
“I am not your exotic country, knowing me does not make you a traveler”
Thank you, Pavana for putting into words something I’ve felt in my heart for a long time. Traveling has its fair share of social gatherings and everyone brings their A game to later slide into your DMs (and eventually other places). As I started attending more of these things, I noticed a weird pattern taking…
Change is not good or bad, it’s simply needed
Lately, I’ve been struggling intensively with attempts to close several chapters in my life. It all feels a lot like a book you’re so physically invested in that you don’t want to turn the last page in fear of an unexpected ending. The brink of graduation has been the same. I can see it on…
What a #MuslimBan Means to a Muslim Travel Blogger
I was originally going to post about my cool new haircut but this week has been quite shitty. Being denied entry into countries is nothing new as a Pakistani passport holder. After all, we do have the second least appreciated documents on the planet. Having the privilege to also be Canadian, I climbed up the…
An Open Letter to My Brother-in-law
Hey bro, When we moved to Canada in 2005, our family reduced to 5 from 8. Then to 4, then 3 after Batool left for university, and now we’re just 2, thanks to you. It’s okay, I forgive you for taking what never cuddled back, even after 21 years of sharing a bed. There…
