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…
Category: Opinions
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. Stepping into my first RTA (Radio and Television Arts, now known…
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…
December Diaries Part 2: Rideshare Horror to Ottawa
The rideshare to Ottawa ripped me off by not having Wi-Fi in the van that they advertised on Kijiji. The dude driving was on his phone the entire time through the storm and didn’t even let me sleep! Me, on transit, not sleeping?? Impossible!! So I did what I had to, I fake cried. He…
How my absent immigrant father raised 3 feminists
It is not uncommon for immigrant families to have broken homes because a parent educated in a different part of the world is deemed unqualified to work in Canada. A child’s identity is not only divided between culture, religion, and language but also between their caretakers. I’m not sure what I’m writing is considered daddy…
Digital Death
Originally posted on RUSL There is a new side to death: digital death. Our inactive accounts have become carcasses of ourselves. “Pics or it didn’t happen” is a real cultural phenomenon attesting to the legitimacy of our existence. Is the award you won actually something to be proud of if no one “likes” your accomplishment?…
Zahra Travels 