Convincing parents to let you travel alone is generally hard, but asking as a brown girl is even worse. I was triggered to write this post because my Pakistani/Muslim co-worker recently told me that her 19-year-old twin brother got to travel across Europe with his friends but she could never imagine her parents letting her…
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…
The Art of Asking Someone to Take a Picture of You While Traveling Solo
You may laugh now but this is a serious question I’ve gotten several times in my DMs: “Zahra, how do you travel alone and still have full-body pictures of yourself?” My selfies are super awkward so I have no option but to ask people to take pictures for me. Here’s how: Who to ask? An…
How to Hammam: Debunking Oriental Myths in a Traditional Tunisian Hammam
I always had an idea of what a hammam (better known as a Turkish bath) was: an old Ottoman tradition of communal bathing. After moving to Canada, the idea morphed into a capitalistic luxury for the “real housewives of x, y, z”. Do you smell cultural appropriation or is that just me…? I’d seen many…
A 5 Day Template to Date Any City Ft. Istanbul, Turkey
Sometimes even the most anticipated cities are the most difficult to plan. I’ve been to Istanbul at least four times due to layovers but I never had the time or budget to leave the airport. I used to watch uncountable hours of Turkish dramas that rocketed my excitement and gave me a ton of ideas…
Sharm al Sheikh: A Vacation from Travel Explained through Etymology
Etymology: the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time. The term “the etymology (of a word)” means the origin of the particular word. Ever since my awesome Rhetoric and Persuasion professor (shout out to Dale Smith) introduced me to etymology, I’ve been obsessed with finding the roots of diction…
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…
Behind the Scenes of Glamourous Travel
In a world where Instagram acts as a resume, it’s distasteful to display weaknesses, especially in the sector of picture perfect travel. Though travel encompasses many elements of self-growth, it is only achieved when every layer of your limit is stripped bone-naked. There have been so many times I’ve wanted to drop everything and take…
Life in a Suitcase: Packing 21 lbs. of Good Vibes Only
There is this stereotype that young people travel to find themselves but I think most of us do it to run away from a certain reality. Imagining a 9 to 5 routine after graduation felt like an early funeral. Alright, that’s a little fluffed but I don’t know why an appetite for cultural change is…
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…
Trips to Take This Summer to Celebrate Canada 150
If I was to be stuck in a country for my entire life, I’d pick Canada. You can spend 4 hours on the plane, shift entire time zones, and still be in the same country, that’s how big this land is and I realize how thankful I am to be here every time I leave…