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Zahra Travels

Whoever tells the most stories wins

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Tag: december diaries

December Diaries Part 3: 10 Touristy Things to do in NYC with your BF

1. Go with your best friend Meet Sara, my high school sweetheart and my third sister who moved to Ottawa for university. Traveling with my BFF was on my bucket list for a while and we wanted to celebrate the end of a semester, and my birthday together. Most importantly, we wanted to catch…

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…

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Now that I have your attention with a million lights and a questionably short dress for a 4am stroll through Times Square, let’s talk about some shit going on in the news: Wealthy parents bribing admins at uni in order to further privilege their already advantaged offspring. Let’s face it, they’re also the same people who complain about programs like affirmative action and migrants families faking documents to give their kids a better future. Now let’s not pretend it’s just a south of the border issue. Academia has always been an elitist pursuit. Choosing between supporting a sick parent while being in a crater of debt and going back to school was probably one of the hardest decisions of my life. Being surrounded by colleagues, in a school known as “a playground for rich white kids” who don’t have debt or worries about applying for scholarships or holding a part time job to pay for weekly groceries or folks who are able to work unpaid internships (which is fucked up to begin with) just for the sake of “experience”, is taxing a f. But it’s part of the education system which was designed to increase that gap. The wealthy/privileged having the opportunity to get a post grad degree for a sizeable pay raise as a prerequisite for being wealthy is not much different. I am so thankful to everyone who has loaned me resources, time, and good energy to get through this academic year in a place without a support system. Here’s to being so fucking close to getting out of here. Mama, I’m coming home soon 💕. #ny Edit: this post is not to discredit rich folks in higher ed. It is to highlight that higher ed is an opportunity not applicable to those who ONLY “academically qualify.” Factors like family, finance, race, and physical abilities all also need to be weighed in.

Not all accomplishments need receipts. I get so wrapped up in putting stories out that I forget about the experiences that didn’t make the cut. And most times, they’re the ones that aren't action packed with deep dives and desert camps. This picture was taken on my last day in #Istanbul where I spent the whole day walking around the city alone. It wasn’t defining of anything monumental but it's still the first thing I think of when I look back at my time in Turkey. I paid for museums my friends wouldn’t like; I had ice cream back to back to substitute for not eating lunch; took pictures I realized weren’t cute after I left the building so I stood in line to retake them. Some things are so much better when kept in store for yourself. #turkey #europe #mosque #aisa #zahratravels #femaletraveler #solotravel

Someone write me a caption, please. #toronto #zahratravels #skyline #kensingtonmarket #downtown

Never sure if the white dude staring at me thinks I’m cute or wants me out of this country 🤷‍♀️ #yesistolethecaptionfromatweet #stilltakingpicsinthewashroom #tbt #calgary #happyweekend #alberta #zahratravels

With what started as a church for nearly a thousand years, the Hagia Sofia was later transformed into a mosque, and now a museum. The structure echoes the inevitability of change. I feel people are like that too. You can spend years laying a foundation of values and centuries carrying their weight under domes of self-care. But history does this thing where everything you work for starts to home other bodies. And at the end of it all, you become a carcass for photography. With time, we all turn into amalgamations of the people and ideologies like Mary between God and the Messenger. The world keeps turning. #turkey #mosque #zahratravels #travelwriter #asia #europe #hagiasophia #byzantine #istanbul #ottomanempire #islam #christianity

I often feel gravitated to answer that the place I'm currently in is the most beautiful but I genuinely try not to compare experiences because travel has taught me to make the most of the here and now. I realize that each corner of the world has its own attraction but it’s difficult to not pin the summer mountains of Northern Pakistan against the cold Canadian Rockies. Both clutch me with their versions of beauty, but most importantly, a sense of home. And that's the thing when you polygamize homes, the latter brings with it a sense of paralyzing guilt. #pakistan #northernpakistan #travel #zahratravels #home #travelwriter #mountains

What going back to grad school feels like..... Hint: being lost in a sea of white (academia). 📸: @karimboun #womenwhotravel #banff #banffnationalpark #banffcanada #canada #explorecanada #canadianrockies #alberta #zahratravels #winterwonderland #pursuitlife

Somethings in life you just gotta do yourself. I spent 2018 on my health (and my invisible abs lol), starting grad school, moving out, learning to live and cook alone. The favourite places I travelled to this year were Valencia, Spain and Lahore, Pakistan. I produced content and worked on stories that I’m genuinely proud of. I didn’t get my driving license but I’m blessed to have drivers around me to take me from a to b. How was your year spent? Anything you’re particularly proud of? #travel #banff #alberta #explorecanada #zahratravels #happynewyear #canadianrockies #banffnationalpark #mountains #2018 #PursuitLife

Wishing you and yours a fulfilling holiday season. Stay warm! #Alberta #canada #banff #jasper #travel #womenwhotravel #femaletraveler #explorecanada #mountains #canadianrockies #merrychristmas #happyholidays

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Recent Posts

Third Culture Kid: ‘A Regular Way of Life’ that Extends to More than Elite, Expat Kids
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The Best and Worst of Travel in 2018

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