As my time in Europe is coming to a close, I reflect a bit on some of the many things I have learned here, and attempt some closure for some of these deep lessons. America: We are the most powerful nation on earth. Unrivaled in the economy, unrivaled in medical research and higher education, unrivaled in military might, in cultural influence, and a leader in globalization. We simply are the strongest nation on earth, and no other nation comes remotely close. That is undisputed. However, since I have been here, the news coming from the United States has been nothing short of well... depressing. Very depressing. From the humiliation of the Planned Parenthood Congressional hearings, to the circus of the Republican debates, to a near Congressional shut down, to mass shooting after mass shooting when it ... read more

Sevilla is a busy contrast to the quiet of Córdoba and the beach town of Málaga. I was ever so slightly apprehensive at first when I exited the train station because I was greeted to bustling intersections and overpasses. Nevertheless, I decided to walk to the center of town with my trusty GPS on my Android that sometimes works without internet connection.* After twenty minutes, my apprehension melted away to awe. Sevilla is a city that combines the ancient and the historic to the Empire and conquest, with the modern and post-modern history of Andalucía. The city serves as a timeline, beginning with early Roman civilization, to Arab Spain, to the Reconquista and Spain’s rise to international prominence in establishing colonies in the New World and Latin America, to their downfall, and finally to a civil ... read more

Hi everyone!! I have been terrible at recording my travels these past few months. Believe it or not, I have been living abroad in Europe since September and not one blog post about it! I promised myself to catch up on all the amazing experiences I have had in Scotland so far and to write blogs posts that will give the land justice. Scotland, and the Scottish people, truly are a gem. But excuses no more: I now find myself in Andalucia for the week, a very historic province in Southern Spain. I first absorbed the history of Andalucia when I was studying Spanish in high school as a teenager in California. The teacher once called on me to read a section about the history of Moorish and Arab civilization in Spain that lasted for centuries, ... read more

On my run today, thoughts floated in my mind as to why I enjoy this seemingly painful sport so much. Yes, I take a lot of pleasure and relaxation in running, finding the hour or two when I’m on the road as a journey in itself. Maybe circumstances are a bit heavy for the moment, stresses piling up, or I need to mentally sort some thoughts and emotions. By the end of a five or six mile journey, problems seem to be solved, stresses melt away, anger and frustrations gone and replaced by a sense of inner peace. I run as much as I can, some phases in life more than others. For example, in the budding stages of the Syrian war, I ran so often to cope with the shocking horrors of an unraveling civil ... read more

I had been waiting for them all winter. Since I had flown back here on the eve of a snow storm in January, I looked forward to the day where the snow would melt for good, and I would experience a world famous spring in Washington, D.C. After months of below freezing temperatures and a steady pounding of snowstorms, small hints of life ventured through the melting frost. Slowly the temperatures climbed. Then one day, as if overnight, beautiful bouts of color illuminated the landscape. And the cherry blossoms arrived. Over three thousand trees were given to the city of Washington, D.C. as a gift from the mayor of Tokyo in 1912, meant to symbolize a long lasting friendship between Japan and the United States. The flowers are in shades of pink and white and bloom ... read more