Konnichiwa! Greetings from Japan! So, quick update on my life. 1. I am no longer a resident of the European Union. I have cut all ties with Douai, and my visa has expired. le sigh. 2. My mother and I survived Africa. It was tough, hot, and sweaty, but we made it through alive (and no parasites this time!) 3. I spent a brief three weeks in the US, running around Pittsburgh and getting dragged to the gym twice a day in Ohio by my mother. I unpacked all my black, French clothes and packed up my shorts, bathing suits, and tank tops. 4. I moved to Japan! Now I live in Chatan on the tropical island of Okinawa with my wonderful boyfriend, Chris. And I got a job! But I have to wait several weeks ... read more

Salaam aleekum! Greetings from Koungheul! Where is Koungheul? you ask. Well, take the one road out of Dakar and drive to Kaolack. From here, take the one road to Tambacounda and drive for about two and a half hours. Tada! Welcome to Koungheul. We are essentially in the Middle of Nowhere. Koungheul is a bustling town of nearly 20,000 (according to Wikipedia) but that seems awfully large. There is a market, a handful of mosques, some small butiks (kind of like general stores where you can buy everything from liquid soap to powdered milk to Fanta to lengths of rope), and a lot of goats. Karin says: If you've ever seen the movie, 'Groundhog's Day,' then you can get an idea of what life is like in Koungheul. Everyday is the same from food to daily ... read more

The first stop of our trip went off without a hitch. I stepped off the plane in Lisbon after getting up very early, catching the first metro to the airport, and waiting ages in the longest line ever (thanks, EasyJet). Mom was there at the baggage claim in Lisbon waiting for me. Bags, euros, taxi...no problem, and we were at the hostel before lunch time. Our hostel was right in the center of the city center...it doesn't get much more convenient than that! Well, it would have been more convenient if there had been an elevator...but dragging three massive bags plus carry-ons up four flights of stairs is all part of the fun, right? We had a room to ourselves with a very nice shared bathroom and a balcony overlooking Rua dos Correeiros. After determining that ... read more

Peter and I decided to take a weekend trip to Brussels since it was (sort of) a halfway point between us. Besides, Belgium sounded infinitely more exciting than Douai or Luxembourg. We booked a night at a strange little B&B in an immigrant neighborhood slightly outside the city center. It was a very eclectic place, decorated with things brought back from the owner's many travels. Our room had a sort of African feel, and the room next to us was decorated with a mirror and lighting fixtures from India. It was how I imagined a boarding house would be...very much a communal life. As a group, we decided what time we wanted to eat breakfast in the morning, and then we all sat around a massive wooden table eating Moroccan pancakes. We discussed culture, languages, politics, ... read more

I've known since October that I was going to England with one of my schools to visit their penpals. I was really excited about it at first, but as we got closer and closer to the departure date, I got more and more anxious. Honestly, who thought taking 23 ten-year-olds to another country was a good idea?! In typical French fashion, I had almost no information or even an up-to-date itinerary. I remember going on school trips in junior high, and there were tons of parent meetings, permission slips, information sessions, etc. Not so much for this trip. I was told about two weeks before we left to make sure to pack my sleeping bag and pillow and show up at 11am. Sleeping bag and pillow? Great... We managed to get all twenty-seven of us (23 ... read more