To say I was a little nervous before launching out on a houseboat in the backwaters of Kerala would be an understatement. Everyone says it’s The Thing To Do in this southern Indian state, so I couldn’t help asking a familiar, apprehensive question: Will this be worth it?
“Wherever you are, be all there.” — Jim Elliot A few weeks ago, I had the chance to team up with UK-based charity Jeevika Trust on their team visit to Tamil Nadu. Part of the visit was connecting with one of their local partners, Social Change and Development (SCAD), to explore new opportunities for the … Read More
“Become a stranger in a strange land. Acquire humility. Learn the language. Listen to what the people are saying.” — Paul Theroux “Hello, my friend! Where from? Where going? You want to ask me a question? I can speak with you, I know English, you can ask me anything you want. You understand my English? … Read More
“The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you.” — John E. Southard When I think about the fact that this is the fourth year in a row that I’m missing Thanksgiving at home, it’s almost enough to make me throw in the [travel] towel and get … Read More
“Voyage upon life’s sea, To yourself be true, And, whatever your lot may be, Paddle your own canoe.” — Sarah Bolton When you think about the fact that from tip to tip, India and Sri Lanka are only twenty miles apart, and that a direct flight from Trivandrum to Colombo would have taken merely an … Read More
“Blow, blow, ye spicy breezes — O’er Ceylon blow your breath, Where every prospect pleases, Save only that of death.” — Ambrose Bierce It was the kind of place that has two names—Sonali, India, or Belahiya, Nepal—depending on which side of the border you happened to be standing. At the end of September, I found … Read More
“I am as curious about color as one would be visiting a new country, because I have never concentrated so closely on color expression. Up to now I have waited at the gates of the temple.” — Henri Matisse All I needed was a quote about color. Doesn’t sound too ambitious, does it? It’s a … Read More
“I am not an adventurer by choice but by fate.” — Vincent van Gogh It was the summer after graduation and I was two months into living at home and waitressing at a local restaurant. One night, a customer asked what I was doing now that I’d finished university. “I’m moving to London in August … Read More