Kazakhstan was the first of my two study trips during my master’s program. The largest of all the “-stan” countries, Kazakhstan is tucked between Russia, Mongolia, and China and the culture definitely reflects the geographical intersection through the diversity of languages, body characteristics, geo-political orientations, transportation, architecture, and food & drink. As a small group…
Tag: Life
Morocco | 2014
Forgoing the opportunity to visit home after seven months abroad, I signed up for another study trip (the first being to Kazakhstan for fall break) for the first week of spring break during my master’s program. On a rainy February day in Paris, twelve students & my program director boarded a plane for a nine-day…
Unconventional productivity
Ever since completing my master’s program, I have more often than not hesitated to reach out to update friends, family, and potential networking connections because I “haven’t made it yet”. There is not a big kid job at the top of my resume to prove that I am a capable and successful adult. There is…
Airplane blankets & family photos
I am a natural introvert and I recharge my energy through solitude. Solitude is not necessarily about being lonely; although I freely admit that I spent many hours and many days feeling lonely when I lived in Paris for a yearlong master’s program. To me, solitude is about finding stillness and a sense of peace…
Life isn’t about you
I have not lived for that long. I haven’t even seen my quarter-of-a-century birthday yet. I definitely have not figured out “what I want to be when I grow up” yet. But I do understand that my life is not actually about me. That may sound overly optimistic, exceedingly naïve, and pompously self-sacrificing, but if…
L.M.Beatty 