Story and photo by Zoe Murphy I’ve lived in six countries, across four continents, in the last twenty one years. Growing up cross-culturally has taught me lessons no classroom or textbook ever could. I see people as a collection of their experiences, rather than pigeonholing them based on their ethnicity, assumed cultural norms or traditions….
Category: Narratives
Job Title: Nursing Assistant or Friend?
Story by Caitlin Do I had no idea what to expect when I landed in Cape Town. The only pictures I had in my head were the ones I had found online, specifically of the hospital in which I’d be interning with, as well as the home that I’d be living in. I couldn’t have…
You Don’t Know Anything, Try to Learn Something: Reflecting on My Time in Burundi
Story by Peter Vaselkiv On my flight to Bujumbura, I had so many things going around in my head I was almost numb from trying to figure out what to expect. Looking back on my time in Burundi, it occurs to me now that trying to frame something before having feet on the ground is…
Apprehension and Excitement in Greece
Story by Max Read As I arrived in Greece for my first co-op at the European Public Law Organization (EPLO), I tried to avoid having too many expectations. I knew little about the country and even less about the organization I’d be working for. The few things I knew about Greece came mostly from news…
Por qué vuelvo: Why I’m Going Back to Argentina
Story and photo by Matthew MacCormack There was no shortage of incredible moments on my Dialogue to Argentina and Uruguay last summer. I’ll never forget my excitement as our ferry approached the Perito Moreno Glacier in Patagonia: the feeling of wonder as the icy, blue monstrosity took shape across the fog-cloaked water of Lago Argentina….
Summer in London
Story by Max Read A couple weeks into my first co-op at an intergovernmental organization in Greece, I decided to apply to the London School of Economics and Political Science’s summer program. When I was accepted, the “Brexit” vote was still half a year away, and campaigning hadn’t started in earnest yet. By the first day…
Family Business in Italy
Story by Illeana Cortessi “Buon giorno tutti!” said the bus driver as he was taking us into the city of Verona. We had finally arrived and, though tired, we were excited for the first day of our journey. We entered the hostel, up to our rooms, and started getting ready for our first traditional Italian…
The Danger of a Single Story
Story by Connie Dayina “I had never been outside Nigeria. We didn’t have snow, we ate mangoes and we never talked about the weather because there was no need to,” Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie said in a 2009 TED talk. “My characters also drank a lot of ginger beer, because the characters in the…
It Takes A Village: I am. You are.
Story by Francesca Batault Growing up in South Africa has undoubtedly been one of the most enriching and empowering experiences of my life; there is little that South Africa does not offer. School mornings began with the warm embrace of the African sun, class excursions took us to the heart of Soweto and the depths…
Making Human Connections in Sevilla and Barcelona
Story by Alessandra Grillo Throughout my early education and into freshmen year of college, I studied Spanish language and culture. Each textbook assignment and pedantic lecture that passed only crystallized my desire to immerse myself in the vivacious Spanish culture. Ultimately, in order to understand the intricacies of this European cultural hub, I knew I…
