• What Happened in Tbilisi

    You know how when you show up in a new place, with no friends, no job, no place to stay, you have the chance to reinvent yourself entirely? No one knows anything about you – this is…

  • On Leaving Ukraine

    I knew it was time to leave Ukraine when they knocked down the cigarette stands across the street. It’s not that I smoke cigarettes, but that was my go-to place for late night chocolate. I had established…

  • 5 Things to Know Before Teaching English Abroad

    Oh man, the dreams we have before embarking on expat life, the ideas we have before teaching English abroad! Visions of motivated students delighted with every inspired lesson, eager to listen to the wisdom you drop. Relaxing sunset…

  • Two Years of Expat Life, Three Lessons Learned

    Today is my two year anniversary of getting on a plane and flying over Canada to Tokyo, where I’d spend a brief, adrenaline-pumped fourteen hours before continuing on to Singapore. It was the start of my expat…

  • Why I Decided to Stay in Kiev

    Two new coffee shops have opened up on my street in the last week. One is right down the block from a shop called Meat Loves Cheese, which I have yet to visit despite its tantalizing name.…

  • How I Survived Teaching with Depression

    Oh hello. Well, this is a bit awkward. I mean, I know I’m the one who brought this up, but depression is still something not talked about. Except, we’re going to talk about it today. First, talking…

  • 9 Ways I Changed Living in Serbia

    My decision to spend over a month living in Serbia this summer was completely random. I had no expectations, just a prayer that I would find a cute coffee shop. While it wasn’t without its challenges, Serbia was…