Reflecting on The Big Reconnect Sleepover

Since returning home to Oman from summer break, everyone has been asking “How was London?”  Though I technically was in London for an entire week, most of my time was spent at The Big Reconnect Sleepover (TBRS) in the countryside.  We were geographically in London but spiritually elsewhere.  The sisterhood we developed in less than five …

Oman Adventures: Dimaniyat Islands

Last weekend was definitely a #iheartoman kind of weekend. July 23rd was Renaissance Day and a national holiday in Oman, so there were a number of excursion promotions being offered. What caught our attention was a three-hour glass bottom boat tour to the Dimaniyat Islands, a nature reserve about 45 minutes away from Seeb Port …

Our First Family Camping Trip

It took three tries, but we finally made our winter visit to the UAE. Because of transportation issues, the first two attempts flopped but by the third, we had a rental and were ready for the road. Just days prior to the trip, I asked my sisterfriend living in Abu Dhabi about visiting. She said …

Turkey Adventures: Day Trip to Eskişehir

Now that spring has sprung, we’re getting out and exploring again. For a quick and easy day trip from Ankara, Eskişehir had all the right ingredients: accessible by train, pedestrian-friendly, learning opportunities for children, and vegan food. We all but flew to this colorful university town and were eager to explore. We traveled with another …

Turkey Adventures: Weekend in Kastamonu

One of the advantages of living in a country versus visiting it for a holiday is that you can slowly explore and absorb the land that you’re in. You don’t have to plan to see everything all at once and can gradually discover the culture, language, and sights without haste. As visitors, we would’ve overlooked …

Our First Eid in Turkey

After a few weeks of settling into our new home, our first Eid holiday weekend was upon us. We weren’t sure what to do or where to go but we wanted to take advantage of the four-day weekend, and that we did. The first day of Eid started quietly until Lil’ Z started writhing in …

Arriving in Ankara

We had one singular reason for flying Azerbaijan Airlines. It wasn’t an interest in transiting through the capital city, Baku, or experiencing Azeri hospitality. AZAL had the cheapest flights to Ankara and we bought the tickets the very day we saw other airfares jump by almost $200 per ticket. Requesting vegan meals and a baby …

Rediscovering Queens

I'm a Queens girl who loves Brooklyn.  On every visit to New York, I find myself sneaking to the PRB (People's Republic of Brooklyn) for a taste of the vibrant culture, free activities, and delicious food.  But crossing boroughs with a baby gets taxing, so we've redirected our attention to Queens and have been pleasantly …

Nurturing Friendships

Every summer, our visits to the United States fly by so quickly. Whether we’ve stayed three weeks or three months, time never seems adequate enough to visit all of our relatives, let alone our friends. This year, however, we received invitations so warm and sincere that they were hard to decline. With pregnancy behind us …

Five Priceless Possessions for Traveling like a Local

  Last month, my family and I took a long-awaited and highly-anticipated journey to Ethiopia, visiting Addis Ababa, Harar, and Negash.  While we were riding high on the hype of an enriching historical journey, we had to come to terms with the poverty we would face in a developing country.  The tourism industry is booming …