Category: My Postcards
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I still remember how on my first trip to Europe, I packed nothing but ripped jeans. At the time, ripped mom jeans were a staple at my American college. However, in Europe, they were not. And probably never were. This is something I learned by walking through gorgeous, historic city centers dressed like I was…
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I arrived in Kigali, Rwanda exhausted, muddled, and a tad nervous. After spending over a month getting accustomed to the comforts of home, I was back in a brand new place, a brand new region. Six hours on a bus and nineteen hours in the air, and my host Fraterne was waiting to pick me…
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I’ve only been carrying a camera with me for a short time. It began in Fethiye, Turkey, with a Canon EOS R100 and a growing curiosity for capturing the moments around me. I always wished I could adequately share the emotions I associate with travel; to properly document the experiences so people understood what I…
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Chapter 1: Throughout all of my travels, the most unexpected discovery hasn’t been a place. It’s been myself. Which sounds dramatic, but unfortunately, it’s true. I’m learning to prioritize the things I actually want, over what sounds cool or what will save me the most dollars. I’m incredibly lucky to be writing this in 2026,…
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Transylvania hardly seems like an actual place. I think its sense of unreality was heightened with the popular animated film Hotel Transylvania (which I loved, by the way). I’ve always loved the spooky, the eerie, the odd. I was a teenager when I found out Transylvania does, in fact, exist – and it’s a Romanian…
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I grew up eating my Aunt Denise’s famous lazy pierogi every holiday. I grew up confused about how to spell or even properly pronounce some of my family surnames, like Staszczyk or Jarzyniecki (yes – I had to double check those spellings just now). My mom would make kielbasa at least once a week. At…
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I hope everybody had a wonderful holiday season! If you are reading this, I thank you so much for your support. I mostly write for fun – to document my life experiences, for myself and for the friends or family who are interested in knowing about any of it. But it always makes me happy…
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I left Jordan by way of what was advertised as a ferry. In reality, it was a cargo ship that crossed the Red Sea each night, porting in Egypt. Before boarding, I had the most surreal customs experience of my life. After running my bags through the x-ray, they asked me to take out all…
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I don’t know why I ended up in Jordan. It was never on my radar; never a bucket list place to visit for me. I didn’t know much about the country even upon arrival. Israel is close by. Syria borders the north; go east and you’ll hit Iraq. But the country opened itself up to…