Hiking the Appalachian Trail has traditionally been viewed as an escape from modern society. But with a new generation of hikers bringing technology into the woods, trail culture is rapidly evolving. Do these changes reflect a more social and accessible trail, or do they threaten the age-old benefits of experiencing the outdoors?
Over the past three months, I had the privilege to meet and interview over 300 people in Patagonia. From backpackers in hostels to families on winter vacation, from French to English to Spanish to Portuguese, each complemented my interview with his or her own story and words of advice. Among these 300 I found friends, a family, and a network […]
About halfway through my bucket shower with mosquito larvae this morning, I thought, Why didn’t I spend this summer with my grandma? She being my go-to symbol of childhood creature comforts: air conditioning, trips to the North Park pool, walking through the mall, soaking up MTV and eating Klondike bars on her couch. Grandma would have loved six weeks of […]
This blog entry tells a few stories about Kurdistan’s water usage. With considerable sadness, I must admit that my observations have not been particularly positive. As I strive to find my professional place in Iraq’s water security endeavors, I am daily reminded that water management is not just an environmental challenge – it’s a cultural one. My disappointment began one […]
I headed straight up North without hanging out with my folks in the South, hoping I could complete work in time then follow up with fun. Well, things did not go as intended. The field had been deelyp ploughed while the ever-frowning sun greeted the early mornings with its scorching rays. Under such stress, two balls of warm-up “kenkey” (boiled […]