small trips around a big world
Hi again, I just returned from a second round of data collection, this time in the Southern Nations and Nationalities People’s Region, specifically the Humbo district. This area is home to about 45 different ethnic groups, so there are a huge variety of languages spoken. In the area where we stayed, Walaytanga (of the Walaita tribe)... Continue Reading →
In 2011, I spent three months traveling around Ethiopia to conduct research on the country's polio eradication initiative. Chris met me there at the end of my stay and we took the opportunity to do some personal travels. It was a life-changing experience that has profoundly influenced our views of the world. Some of my... Continue Reading →
As COVID-19 cases continue to surge around the globe and people begin to numb to the fear of a pandemic that's gone on for too long, I've noticed that personal anecdotes from those grappling with the virus have been missing from the recent headlines. Having spent a month in the trenches with my son as... Continue Reading →
My skills have gotten rusty, I notice during a recent Ethiopian dinner, as I clumsily try to tear off a piece of injera and transfer a scoop of shiro wot from my plate to my mouth using only my right hand. The flavors bring back fond memories from my summer in Ethiopia in 2011, and... Continue Reading →
Microtripping has taken on a whole new meaning for us now that our travels include a tiny human being. After a long search for a fall vacation destination with a 5-month old, we discovered the new parent dream getaway: the Greek island of Crete, with direct flights from Geneva to Heraklion in under three hours.... Continue Reading →
Despite Lyon's reputation as a food and wine mecca, it can be easily overlooked as just a stop on the way from Geneva or Paris to southern France. After watching it pass by the window numerous times, we chose a weekend and began planning a trip to explore Lyon's world-famous sites and cuisine. Lyon's... Continue Reading →
If you're looking for great food, fine wine, and a world-class farmer's market in a laid-back setting, don't overlook Geneva's lesser known French neighbor, Ferney Voltaire. Downtown Ferney VoltaireImage credit: Daniel Gillet The New York Times has featured Geneva twice in its 36 hours articles (2007 and 2016), but Geneva's next door neighbor, Ferney Voltaire,... Continue Reading →
Every year on the last Sunday in July, the cantons of Berne and Valais meet on the famed Gemmi Pass to celebrate their brotherhood by bringing their sheep together for a friendly shepherd's festival. The Gemmi Pass, linking the Bernese Oberland with canton Valais, is steeped in history. One of the most frequented north-south mountain routes during the... Continue Reading →
Few things bring me more joy than leaving the office on a Friday night and hopping on a train headed to the mountains. So on Friday evening, I traded my heels for boots and caught a train to Lucerne, another to Sarnen, and then a bus climbing up and away from civilization to Stockalp, at... Continue Reading →
The fall colors in Switzerland's Loetschental valley are spectacular. We first discovered this secret paradise during Chris's birthday trip exactly a year ago, waking up to mountains aflame with brilliant orange larchwoods. This was the scene we were anticipating when we returned on the same weekend a year later, but instead, we watched from our little... Continue Reading →