Now that independent research week has come to an end, we have reconvened as a single unit, but we are not simply picking up where we left off. We have relocated from New South Wales to Queensland, from Sydney to Brisbane, from a residence hall to homes. The conversations before and after the lectures are […]
Chilca Totora
Every Friday instead of class we all go to our volunteer sites. I volunteer at Chilca Totora along with Mayana and Ellen. Chilca Totora is a small rural community 30 minutes outside of Cuenca. Every Friday we flag down a taxi who does not know what he is getting himself into until he is driving […]
The Haunted House
Some hundred years ago in the Tuscan countryside, a farmhouse was built by an Italian family. For reasons unknown to us, they have parted from the place. History has already forgotten the name of the household, but traces of their presence linger. The children’s bed frames remain, dreaming of older days. Rainwater has collected in […]
Ride or Die
As our independent travel week commenced Emma and I took off to the gold coast to hang out with the hippy, world traveling backpackers of Byron Bay. We spent our week with sandy bottoms, surfer babe hair, and some pretty gnarly burn lines. On Tuesday of that week we were driven away from the sandy […]
My Morning Walk
My morning walk from the 13th century building on Vicolo del Sasso that I currently live in to Fontebranda, where my Italian classes are currently held, would take me ten minutes to complete. But that is when I walk like myself, quickly and with purpose, watching the street signs to make sure that I’m headed […]