Travel

I love travel. There is nothing like the thrill of going somewhere new and discovering the similarities and differences in food, culture, art, and architecture. Exploration was part of my life growing up, and I’ve continued prioritizing it as an adult. Whether staying with buddies in Amsterdam, or working with the foundation’s partners in Mozambique, I love connecting with friends new and old.

Highlights

In undergrad I was able to study abroad twice. In 2008 I studied at LCC University in Lithuania, and experienced Latvia, Estonia, and Russia as well. The dorm I lived in was filled with students from all over the world, and especially from Eastern Europe. Making friends from Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Poland has incredibly impacted how I understand the world. In 2010 I took an immersive course in Cambodia that focused on the country’s recent history and culture as a way to understand the prevalence of human trafficking, and how to prevent it.

In 2012 I lived in central Mozambique on an orphanage. Understanding how the country was impacted first by Portuguese colonization in the 1400s, and then by civil war in the 1970s has been formative in understanding the cascading connection between war, famine, birth defects, and education, all of which effect standards of living for generations.

In between these longer experiences I’ve traveled through much of Western Europe visiting family, and making new friends along the way. My upcoming trips in 2022 include Uganda and Iraq- new countries to explore and understand!