Travel Writing in Oxford

When one dreams of an Italian vacation, one typically conjures the romantic image of a table lit by a candle housed in an old wine bottle; the table is set with silver cutlery cradled in a burgundy napkin; a waiter sets down a sumptuous plate of orecchiette ai cime di rapa and you, in true…… Continue reading Brutta Nottata

“Please order everything for me…I have no idea what half of these things are” I told Tim, holding the menu in confusion. “Okay, okay. Don’t you worry. I will order,” he said with a toothy smile. It happened. Tim had persisted through my constant, wishy-washy, yes-no-maybe answers. It was hard for me to even believe…… Continue reading Date Dissonance

I listen to a great many styles of music—pop, R&B, classical, dubstep, even K-pop—but I had never listened to sitar music before, so Anoushka Shankar’s album Land of Gold was an entirely new musical experience for me. Learning that this album is inspired by the tragic death of a young refugee boy, I went into…… Continue reading Land of Gold

“Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?” Abbi said. She sat on my bunk bed, legs crossed, looking at me with eagerness. I sat in pensive silence—threatened only by the perpetual sound of sirens in the outside streets of Berlin—trying to think of the most impressive…… Continue reading 36 Questions to Make You Fall In Love

“Ladies and gentlemen,” buzzed a tired-sounding women over the microphone. The noise reverberated in the corner of the waiting area. “Flight 605 to Spokane has been canceled due to understaffing. Please make your way to the concierge to arrange accommodations. We apologize on behalf of Alaska Airlines.” The mood in the room was resounding confusion…… Continue reading Road Trip

From the outside—with its ornate windows, magnificent stone details, and the adjacent, jutting precipice of St. Mary’s Church—the aptly named Congregation House seems more of a parish chapel or gothic chantry than a stylish café. Walking into the café, I noted the speckled-stone grave markers just feet from the entrance. I hoped the departed liked…… Continue reading The Congregation House

“When you visit Europe, you must shop at a Christmas market!”   I’ve heard that suggestion at least a thousand times after I told my friends that I would be studying abroad in England during the fall semester and it proved to be within good reason. Markets are a staple of the European Christmas tradition…… Continue reading Stanley Knife Snack

As a person who has not ventured much into the world of Indian music, only hearing the sitar within the Western contexts of the experimental songs by the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, Anoushka Shankar’s Land Of Gold was an insightful listen. Shankar begins her album with a track called “Boat of Nowhere” which indicates…… Continue reading Land of Gold and the Music to Match

Why am I here? I would much rather be at home. I could ask myself this same question anywhere, whether I’m wandering around the University Parks or shopping for new sneakers at Westgate. Yet the idea doesn’t appear except in the smallest corner of my mind, when I’m standing on the sidelines of an Oxford…… Continue reading The question isn’t answered if an answer isn’t questioned

By the time we arrive at the club for our weekly bout of binge-drinking and scream-singing along to that week’s top hits, there is already a line wrapped around the outside of the building. The corners of my mouth tug downward into a grimace, but I push forward and claim us two spots in the…… Continue reading bacchae