Think of the desert. For me, I typically imagine dry, barren and dead masses of land with maybe a few camels roaming around. Essentially, I pictured a lifeless landscape – far from what I would consider a travel destination. Naturally, I assumed this is what I would experience while camping in the Namib Desert, but…
Anthropology professor Caleb Everett named Carnegie Fellow, teaches at sea
One of the most unique aspects of Semester at Sea is the fact that I eat lunch with, live down the hall from, and make small talk with the program’s faculty and staff. Coincidentally, I live two doors down from University of Miami professor of anthropology and recent Carnegie Fellow, Caleb Everett. As one of…
Miami Globe Trotter: ‘Do things that scare you,’ like South African bungee jumping
Toeing the edge of a bridge 216 meters (709 feet) tall, I barely had enough time to think to myself, “How did I end up here?” Suddenly my legs jumped me off the Bloukrans Bridge in South Africa, the highest commercial bridge bungee in the world. There was a split second after my feet had…
Miami Globe Trotter: ‘I went to India, but didn’t see the Taj Mahal’
I went to India, but didn’t see the Taj Mahal. Should I be upset? At first, I was a little disappointed that I wouldn’t be traveling to see the Taj Mahal during my time in India. People travel from all over the world to stand in awe before this particular manmade structure. To go or…
Miami Globe Trotter: Vietnam’s vitality defies war-torn past
Before my visit, I had only ever heard Vietnam surrounded by war jargon like the terms Agent Orange and the Viet Cong. An overall opposition to the events that occurred there clouded my perspective of the country. I have heard Vietnam War veterans speak with trembling courage about their experiences, I have watched documentaries, and…
Miami Globe Trotter: Shanghai’s chaos sheds lessons
Disclaimer: China is a vast country and my experience is unique to me. Within the first half-hour of being in Shanghai, I was nearly hit by a motorbike, yelled at, stared at and pushed past while trying to find my way on the streets. I was abruptly snapped out of my Japanese daydream and quite…
Miami Globe Trotter: Japan speaks in silence
Japan has left me speechless, and I mean that quite literally. On the outside, Tokyo looks pretty similar to any major American city. There are tons of people, busy streets, skyscrapers, and the like. When I stepped off the train to this city that seemed so familiar, I was immersed into a city on mute….
Miami Globe Trotter: Hawaii offers sense of community
Aloha, Miami! The first stop on my 112-day voyage was Hilo, Hawaii. For those of you unfamiliar with Hawaiian geography, Hilo is located on the big island of Hawaii and is home to some pretty cool natural attractions I had the chance to learn about first hand. Currently, I am enrolled in an introductory astronomy…