tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28249507988807571302012-02-16T21:14:20.393-05:00I wasn't doing the best job keeping family and friends updated about my travels, much less keeping track of them myself. So I created this blog to store and share pictures, thoughts and stories from each trip. Enjoy!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.comBlogger261100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-78251144612685546412010-01-14T11:29:00.010-05:002010-01-14T15:29:14.904-05:00

Click here to see my pictures of Mali.I have rarely received more blank stares discussing an upcoming trip than when I mentioned I would be traveling to Mali. People seemed to be unaware of the location of the country much less any information about it. I found this fascinating given the country’s incredibly rich history.Mali is one of the largest and most politically and socially stable

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-57556281087810977462009-09-01T10:11:00.005-04:002010-01-14T15:36:44.727-05:00

Click here to see my pics.I went straight to Nepal from Vietnam, although ‘straight’ isn’t the right word for the direct route of taking two flights and spending the night in Bangkok in order to get there. I was feeling the effects of my first trimester of pregnancy and was pretty exhausted by the time I got to Nepal, so I ended up staying in Kathmandu the whole time. I was a bit disappointed, as

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-57232086294623645302009-08-20T22:53:00.000-04:002010-01-07T13:46:11.616-05:00

I went to Vietnam in July, and the heat just about did me in (as you’ll see in my very sweaty pictures - click here to see the photos). I was really excited to go, as I had been wanted to spend more time in Southeast Asia. Vietnam is still a Communist country, but with a market economy, which makes for an interesting combination. The media still fairly controlled and the civil society tame but

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-70068874251617850742009-05-28T14:44:00.011-04:002010-01-07T13:41:48.839-05:00

Click here to see my pictures!I recently took a two week trip to Uganda. I had been looking forward to traveling to Uganda for a while, as I have learned a lot about the country over the past few years. Joshua and I gave a donation on behalf of our wedding guests to a World Vision program in northern Uganda that reintegrated child soldiers into society as our wedding favors. I wrote a paper in

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-23207026168489581492009-04-03T09:26:00.007-04:002010-01-07T13:37:00.792-05:00

Click here to see my pics!Back to South America, that lovely continent of varied and breathtaking terrain, delicious food, fascinating politics, and welcoming people with a strong sense of their identity and culture. Yes, I sound like a travel channel special, but I can’t help it! I’m becoming obsessed…Bolivia is the poorest country in South America, with a life expectancy of only 63 years. It’s

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-1009328564519754002008-10-22T21:52:00.007-04:002008-10-23T12:55:37.223-04:00

Click here to see my Ecuador pics! I am absolutely fascinated by South America. The diversity of culture, astounding range of ecosystems, the delicious food, the art and music: both Peru and Ecuador have been amazing trips. And as a plus, this was certainly one of the easier trips I’ve taken: Ecuador uses the U.S. dollar as its currency, the same plugs, and it’s only a one hour time difference

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-51402707257438592112008-10-22T20:28:00.004-04:002008-10-22T20:39:24.890-04:00

I went back to Bangkok on a last minute trip – I found out I was going four days before I left! I was there for a week last year but forgot my camera, so I was excited to revisit the amazing temples and palaces and canals and capture it all on camera…Unfortunately, the day I got there violence erupted between the anti-government protesters and the police. It’s been all over the news, but

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-41693353937649247402008-06-13T14:12:00.004-04:002008-07-09T11:56:04.016-04:00

As Joshua and I are becoming more involved in the refugee community in Atlanta, we are aware that many of the 'international' issues that I encounter on my travels often hit remarkably close to home. I wanted to note a few documentaries that help give a sense of the struggle of refugees both abroad and in the U.S.Rain in a Dry Land – This film chronicles two years in the lives of two extended

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-91759124630051090262008-05-29T10:39:00.018-04:002008-05-29T18:47:36.663-04:00

While I was in Malawi, my youngest sister Molly was right across the lake in Tanzania for a summer school program. She sent an email saying that she completely understood my draw to Africa, because "there is so much poverty, and so much beauty." I found this to be particularly the case in both Malawi and Ethiopia, more so than other places I've traveled to recently. There is something so basic

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-61165857870934974532008-05-21T23:01:00.016-04:002008-05-29T18:52:37.102-04:00

Click here to see my pictures from Malawi.Malawi is an incredibly beautiful country, covered by broad, rolling expanses of yellows, greens and purples, mountains and the huge Lake Malawi, which is more like an ocean. It is also an incredibly poor country. The average annual income per person is $160, making it one of the 10 poorest countries in the world. And because it suffers from one of the

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-53678913949149988442008-05-15T12:53:00.013-04:002008-05-29T18:51:13.382-04:00

Click here to see my pictures from Ethiopia.Ethiopia, where the oldest remains of a human were found (Lucy) and cultural remnants date back to 1000 BC, is referred to as the cradle of humankind. As the oldest independent country in Africa, Ethiopia has retained such a distinct culture and rooted sense of history and identity. It feels very different from most of the countries I travel in that

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-59394618462211760652008-05-15T12:11:00.005-04:002008-05-15T12:21:40.784-04:00

I unexpectedly had a 14 hour layover in Paris, which didn't turn out to be all that bad! I arrived at the airport for my flight to Lagos, Nigeria and then on to Ethiopia and they wouldn't let me on the plane. Apparently you have to have a visa to even land in Nigeria, and I was only going to have a 3 hour layover! Turns out that several people I knew told me, after the fact of course, that they

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-17744321827333930332008-04-11T18:24:00.013-04:002008-04-13T17:05:10.337-04:00

Click here for my pictures. Istanbul has been the setting for some of the world's most significant history. It was a small town for a thousand years before Constantine decided to make it the "new Rome" in 326 AD and turned it into Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire and the largest city in the world for hundreds of years. It was sacked during the crusades and then conquered by the

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-62356002094603110482008-01-30T15:24:00.004-05:002008-04-11T18:24:25.619-04:00

So I've had a nice break from traveling but I'm starting to get antsy again... some new trips were scheduled just in time! I'm off to Turkey April 1 - April 9, then to Ethiopia and Malawi April 24 - May 9. I'll keep you posted (no pun intended!)

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-19636937293688589302007-11-19T18:54:00.000-05:002007-11-20T10:17:25.896-05:00

I have always wanted to go to Peru, so it was exciting to be sent for work! I was working at CARE's office in Lima for 2 weeks and took 3 days over the weekend to go to Cusco and the Sacred Valley. There is so much in Peru that I have long been interested in experiencing - the Amazon jungle and the Andes mountains, Machu Picchu, the native Indian culture of 50% of the population, and the

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-71862039753849004862007-10-20T18:07:00.000-04:002007-10-21T16:20:52.799-04:00

I just returned from working in London and Oxford for a week, and I'm having post-travel depression...remind me why I live in Atlanta? (Love you honey.) I won't write much about this trip - explaining London's sites in detail isn't quite as necessary as the lengthy commentary on my other trips! Click here to see a few pictures.I had an incredible time. It was beautiful, crisp fall weather the

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-63629782724806545702007-09-01T12:15:00.000-04:002007-09-06T16:42:16.850-04:00

Trip to Egypt - with Josh!I travelled to Eygpt to work with CARE Egypt, and Josh came along and we made a vacation out of it. We spent 5 days in Cairo, 3 in the Sinai peninsula (2 at a resort on the Red Sea, Dahab, and 1 at Mt. Sinai), and then took a long train ride south along the Nile to spend 3 days in Luxor.First impressions: fascinating country and somewhat of a sensory overload. It's a

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-27063822059107864222007-08-31T13:09:00.000-04:002007-09-06T18:39:23.389-04:00

We spent 5 days in the mega-city of Cairo, home to 17 million people. The best part is merely wandering around and observing. It is so dirty and huge and loud and exhausting, but also so stimulating and exciting and beautiful.A few of the highlights of our time in Cairo: - We spent an evening with the refugee woman I tutor in atlanta, Selwa, and her neice and nephew. Josh and I have become very

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-67131845712812388692007-08-28T10:42:00.000-04:002007-09-06T16:56:47.404-04:00

We took a 10 hour train ride south along the Nile to Luxor, which has been inhabited for 6000 years! It was the capital for much of Pharonic rule and was also the center of religious and ceremonical life in ancient Egypt. It has the most preverved ancient monuments - King Tut's tomb was found here. There's the Valley of the Kings, where many of the tombs of the Pharoah are still in tact - we

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-68427004995248284942007-08-26T13:08:00.000-04:002007-09-06T18:38:48.256-04:00

We stayed in Dahab, a Bedouin (desert tribe that are the traditional inhabitants of the Sinai peninsula) fishing village that has turned into a European and Arab resort town on the Red Sea. It was incredibly beautiful and relaxing. We spent a lot of time snorkeling in the coral reef in front of our hotel and saw the most unbelievable marine life. I've never seen anything like the fish and the

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-38255246012067410862007-06-25T12:18:00.000-04:002007-09-06T20:58:11.126-04:00

View my pictures of Dubai here.Dubai was crazy. It’s literally a city rising out of the desert, in the middle of nowhere. It felt to me like an incredibly expensive combinatin of Vegas and Disneyland, and you can’t decide to deride it or be fascinated by it. Little bit of both.A refugee woman I work with in Atlanta, Selwa, has extended family in Dubai, so her neice Reem and nephew Mohammed picked

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-58822685556169384812007-06-20T14:19:00.000-04:002007-08-20T12:06:49.401-04:00

View my pictures from Bangladesh here.Bangladesh StatisticsPopulation: 138.4 millionUrban Population: 26%Major Ethnic and Linguistic Groups: Bengali - 98%Religions: Muslim - 83%Hindu - 16%Population Growth Rate: 2.06%Life Expectancy: 61.3 yearsInfant Mortality: 66 per 1,000 live birthsUnder Five Mortality: 77 per 1,000 live birthsMaternal Mortality Rate: 400 per 100,000 live birthsGNP Per Capita

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-71910397401512917112007-06-17T13:38:00.000-04:002007-09-06T17:58:28.154-04:00

Well the highlight of my trip was that I got bumped up to business class on my Emirates flight! I was so excited. I was in the very back of the plan in the middle between 2 very stinky men. And then up to business with mimosas and a tv and incredible vegetable curry and a chair that completely reclined. That is the way to travel internationally, seriously.As for Dhaka - it's the most densely

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-58679864306655019512007-06-15T14:30:00.000-04:002007-09-06T21:04:09.237-04:00

I travelled 9 hours south of the capital city of Dhaka down to Chittagong to interview Selina and write her story for CARE. Selina is on the far left and the other 4 women are her employees.Here is the story that I wrote (caveat: it's for our donors, so it's a particular tone...)"Selina and her family live in a tiny village in Chittagong, the southeast district of Bangladesh, an area dotted with

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-58133590363834028902007-05-22T19:45:00.000-04:002007-08-20T12:07:17.740-04:00

View my photos from Mozambique here.Mozambique StatisticsPopulation: 20.2 Million (DESA 2004)Urban Population: 36%Major Ethnic and Linguistic Groups: Indigenous tribal groups - 99%Religions: Traditional beliefs - 50%; Christian - 30%; Muslim - 20%Population Growth Rate: 0.82%Life Expectancy: 41.6 yearsInfant Mortality: 100 per 1,000 live birthsUnder Five Mortality: 145 per 1,000 live

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2824950798880757130.post-72524782614602870332007-05-20T14:11:00.000-04:002007-09-04T12:46:36.444-04:00

Here's a picture of me interviewing Albertina in Mozambique for the women's empowerment article I was assigned to write, which is as follows:"Wearing a brightly colored batik cloth skirt and a donated sailor hat to guard her eyes from the sun, Albertina walks through the sandy roads of her community, proudly pointing out each of its 8 water points. As president of her community’s water committee

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17495870424637665936noreply@blogger.com0