Toy Soliders

Being a soldier anywhere is hard work, but particularly in Africa. While unnamed wars still drag on, the continent is now seeing a bit of a reprieve from the last several decades of fighting seen in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Angola, Mozambique, Somalia; the list goes on. On my last trip to Congo, I was struck…

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Ni Paix Ni Guerre

Neither peace nor war. It says so much. This is how eastern Democractic Republic of Congo was described in a report that was developed on the joint assessment trip that I wrapped up last week (though I’ve stuck around DRC – in Goma now – for a couple of additional weeks). As you can see…

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Africa Photos

Since I wasn’t able to get up many photos with connectivity as it is in Africa, I wanted to share my full album from my latest trip, as well as some of the best of. Playing with baby lions was fun, right up to the point… where the baby lion bit me on the breast!…

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Impressions of Zimbabwe

So I’ve been neglectful in my writing about Zimbabwe. Completely MIA, and flying out in an hour. Such is life. I’ll give a few snippets of what my impressions are, just so you have a flavor of the place. First impression, wow, paved roads. Will have to get used to driving on the left. High…

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Surviving Travel – Plan Z

In my crazy adventures around the globe, folks sometimes ask me how I manage. Let’s face it, what I do means landing in a place where I most often don’t know anyone, the language, the cultural nuances, the terrain, you name it. While you can do all the preparation in the world, most often this…

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Quick Impressions of Freetown

Before I head back to Liberia in the morning, I just wanted to share a few impressions of Freetown.First, I’d have to say that the city was a breath of fresh air. It is situated on hills going straight up against the water, reminiscent of San Francisco, but Africa style. There are great historical houses,…

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What’s a little mud?

Adventures in Africa come in all forms! I love my Keens! On Monday we spent 13 hours driving in Liberia, this was after 7 hours the previous day. We’ll have somewhere in between to look forward to in the morning. The roads in Liberia are overall much better than in Congo, but now my standards…

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Opportunity

When traveling overseas there appear to be a great deal of opportunities. The thing is, these opportunities are always there, we just fail to recognize them. I know, I live in Washington DC and too rarely enjoy all of the sites of the city. While it is always good to be open to new opportunities,…

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Dining Abroad

In my global travels I’ve had extensive experience in living and staying in other people’s homes, as well as a variety of group living situations. Currently in Liberia I’m staying in an apartment adjacent to my Country Director. It is nice as I have a bit of privacy, but also the experience of sharing meals…

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Welcome to Liberia

As I awaken from my groggy slumber I realize just how close we are. The plane banks to the right and I see the expanse of the Atlantic Ocean, with white sandy beaches punctuating the coast line. The rest is lush jungle and rainforest. Touch down. Country number fifty. The landing is smooth and the…

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