aside from the people, it’s the noises of africa i miss the most. the buzzing of big bugs traipsing somewhere in the bright foliage. motorbike horns honking in friendly discussion. badly recorded music blasting through maxed speakers on the side of the red dusty road, the blurred bass like a neverending tribal chant. the clucking [...]

february (let’s face it, pretty much all of winter) is typically one of the hardest times of year for me. early on in college, i consciously decided i would despise every february. i thought i was so rebellious. i would complain about february as it approached, knowing it was coming, the awkward pest in between [...]

relationally, this has got to be one of the most spread out times of life. literally everyone is in a different place. i scroll through my facebook home page and see photos of brand new babies, of boyfriends and bouquets, weddings, unflattering moments from parties (and weddings), new apartments and houses and announcements about getting [...]

last week the papé household walked through what felt like a battlefield. but these hardships that have flared up allowed for life-giving conversations with close friends, the kinds of friends you just want to celebrate for being so good to you! maybe with champagne and a really yummy cheeseboard complete with fig spread and marcona [...]

trying something new is rarely easy, and isn’t necessarily rewarding either. i once tried snowboarding … never again. i grew up uninvolved in school sports. instead my parents committed to driving me back and forth over the narrows bridge for dance lessons throughout the week – ballet, jazz, tap, pointe, company rehearsals – and while [...]

every year around this time i struggle to face the reality of the changing season and the cold and wet that comes with it. to describe it as ‘abrupt’ is an understatement. this past summer was a short one and it was good, but more like a hot spell, not prolonged, but pronounced and demanding. [...]