"knapsacking abroad"

Today my family and I went to my grandmother's house. We're in the process of cleaning it out so that she can sell it and move into an assisted living home. This seems like a daunting task, and it has definitely been a challenging and emotional process, but there is a bright side. And that bright side is basically that I get to go through all of her awesome stuff from the 1960's and take what I want. (Vintage stand mixer, anyone?!) So I was in my dad's old bedroom and was rummaging through the bookshelf when I found this gem from 1967 --

It's called Knapsacking Abroad. My dad told me that he bought it when he was a senior in high school, which made me giggle. Now I don't need to wonder where I got that travel bug from.

christmas swag

I love Christmas and not just because of the gifts. Being with family is great, and we always eat sushi for Christmas lunch. (These are the perks of being in a Korean family.) But gifts are still pretty sweet, and I definitely cleaned up this year. My family has been asking me incessantly about my semester abroad, and their gifts show how interested they are in my future as I am. They got me guidebooks to India and to Israel, as well as a boatload of foreign currency. I have to admit, it was really fun opening up a bag full of what looked like Monopoly money. It looks like a lot of dough, but the exchange rates mean that it's not actually that much cash. But any cash is useful, and it will all go a long way.

We can't forget the most useful gift of them all, though --

A camouflage Snuggie! Practical, comfortable and stylish. So I'm going to sit right here, cozy in my Snuggie, and nom on all of the leftover sushi and Christmas cookies while watching even more "How I Met Your Mother" on Netflix.

And thank you to my loving family, who has always supported my desire to travel - both now and in the past - and makes sure that I do it in style. Merry Christmas, everyone!

jumbo pride

So as part of my partnership with Tufts Advancement, they want me to take videos of my trip to India! I'm not allowed to show you the videos until I show them the videos, but look at the awesome Jumbo-themed Flip camera they're letting me borrow. I'm so excited for the opportunity to take videos for them, and as I mentioned, it'll be nice to have a reason to document my trip. Although I love taking pictures, I've never really gotten into taking videos. It's a media I've never fully experimented with, but maybe I'll really enjoy it! Really, the point of this post is to show off a little bit and to show off my Jumbo pride. I may not bleed brown and blue, but I do have a soft spot for my college's color combination (and for my college).

my tufts: maxine builder, a13

Over the past semester, Tufts Alumni has been profiling me as part of a series that they call "My Tufts." It's pretty flattering to be chosen to be featured in these e-mails, but it's also shocking when I realize that an e-mail with my name in the subject line was sent out to anyone with an e-mail address that ends with "@alumni.tufts.edu." I was genuinely shocked with how many people who had graduated sent me e-mails and contacted me on Facebook about this e-mail, which was sent out this morning. It was nice to know that other people think that what I have to say is interesting. (And let's be realistic. That's all that any writer or blogger wants to hear.)

This profile features my academic interests and how I aim to apply what I've learned in the classroom in the field. I'm also stoked because Tufts Alumni will be continuing the profile while I'm in New Delhi next semester. I've been told that I'll have a Flip camera and will document the trip for them. It'll certainly be nice to have someone holding me accountable for blogging.

You can read the profile in its entirety after the jump. Special thanks to Kristin Livingston for writing the post and taking pictures.

crunch time

It's the last week of classes, and I'm in a mad dash to finish all of papers and study for my exams. The past few days have been a whirlwind of final classes, coffee shops and hours upon hours staring at this computer screen. But it's been hard to concentrate knowing that this time next month, I'll be in the Dominican Republic doing a public health project with Health Horizons International and a bunch of really quite fantastic Tufts students. Then I'm off to Israel for a week, followed by a quick 10-hour layover in Italy and then it's India until May.

But first I have to finish this art history paper on John Constable and J.M.W. Turner as I casually sip on my third can of Diet Coke of the day. Jealous? (Yeah. I wouldn't be, either.)