I didn’t grow up riding the bus. Where I grew up, there were no buses besides the nightmarish yellow school bus, which played a large part in the damaged psyches of an entire generation of kids (including me). I could write a whole novel about things I saw (and wished I could unsee) from my…

Tim recently read an article about car colors. Apparently, to reduce costs, most cars are either black, white, or gray, with few other options for consumers. Since he learned this fact, he has been pointing out the color of every car we see and complaining about the lack of variety. Sitting at a cafe drinking…

Before there were remote controls for TVs, I was the remote control. My father, sitting on the couch, would declare, “Change the channel,” and one of the kids would jump up to do it. It was not a polite request but a subtle demand. Not unkind, but just….mandatory. When remote controls were finally invented, my…

Another point of contrast between this year and last is the sense of community. In Abidjan, the people welcomed me with open arms emotionally; however, socially, that welcome was only available Monday to Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. What about nights and weekends, you might wonder? Find your own fun,…

I made a promise to myself that I would try not to compare my experience in Côte d’Ivoire to that of Cabo Verde because it feels a bit unfair to each country. I would never want to diminish anyone’s desire to visit a place, even if the place is challenging (in my opinion). However, I…