All posts tagged: history

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Danielle Williams

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“I live in Arizona (Tempe) but am from the Diné (Navajo) Nation in Tuba City, Arizona. I travel to many different Native American reservations throughout the nation typically to photograph and visit friends and family. I am full-blooded Diné so let me properly introduce myself (translation to follow) – Shí éí Danielle Williams yinishyé. Kinyaa’áanii nishłí. Ta’neeszahnii báshíshchíín. Tł’ízíłání dashicheii. Tódích’íinii dashinálí. Tónaneesdízí dęę’ naashá. Shimá dóó shizhé’é éí Rose Marie dóó Daniel Williams wolyé. Ákót’éego éí asdzáa Diné nishłí. My name is Danielle Williams. I am of the Towering House clan, born for the Tangle People clan. My maternal grandfather is of the Manygoats clan and my paternal grandfather is of the Bitter Water clan. I am from Tuba City. My mother and father are Rose Marie and Daniel Williams. In this way, I am a Navajo woman. The purpose for “Old Love” was to restore balance because I was taught that love is the most powerful and beautiful gift of all. We know this because of the Love that the Holy Ones have …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Andrea Wien

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“Stepping off the plane in a new city, I inhale, searching already for the closest food stalls or local markets. In the same way people travel to gawk at the Great Pyramids or to climb the tallest mountains, I travel for the cuisine. A city can lie its way into a traveler’s heart, but in back alleys down winding, brick-laid roads, the bubbling curries or crispy delicacies are beacons of pure honesty.   Food teaches me about the mundane, the beautiful, the oppression, the squalor and the extravagance of a place in a way that nothing else can. A people’s history lives on my fork, dances across my taste buds and nourishes my soul as it warms its way through my body.  For me, inspiration comes in the form of turmeric and paprika, galangal and ginger. It weaves a path past city squares, ducks behind bright doorways, moves to the rhythms of a tea kettle and explodes in color over the rice paddies, bringing me back to where it all started, and gathering strength for where it has …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Spirit Trickey

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“South Africa changed my life. I had the incredible privilege to travel to Cape Town, South Africa for my International Public Service Project while attending the Clinton School of Public Service in 2009. I had always wanted to visit South Africa ever since I was a child who accompanied my mother on a freedom march in the late 80’s chanting, “Free Mandela, Jail Botha.” I was fascinated by the hundreds of people marching in support of Mandela – a man who lived clear across the world. I didn’t really understand it at the time, but my mother explained it in full detail the day he was released from prison. I remember that moment just like yesterday… As the daughter of activist parents, social justice issues have always intrigued me. When I got the chance, I wanted to explore the similarities and differences between the impact of apartheid in South Africa and the United States. I was chilled to the bone getting a glimpse into post apartheid South Africa, and even more so to recognize the …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Elektra Carras

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“The energy of Haiti makes you feel more real with yourself and others. It makes you feel like you’ve been stripped down to your core being, and naturally show your character that you’ve been building throughout the course of your life. A country with such a strong sense of culture, a harsh and violent past that demonstrates the determination of the country to be the first Black nation to win their independence, presents an energy that gives you force…though naturally presents challenges at times. You think about what it means to be in survival mode, and find yourself sometimes relating to this term, but in the best way possible.  The people are far from being passive, robotic, autonomous, and quiet. If you are working here, you question why you are doing what you do, what it is bringing to people, how are people responding to it, and this makes you want to do the best you can. At the end of the day, you know that as a foreigner, you will never go unnoticed, and …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Miss Jetsetter

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“Venice, Italy surprised me beyond words while I was visiting…I was in my early 20s and was taking a minor in Shakespeare at the time of my trip. Up until that point, my greatest interest besides traveling was Holocaust history & Shakespeare. I would have never thought that reading the play “The Merchant of Venice” would have linked my two interests as much as it did… Do you know where the word “ghetto” comes from? Well during a class session I learned that the word “ghetto” was first used in Venice, Italy to describe the part of town that the Jews were forced to live in during WWII. Many of these Jews, living in the Ghetto, were sent to concentration camps in the early 1940’s. The town is really off the beaten path and finding the right bridge to take to cross over can be a bit confusing. Visiting was actually overwhelming and weighted heavy on my heart. There’s such a strong sense of the past in the air and the plaques depicting their history sure …