We visited Abdalla Abeid’s Spice Farm on our way from Stone Town to Pwani Mchangani during a trip to Tanzania’s Zanzibar. The farm was not anything like America’s commercial orchards, where apple trees grow neatly in rows. It was a …

A Visit to Your Hometown Might Be Exactly What you Need
When I ask people what they feel when they return to their hometowns, they almost always say, “at peace.” Folks from small towns talk about a pace that’s slower; having nowhere to be because there’s nothing to do. It’s as …
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Beyond the Full Moon Party: 8 More Ways to Spend a Night Under the Moon
The moon will enter its lunar phase, aligning directly with earth and the sun 13 times in 2018. A full moon is bold. It takes up space. It’s feared, revered, and celebrated in ancient and modern society. New Zealand’s Maori …
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Book Review: Best Tent Camping Maryland
Slapacking in the Australian Blue Mountains; glamping at Lake Langano, New Years Eve on Japan’s Kaseda Beach. Some of my best memories involve sitting around a bonfire with friends, eating, sleeping and storytelling under the stars. I want to make …

The Snow Day Rules: Enjoying the Cold Weather When You’re Completely Over it
By late March, most of us are officially over the cold. We are tired of the weather acting like a tease in a dive bar. One day she’s warm, inviting and forcing tulips from the ground. The next day, her …
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Why Every Woman Should Spend Time Alone in the Woods
I recently took to the woods alone for the first time. When I started my car preparing to return home the first thing I noticed was that the radio sounded way too loud, even though the volume was normal when …
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Remembering Minty: Why the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Park Will Humble You
I discovered the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Park a couple of months after moving back to the U.S. while searching for places to learn about Black history in Maryland. So when Outdoor Afro Washington D.C. suggested we all take …

Trekking in Wenchi Crater
This weekend the kids and I headed out to Wenchi Crater, located about 120 miles (3 hours) west of Addis Ababa between Ambo and Wolisso. Hands down, this is the most beautiful place I have seen in Ethiopia so far. …

Loosing a Loved One When You’re Abroad
Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. ~Khalil Gibran When you live far away from home, it’s natural to miss family. Every missed cook-out, graduation, and card …

What I Love About Gondar
A couple of weeks ago we spent 5 days exploring the towns of Bahir Dar, Gondar, and Lalibela located in Northern Ethiopia. Having checked several sights off my to-do list so far, it seems that each new place I visit is …