I had to go all the way back to my elementary school years for this one. You could argue that I had to go back 70 to 66 million years. My first memory of school involved the study of dinosaurs. It was the first unit of the year, and maybe

When I first read the prompt, my brain went “deer-in-the-headlights”. I am SO not a self-reflection kind of person. This was going to be difficult. What if the spark never came? I won’t spend time on something disingenuous, but what have I ever dreamed of? I never sought to be

There are an estimated 1.3 million alligators living in Florida. Growing up in Miami, I always knew I might open the door and find a prehistoric sunbather lounging in the yard or under my car. When I first heard the prompt, my mind went straight there. I imagined a gator

The Rub’ al Khali—popularly known as the Empty Quarter—is the world’s largest uninterrupted sea of sand, sweeping across the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Republic of Yemen. Spanning nearly 650,000 square kilometers, this awe-inspiring wilderness is a realm of towering dunes,

Living in West Asia (often called the Middle East) for the past 24 years, we’ve had the privilege of living among people from more than 100 nations. Daily life requires navigating language barriers, cultural and religious differences, and a vast spectrum of social norms. We encounter situations daily that require

The world’s media and economic engine tirelessly pushes the bright shininess of youth down our throats, all in a bid for profit. Advertisers intentionally target our perceived insecurities—often creating them—to drive consumption. The message is clear. You are not enough as you are, but what we are selling will “fix”

I grew up in creative households, surrounded by parents who practiced painting, drawing, stained glass, stone carving, and woodturning. Their influence, along with frequent visits to museums, instilled in me a deep appreciation for the arts. As an only child during the latchkey era, I spent countless solitary hours exploring