Middle East
Matters of the Flesh
A woman experiences the full Turkish bath experience for the first time.
Making It Up Mount Sinai
After being told she may never walk again, a traveler not only learns to walk again but decides to climb Mt. Sinai.
The International Expiration Date
Realistically, where was this going? I was from California but lived in Korea. He lived in Spain but hailed from London.
A City Through the Eyes of Love
She may have lived a long life since her trip to Istanbul, but she can still recall the passion awoken by the young man in Sultanahmet.
The Shway Shway of the Vibrating Sisterhood
"Please bring your bag over here" are not words you want to hear from a customs agent. Ever.
Of Danger and Beauty
The citywide siren filled every corner of the house–a house in Tel Aviv without a bomb shelter.
Eid al-Adha: Sheeps!
I'm exhausted after witnessing and processing the existence of yet another world that is so entirely different than my own.
Valentine’s Day in an Istanbul Hamam
When the lights go out in a historical Turkish bath, one woman is enlightened.
Not My Father’s Karachi
My progress in deciphering the conundrums of modern day Karachi is going nowhere.
Commiserating with Camels
A free 10-day tour of Israel takes a group of young Americans from Jerusalem to a kibbutz to Bedouin territory.
Not Without My Daughters – Family Travel in Iran
A woman travels to Tehran, Iran, with her seven and nine year old daughters.
Breaking Frontiers
Every detail you observe, every person you meet, every fact you learn, makes it more difficult to generalize, to presume, to stereotype.
Scent of a Secret Self
I don't ordinarily wear perfume, but I sought out the perfume-maker because I desired something very particular.
Among the Believers
The Medina of Damascus is a labyrinth of winding medieval alleys, every turn of a corner revealing something new.
Woman in the Dunes
We headed toward the Libyan border, entering the cusp of the Western Desert that branches out into the Sahara.
That Sea is Dead to Me
It was the middle of the Negev desert, and I owed a lot of people a lot of money.
