Squashed together with six other strangers, I melted in the scorching desert breeze, scuba diving kit all donned up, ready to jump from the weather-beaten wooden platform. ‘Yallah, yallah! Go! Go!’ Captain Ahmed yelled at us divers, his long, discoloured galabeya flapping in the wind. Bent by the heavy tanks on our backs, we shuffled … Read more
Up the Norwegian Coast – 1967 The International Youth Hostel sits near the top of one of the small mountains overlooking Bergen, Norway. Kathy and I take the tram rail up the mountain side to locate it. It’s turning into evening, and forest paths lead to homes on the sides of the track. It’s … Read more
The young boy works the dugout’s rudder, minds the tiny motor’s hushed staccato. Nina, his only passenger, still doesn’t know his name. But this her third day in the rainforest, she is convinced the motor came from a lawn mower, though lawns are not to be found anywhere. Nina jumped at the idea of fishing … Read more
The Barge of Freedom By Kimberly Smith Andreadis October 13, 2025 It was one of those mornings that felt alive — sunlight spilled like honey across the fields, the sky so blue it almost hurt to look at it. This was the kind of day that promised adventure. It was this time every … Read more
The 137 Haram List The list of things I was not allowed to mention in my Saudi classroom- from my book EVERYTHING IS HARAM (EXCEPT THE SHAWERMA)- MY SAUDI STORIES After being followed home, I decided to give the niqab a try. Bandar’s wife Noor gave him one to give to me, no doubt … Read more