Growing up in Michigan, it was beyond my very active imagination that at 20, I would find myself halfway across the world, sleeping out in the open in the Rub’ al-Khali desert. My freshman year of college led me down a different path than I had envisioned after I found myself in an honors seminar course on the Islamic Middle East. It wasn’t my first choice—that was a seminar on national security—and little did I know at the time, but the experience would steer me toward a deep love affair with

On January 1, the Washington Post published a report titled "Women’s magazines are dying. Will we miss them when they’re gone?" In the lengthy feature, Lavanya Ramanathan details the history of women's magazines that began in the 1960s, noting their rise to prominence at a time when women's ideas in society were less likely to be taken seriously. Sexism was much more rampant than it is today, and feminists like Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem were pursuing avenues to spread their messages of eq

When I was younger, I attended a sewing camp where I was taught the basics of sewing techniques. Each summer, while other kids went away for weeks of roughing it in tents and cabins, and chowing down on classic campfire fare after long days of physical activity, I would pack my pattern and fabric and gear up for a week of non traditional camp complete with sewing lessons and a fashion show to flaunt what we had made. I attended this camp for more than five years until I aged out. After my camp

I watched all four versions of the iconic film this weekend, and here's what I think. This past weekend, the much anticipated, “A Star is Born” starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper was released, bringing in a whopping $41.3 million. I was one of the many who sat in the theater, completely locked into the story for the over two-hour run time. To say I enjoyed the movie would be an understatement. A Star is Born tells the story of Jackson Maine, an alcoholic country-rock star, whose career is q

When my grandmother died, I was forced to rethink how I could keep our traditions alive. In December my grandmother died after a long battle with Alzheimer's. I'm a fourth-generation Italian, and my grandmother was the epicenter of our world. At her funeral, I pondered how our family would fare without its matriarch; I began to fear that without her, we might lose the togetherness that is so central to an Italian family's lifeblood. I was overcome by an urgency to hold onto the lessons she and

Are you missing out on the real benefits of giving yourself a break? Cut carbs. Avoid sugar. Only plants. Increasing pressures to keep up with the latest diets, weight loss and health food trends often make it seem like eating healthy means depriving ourselves. Who can possibly stick to such strict standards? Most people end up throwing up their hands and giving up or stuck in an endless cycle of diet fads. In the wake of restrictive dieting, the idea of the "cheat day" has emerged. You eat re

Growing up, I always valued modesty. My parents raised me to respect myself, and how I dress is certainly a big part of that. But in my mind, to be covered was something people did for others, especially for men. I’ve often been self-conscious about how people view my appearance, but I have slowly grown to remind myself that my brain and my heart are what they should care about. And part of my inspiration for that came from the most unlikely place—my Muslim friends who wear the hijab. The word

A lifetime of fame has made the Snapchat star confused about her own identity and worth. An average day in Kylie Jenner’s life seems, to put it mildly, envy-inducing. The social media star’s day includes anything from cinnamon roll waffles, to impromptu visits to her mom’s custom closet housing exclusively Hermès Birkin bags, to throwing lavish parties for her friends. What a life! At least, that’s the story Snapchat tells us. It seems no one knows exactly how many people tune into her short-l