Omni Athletes Make Lebanon Proud and Set New Records

We’re obsessed with setting Guinness World Records here in the homeland, and this morning we can rightfully claim several new ones thanks to Omni Athletes, a group of Lebanese friends, Nizar Fakhoury, Dani Afiouni, and the Mroueh brothers Mazen and Moustafa, who are based in the UAE,and took part in the 777 Challenge (7 marathons, 7…

Malta: The Holiday that Stayed With Me

I’ve been meaning to write this post for a while now so I hope my memory still serves me well!
In mid-September 2014, armed with a Schengen visa, my smartphone, and a Lonely Planet guidebook, I boarded an Alitalia flight to Malta. The trip was extra special because I was going to attend the wedding of my habibi Lina- we had not seen each other since she left Maastricht in April 2012.

A Year In Travelling- Part 1

In case you haven’t noticed, life goes by so fast. One day you’re planning every tiny detail for your first trip home and the next you find yourself engaged in a discussion with a world-renowned environmentalist about how it felt to experience altitude after several months in the Netherlands. It’s funny to think that these…

On Graduate School and Studying Abroad

I didn’t take anyone’s advice when I went to Maastricht. If I did, I probably would’ve ended up somewhere much less interesting and the experience would’ve been much less fulfilling. In addition, I’m absolutely terrible with these things, especially when my mind’s made up and I’m all set to go. Basically, I took care of…

A Small Note About Travelling

The first draft of the thesis is done. June is ending, and soon enough I need to start organizing and packing. It’s undeniable, I’m going back home soon and there’s a lot of bittersweetness involved- but I don’t want to think about that just yet. Of the things I will miss about living in Europe…

Nuit De La Fete and Partying Like It’s 1929

There aren’t many chances to get dressed up and be all fancy when you’re a graduate student in Maastricht, which is sad for me, because I secretly love the whole process. So when Caroline, who was doing her internship at VIA2018, told me she had a spare ticket for Nuit de la Fete, a celebration of 350…

Mini-Rant: Primark

I just recently visited Liege for the third time since I started living in Maastricht, and for the first time, I really got to see how charming and quirky this city is. So you might ask, what exactly did I do the first two times I went? Simple: I was shopping at Primark. I am…

The Science and Shopping Dimensions of Berlin

When our walking tour of Berlin had finished, it was definitely still early to head to our hostel and there was plenty more to be seen- after all, the German capital is very much unlike Maastricht in that something is always happening and there’s always something to be seen. Our guide for the tour had…

Exploring Berlin: The Free Tour

From the various trips I’ve taken, I’ve learned that it’s always great to consult the internet and friends who’ve been to the place you’re going to because you might just get a tip that will make your whole journey even better. This was the case when I told my flatmate Nuria about my plans, and…

Berlin Had Me At Hello

The good people of Maastricht, and Limburg in general, are big on Carnival, so much so that we got a whole ten days off, with almost no work, to celebrate.But since I’m not big on neither dressing up in funky costumes or drinking, when Lina suggested we journey to the German capital, I welcomed the…