My life was uprooted at 12 years old when we fled Lebanon. I understood pain and loss all too early, and in the USA I lived in a society that was blind to the atrocities of the world.

I felt like an outsider for over a decade. Restlessness, born by trauma, simmered under my skin. This idea of the American Dream seemed like empty pursuits, and although I tried it on, it never felt like a comfortable fit.

I had big questions about the world. Travel, by nature, yields accelerated growth and understanding of the human condition. I needed to go see people and absorb cultures, to heal and feel less alone.

I travel because I’m seeking stories. I want to understand what people fight for, and why. I feel a responsibility to study the violation and celebration of human rights across the world. To investigate the good and ugly of tourism and gentrification, and what it means to be a mindful traveler.

Globally, people use their struggles to shape their purpose and inspire their life’s work. I travel to be inspired by these unsung heroes and to understand that there are many ways to live a life.

 | Originally from Beirut, Lebanon | 27 | Currently in Wellington, New Zealand |

|www.instagram.com/nutbrownrose_ | www.nutbrownrose.com |