“The only source of knowledge is experience.” — Albert Einstein

Settling In: The Fulbright Experience The first week’s look at navigating the beautiful chaos of Egypt, where logistics take patience and hospitality knows no bounds.

Classrooms, Commutes, and 4600 Years Ago: Living and teaching here has made me realize that education cannot be understood by looking only at classrooms, syllabi, or teaching methods; it is deeply shaped by culture, daily routines, transportation, history, and shared expectations about knowledge, and the more I experience it, the clearer it becomes that universities are reflections of the societies around them.

Bells, Tunnels, and the Month that Alters Time: Week 3 is a lesson in the “Month That Alters Time.” Between analyzing the engineering of the National Authority for Tunnels and navigating the 9:00 PM Amazon deliveries, I’m realizing how culturally specific our “optimal learning conditions” are. Looking for access – drop me a note.

Accreditation Celebrations, Root Canals, and Iftars: Would you ever describe an accreditation visit as a ‘moving experience’? I didn’t think I would either. In the U.S., it’s a matrix of evidence. Here I watched it turn into a literal dance party. My latest blog explores why the ‘context’ of real life—featuring an emergency root canal, the beautiful synchronization of Ramadan, and the power of ‘knowing a guy.’

Notebooks, Resilience, and Ingenuity: Week 5 update: From the “choreographed chaos” of the highways to the quiet rigor of handwritten notebooks, I’m seeing human ingenuity everywhere. Observing my students here without widespread Wi-Fi but with total focus makes me think the “standard notebook” might still be the ultimate power tool.

Conflicts, Care, and Learning Your Village: Week 6 is not what it was meant to be – Week 6 found me traveling home to Pennsylvania due to the conflict in the Middle East. I hope that I get to return soon. However, a valuable lesson was learned even with this conflict that was worth being my final blog for the opportunity/experience.

Sensory Whiplash, Miles vs Minutes, and Maintaining Connection: Nearly a month later with it being known that I will not return this semester, reflections on what I have learned.

From South Central PA to Costa Rica: From the familiar routines of south-central Pennsylvania to the vibrant culture and daily life of Costa Rica. Along the way, I explore how changing environments can reshape our perspectives on community, learning, and what it means to navigate a new place as both a traveler and a lifelong learner.

Coffee Cherries, Canopy Birds, and the Shadow of Arenal: Share in the discovery of Costa Rica, where a coffee plantation tour revealed connections between agriculture, ecology, and the country’s remarkable biodiversity. From coffee cherries and canopy birds to the ever-present silhouette of Arenal Volcano, the experience offered a deeper appreciation for the ways nature, culture, and daily life are intertwined.