Hi! Thank you for visiting my blog. I would like to take this moment to introduce myself. I am Elsa. By day, I am a nerdy PhD student, aiming to become a scholar and practitioner of international development policy. By night, I am Elsa, the Warrior KQueen. I have created this space in part for Read More
10 Years: Reflections on A Decade of “Living the Dream” in America’s Nation’s Capital
“Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country.” – Anais Nin Last Tuesday, Oct 9, 2019, I celebrated my 10th Anniversary with our beloved Washington, DC … For it was on Oct Read More
Reflecting on Five Years Running the DC Gaza 5K
Today I ran my 5th Consecutive Gaza 5K in Washington, DC!!! Year Five of the DC Gaza 5k warrants some deep reflections, but this post will have to be brief. I have written seldom on this blog the past year, as I’ve been consumed by my doctorate studies… but I remain committed to sharing some Read More
Thirty-Five Years – Reflecting on Dreams, Fears, and Tears…
“Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.” – Edgar Allan Poe Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly. – Langston Hughes Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who Read More
I’m Back! And with Another Milestone Completed…
Me at the top of Fort Kot Diji in District Khairpur of Northern Sindh. My Dearest Friends, So, it has been a long time since I wrote here or even visited these pages. My previous posts noted travel overseas for my doctoral field research. So I guess I have a good excuse for the long Read More
9 years…
“You have to dream before your dreams can come true.” – A. P. J. Abdul Kalam 9 YEARS AGO from today, on October 9th, 2009, around 9:30 pm, I arrived in Washington DC, after completing my Masters and spending 5 months of job hunting while in my Wisconsin home. I sent over 300 applications and Read More
A Love Letter to Pakistan – From an ABCD Old Romantic
Dear Pakistan: Bismillah hir Rahman nir Raheem. Assalaamu Alaykum. Inshallah (Godwilling) you are doing well in health and faith. I write to you with the purest intentions but with a few confessions that may startle you. I admit, I am a little nervous to see you again. But in a good way. Even when the Read More
The Ultimate Brown Girl Power: “Good Girls Marry Doctors”
“Good Girls marry doctors, it’s true, especially in the Desi community. What, then, do Bad Girls do?” – Piyali Bhattacharya Women of color experience an array of challenges at varying levels in America, in diverse sectors, and in different elements of our social interactions. Women of color have been the center of the more recent Read More
Why I Run the UNRWA DC GAZA 5K…Take 4…
Today I ran in the GAZA 5K in Washington, DC! It was a privilege to be participating my 4th consecutive year in the DC run. Similar to the previous years, it was a beautiful experience. There were about 500 runners that raised over $160,000 for this critical cause! The Gaza 5K raises funds for community Read More