You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm. – Colette


People say a lot of things about mistakes – everybody makes them; you learn from them; they’re human. Nothing they can tell you, however, will take away the initial sting of regret that siphons through your body when you realize you’ve erred in some way.

My mistake, in this case, was launching this website two days before leaving for a full semester in Prague. At the time, it seemed perfectly reasonable to assume I’d be able to balance writing material for Ponder on top of schoolwork, an internship, weekend trips, and, of course, adjusting to the sudden shock of finding myself living in Central Europe. I was wrong.

Over the last three months, I have seen and done a number of extraordinary things, most of which I could not have anticipated while eagerly uploading the site in late August. I’ve guzzled beers at Oktoberfest, ridden camels in the Moroccan desert, and listened to the Dalai Lama speak about the development of democracy in Asia. What I haven’t done is properly maintain the magazine I’d dreamed of starting for years. And it bothers me – a lot. 

The reason this magazine is called Ponder is partly because that’s how it began life – as a daydream, a doodle in the corner of my notebook. Unfortunately, constantly dreaming does not equate in any way with doing, which is something it has taken me much longer than it should have to learn.

What I hope for now is twofold: first, that I have learned from my mistakes, and that I’ll be able to manage my time more successfully; and second, that I’ll be able to take some of the strange and wonderful experiences I’ve had and share them here. I never wrote out a full mission statement or description of Ponder, because it was hard to put into words. I only had a very abstract vision of what it could or should be, and figured that over time, as I wrote about whatever I please, it would sort of solidify itself. We’ll soon see if I was right.

Starting this week, there will finally be a steady stream of updates on this website – I’ll be aiming for about one or two a week. I realize that very few, if any, people are reading or care about Ponder right now, but if you are, then please stick around for the ride. And if you happen to like what you read, don’t hesitate to pass the word along.

For now, though, feel free to take a look at a few pictures from my various travels after the jump.

The Lennon Wall in Prague, Czech Republic. 

A view of the city from Prague Castle. 

His Holiness the Dalai Lama shares his thoughts at a conference on Peace, Democracy and Human Rights in Asia.

Thousands of beer drinkers inside the Augustiner-Festhalle at Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany.

Decorative sculptures on the roof of the Duomo di Milano in Milan, Italy. 

Scrumptious tapas at Bodega Santa Cruz in Seville, Spain.

A gorgeous Moorish domed ceiling in the Alcázares Reales in Seville, Spain.

Camels resting in the desert  a few hours outside of Marrakech, Morocco. 

Two of the many remarkable spires on the still-unfinished Sagrada Família in Barcelona, Spain.