After years of living overseas and meeting people from around the world, I returned to the United States the day after high school graduation and was quickly assimilated. This marked another major shift in a life defined by movement and contrast.

I made my home in Bakersfield, California, though I left for a short time to go to art school in the Bay Area. I started my first job at an advertising agency and married someone from Bakersfield. We raised our family on a quiet cul-de-sac off Rosedale Highway, and for the first time, I felt my roots growing deep, something I’d missed as a child.

Even though Cook Peak was just 60 miles from Bakersfield, I was nervous about leaving our comfortable life. Clean air, a slower pace, snow, and acreage all made sense, but my fear of change paralysed me. I struggled to understand how someone like me, who grew up in Pakistan, Thailand, and Malaysia, could be afraid to move 60 miles away. I had no idea I was on the verge of the biggest adventure of my life, an opportunity that would grow roots far deeper.

Sometimes I think about those days of growing up overseas and travelling the world. They’re beautiful memories from what feels like another lifetime. I think about the friends I made who now live and work all across the globe. I also think about the ones who travel for fun, and those brave enough to go alone to far-off places where they look like they belong. I admire all of them, and sometimes I feel a little stuck myself.

I discovered a creative way to travel without leaving home. With 'Ann Was Here' signs and help from globetrotter friends, I visited places like Cuba, Nepal, Russia, Indonesia, and many others in spirit. Collecting photos from these journeys helped me stay connected to my past and keep my adventurous side alive. Here are a few highlights from my armchair travels.

Ann Was Here

Afraid of the Dark