St Maarten/St Martin is a unique island. It is home to two countries that share the same name – one half French, one half Dutch. As the only place in the northern Leeward Islands with a large airport, it has become a popular tourist destination. Large cruise ships also dock in Philipsburg releasing their hoards of […]
BLOG
Places that are distracting me
If you suffer from wanderlust, the beginning of the year is a particularly painful time. It’s a time of real sensory overload. Every magazine, newspaper and online platform publishes its ‘places to visit this year’ feature. The sheer volume of beautiful photography and lyrical prose are enough to inspire even the most committed homebody — but it […]
What I’m reading this month – June
Summertime! Time to grab a good book and jump on that sun lounger— learn something new, explore the world and imagine new ones. June is officially the start of summer! That means long evenings, picnics in the park and lazy sunny afternoons. My husband and I are spending a large part of the month surrounding ourselves […]
The Subversive Power of Walls
One of the most magical experiences I’ve had was arriving at the top of the Great Wall of China. The landscape unfolds into the distance in all directions, obscured after a time by the Beijing haze. Stood at the top, it is still possible to imagine what it must have been like for a Chinese […]
Is flying really that bad?
We know flying is bad for the environment, but is it really that bad? Yesterday I wrote an article on Medium here examining that question. It was part of my attempt to explore some of the travel conundrums we face and better understand my impact as a traveller. In fact, I had made a new […]
A Literary Stay in Paris’s Fifth
PARIS — For centuries creatives have flocked to Paris. Its cafe culture, beautiful cobbled streets and joie de vivre have been a magnet for the greatest writers, artists and thinkers of their day. The Fifth Arrondissement Among its many neighbourhoods, Paris’s Fifth Arrondissement is its oldest. It is steeped in history, dotted with the remnants of Roman temples and […]
One year, seven cities
It’s one year ago today that I left the UK to kick off living in a different city every month – from Mexico City to Jakarta. I’ve been back in the London for a few months now, but the memories of each of these places is still vivid in my mind. I thought it would […]
Want a career in international development?
Last week I spoke at Kings College London’s International Relations Career Challenge about my winding road into the international development sector. I spoke at the same event the previous year and published this blog with my top tips: https://medium.com/@jjtoale/want-a-career-in-international-development-8bdb0c8415e6 Follow the link there or read more below. I’ll be writing an updated version soon! Want a […]
Speech: My optimism about the SDGs
Last week I gave a keynote address to United for 2030 country ambassadors. In it I spoke about the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and my optimism about our collective ability to achieve them. Read my speech here. … In 2013 I travelled to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). On my way I met […]
Why Travelling Well Matters
Now that I’m fully ensconced back in London, it’s been an opportune time to reflect on some of the experiences I’ve had over the past year. Of course, the last few months in Asia stand out most clearly in my mind. And in particular, a couple of experiences have left me considering the impact that […]