Aerie InternationaL - Missoula County Public Schools

have been purely job-oriented, its repercussions reached into every corner
of my life and scraped it bare so it would have room to reshape my existence.
AI: You mentioned riding a felucca down the Nile in your bio. What is a felucca and why/
how did this occur?
ELP: Feluccas are small sailboats that are frequently used as a tourist
attraction in Cairo. My family took the opportunity when we were stuck
there for nearly a month to visit the sites, and the Nile, of course, was one
of them. We paid a small fee and a grinning Egyptian spun us away from
shore. The river is beautiful there, reflecting the sky into itself and turning
everything a rich, thick blue that looks like you can sink your teeth into it.
It was a warm day, and the cool breeze was refreshing when the sail would
whip around to catch the wind. It was a short ride, and not as majestic or
awe-inspiring as the pyramids or the Sphinx, but it was a beautiful moment,
one that has stuck with me over the years.
AI: What is your favorite memory from living overseas?
ELP: In Europe the countries are so close together that it is quite
common to take a day trip to France or Germany. My family frequently
took advantage of long weekends and empty Saturdays to explore the
continent, and these travels often took us up in latitude. My father is a
skier and insisted on taking the family skiing quite regularly. We may not
be particularly proficient at it, but at least we enjoy it. Although it is hard
to choose a favorite, one of the happiest moments of my life was also one of
the simplest: a three-day skiing trip in the French Alps. We rented a tiny
apartment (we needed one, to house my entire family), and we’d spend
all day on the snow, crisp edges biting nicely against our skis. Soon after,
we’d make the daily hike to the local boulangerie for fresh croissants and
baguettes. It was a great family bonding time, and the hours we spent
closeted in the apartment were so full of fun and joy and games I frequently
felt as if I might have all the breath squeezed out of me. Despite the fact
that I spend so much time with interesting people in interesting places
doing interesting things, the best times of all were when we took the
extraordinary qualities of a place into stride and enjoyed each other as a
family.
AI: You mentioned eating camel in your bio. How did you adjust to eating strange foods?
What is the grossest food you ever ate? What was the tastiest food you ever ate?
ELP: I have enjoyed a wide variety of food from my travels, including
certain ethnic meals besides the typical fried squid rings and alligator.
Eating other foods has never really bothered me; I have always been able to
stomach everything I’m given and find its good qualities to focus on. There
are only two exceptions to the rule, both of which may be surprising in their
simplicity. The first is cevapi, a small sausage served with pita bread, onions,
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