Here’s a story I tell pretty much everyone, when they ask when I started working at Doctors Without Borders:

So I applied for this job in late 2019. During my interview, the woman who would be my manager told me, “You know we work in different places around the world, and in your role as communications officer, we might have to ask you to go to some of these places. Is that okay with you? And your family?”

I said, very enthusiastically, “Yes! Send me to all the places! I’ve discussed this with my husband, and he’s okay with it too.”

– 2019 me, very enthusiastic, very hopeful, very pre-pandemic

I started working for Doctors Without Borders in January 2020. And what happened that year? THE PANDEMIC. So nope, I did not go anywhere. For two years!

Fast forward to 2022, and I finally did some field work, covering the emergency response after Typhoon Rai. Later that year, I visited our project in Marawi before it closed. And in 2023, the universe (well, my manager, and my adviser) decided to send me to Bangladesh.

Above: Missing these two already!

So now, here I am, 3,000 kilometers from home. A month I’ll be here, running around, talking to new people and hearing new stories.

Above: Manila to Singapore to Dhaka

It was quite a saga to get here, from what felt like ten million vaccinations (only 11, actually) to a bajillion emails back and forth, from the confusing ordeal of visa application to the frustrating pursuit of police clearance.

Above: A brief glimpse of Dhaka

From Manila to Singapore, then Dhaka to Cox’s Bazar, there were a few tears, some discomfort, a lot of moving around.

Above: Finally heading to Cox’s Bazar

Eventually I’ll get around to writing the saga that was my preparation for this trip, but for now, please wish me luck as I spend a month in Bangladesh.