My name is Anika Kieler.
I’m no one special.
I am a young woman from Denver, Colorado, who’s been lucky enough to see parts of the world that changed everything I thought I knew about the world.
I was raised in the footsteps of my family that came before me and everything they were: teachers, butchers, farmers, protectors, missionaries, ambitious, loving, immigrants
Part Kansas farm, part mountain forest, with a dash of imagination, a pinch of humor, a smidgen of stubbornness, and a heaping spoonful of curiosity; I like to believe I am a radical revolutionary.
I’m not Che Guevara, but rather, the kind of revolutionary that’s avant-garde, original, unconventional, and disrupting my own life almost exclusively (we’re still decoding the how-to pamphlet). I’m a trailblazer on the trail I make, and sometimes get lost on.
I’ve gotten lost abroad about five times (you’d think I’d have learned by now). No contact, no money, no idea what to do next. And each time, I was helped. Not by a policeman or an ambassador, but by a person.
A person who could’ve kept walking but chose to stop.
Some of the people who’ve greatly altered my life:
- A man I was afraid of when I was naive, for being Muslim in his mosque, which I was invading, and asking me hard questions about my identity, country, and idea of change. I regret that now. I would love to hear what he believes.
- A kind woman, who recognized panic and smothered it with companionship. Her name was Penny.
- A listener, who pointed me in the right direction, offered their presence and remained supportive and kind when I chose to fight the battle alone. Her silent understanding is the loudest reminder of quiet strength. I’ve never been able to forget it.
- An old friend, or rather, someone I’d long ago met who chose to extend a hand of friendship in defiance of their community. I think of her now, and hope she’s doing well.
- A man who laughs when others would cry, grateful when others would beg for more. He keeps me humble from the corner of my mind where gratitude lives.
They’ve trusted me, and I trusted them. And my world has only ever gotten better because of it. I’ve been challenged, I’ve lost, and I’ve made many a wrong decision before.
However, I’ve learned and come to believe that people are kind, not because they have to be, but because they can be.
I’ve been entrusted with their stories, even if distorted through my eyes. I’ve been honored to have faith be placed in my hands, my words trusted to relay pain, loss, and joy… their life.
I may have some stories wrong. I may accept people’s words too quickly. I’m biased because I’m human. Even though my country thinks I’m poor, in the world, I’m luckier than most. I believe in the people who believed in me, and I’m honored to collect my findings here.
So Welcome! Come one, come all! To the Anthology of a Curio, a collection of projects, questions, and people. We’d be honored if you joined our community by taking moments from your life to learn about others.
The Anthology of a Curio 