PUBLISHED WORK

HERCAMPUS

AS AN UNDERGRAD, NATALIE WROTE FOR COLBY COLLEGE’S BRANCH OF HERCAMPUS: AN ONLINE PUBLICATION THAT SERVES COLLEGE WOMEN AND PROVIDES THEM WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN EXPERIENCE IN NONFICTION WRITING. NATALIE ENJOYED WORKING WITH THE OTHER FEMALE-IDENTIFYING COLBY STUDENTS WHO WORKED ON HERCAMPUS AND WROTE MULTIPLE ARTICLES A SEMESTER FOR THE COLBY BRANCH. SHE FOCUSED QUITE A BIT ON PERSONAL EXPERIENCES IN HER PIECES BUT ALSO LOVED TO WRITE ABOUT MUSIC. THIS SECTION WILL CONTAIN A FEW EXAMPLES OF ARTICLES NATALIE WROTE FOR HERCAMPUS.

NATALIE’S HERCAMPUS PAGE:

https://www.hercampus.com/author/natalie-foster/

FROM NOVEMBER 27, 2023 -

RANKING EVERY PLACE I VISITED WHEN I STUDIED ABROAD…

“Last spring, I was fortunate enough to spend a semester abroad at Queen Mary University of London in London, England. And yes, I am one of those who came back from their time abroad saying that “it changed my life” and “I was meant to live in Europe.” It’s true, my time in London was amazing. I met new friends who I really bonded with, traveled all over, and, of course, did a lot of studying (*wink wink). I made it my mission to take advantage of the easy access to different countries while in London so I could visit quite a few places across the continent. Since being back at Colby, I love exchanging travel stories about where I went, what place was my favorite, etc. So, I’m going to rank everywhere I visited during my time studying abroad – and tell you my favorite thing about each place!

  1. Lisbon (and Sintra!), Portugal: By far my favorite place I traveled to during my semester, Lisbon is like my own personal Nirvana. The city is vibrant but has a small-town feel. The people were nice, the food was amazing, and there was so much to do! I could’ve stayed for so much longer (we were only there for three days)!

  2. Prague, Czech Republic: I went to Prague for my friend’s 21st birthday, and let me say, it did not disappoint! The bars are so unique and fun (go to Dog Bar, iykyk), and the city has such an interesting history. I definitely had the “Virus” when I went home (go to Prague, and you’ll hear the story). 

  3. London, England: My home base during my semester abroad, London has a special place in my heart. Sometimes, I still can’t believe that I lived there for five months. London is huge, busy, and loud – you will never run out of things to do. There are countless museums and historical landmarks. There is any kind of restaurant you could dream of and easy public transportation. 

  4. Amsterdam, the Netherlands: I visited Amsterdam during tulip season and it was so beautiful (keep in mind, the tulips are about a 45 minute car ride from the city). Amsterdam feels like a young city – it’s filled with art, food, coffee, and lots of bikes! 

  5. Barcelona, Spain: If you’re looking for a good time, all the time, Barcelona is for you! I’m convinced that Barcelona is actually the city that doesn’t sleep (except for their siestas) because they party all night long. All. Night. Long. 

  6. Stockholm, Sweden: I visited Stockholm in February, so it was very chilly! But, the city is so beautiful, especially the old town – Gamla Stan. The Swedes are as they seem, incredibly nice and welcoming. 

  7. Bath (and Stonehenge), England: I only spent the afternoon in Bath, but I desperately want to go back! A small city with a rich history (and the place Bridgerton is filmed), Bath has a lot to offer. There were amazing thrift stores, and make sure to check out Persephone Books!

  8. Edinburgh, Scotland: Again, we visited Edinburgh during the winter, and it was pretty cold! But, if you love Harry Potter, Edinburgh feels just as magical as the Wizard World. The small city is full of bookstores, bars, and cobblestone streets. Also, Edinburgh Castle is definitely worth a visit!

  9. Budapest, Hungary: My best friend and I did a super fun Booze Cruise with bottomless prosecco! We got to drink, sit in a warm cabin, and see all the sites at once! It was also very affordable – the whole experience only cost us around $20 each!”

FROM OCTOBER 2, 2021

I WAS A BEER CART GIRL THIS SUMMER: HERE’S HOW IT WENT

“After seeing multiple beer cart girls on my TikTok “For You Page,” I decided it would be the perfect summer occupation for me. Riding around in a golf cart all day selling beer, what could be better than that?? Well, probably a lot of things. I hope I’m not bursting anyone’s bubble, but working the beer cart is not as glamorous as it may seem. 

What is a beer cart girl? Good question. Let me take you through an average day on the job. I arrived at the course at eight in the morning, and was the first person in the club house (not counting the people in the pro shop). I would grab my keys and drive the beer cart (which is basically a golf cart with a giant cooler on the back) to the loading dock. Then, I would go back into the club house, grab my inventory sheet, iPad, and money pouch. Then, I would go to the cart room and start to get my drinks together. I probably would put about seventy drinks on the cart at a time, ranging from beer to seltzers to shots to mixers, and haul everything out to the cart in plastic tubs. Then, I would count everything to make sure I had the right numbers, fill the cart with ice, and start my rounds. Getting the cart ready usually took about an hour, so by nine I was usually on the course. I spent my day driving the course, selling beers and Bloody Marys to guys who talked like you would expect a Fox Newscaster would. 

Though most of the guys I sold to were only kind of invasive, there were a few times I felt really uncomfortable and unsafe. My first day on the job, I was asked by a guy if I counted my calories. His friend then laughed and said “Look at her, she can eat whatever she wants. She needs a slice of pizza!” First of all, neither of them had any right to comment on my weight and my appearance. And secondly, who randomly asks someone they don’t know about their calorie count? Weird. Pretty much every day I was asked how old I was or where I lived, which may not seem out of the ordinary, but it always felt like they were asking another question on the down low. Guys always tried to bribe me with drinks and ask me to take shots with them, to which I would normally respond, “It’s ten in the morning!” Some guys would stand way too close, or stare at my butt or my chest. A few even asked for my number (and yes, they were all old enough to have been my father). 

The most frustrating thing about the job was that I just had to sit there and take it. I couldn’t speak up for myself and call them out for behaving badly because I was risking making money. As a waitress (technically), I got paid five dollars an hour, so to make the job worth my time, I needed to make tips, and to make tips, I had to deal with the uncomfortable flirting and weird comments. I often felt like I was trading my dignity for money, but I needed the money. So ladies, before you take the job, consider how you’ll feel after you laugh at an old guy’s intrusive comment to make ten bucks. I made a lot of money this summer, so it was worth it in that regard, but I can’t say I’ll be going back next summer. Happy end of golf season everyone!”

PORTLAND MONTHLY MAGAZINE

FROM MAY TO AUGUST IN 2022, NATALIE WORKED AS A VIRTUAL WRITING ASSOCIATE FOR PORTLAND MONTHLY MAGAZINE, BASED OUT OF PORTLAND, MAINE. OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER, NATALIE ATTENDED DAILY STAFF MEETINGS, EDITED AND FACT-CHECKED ARTICLES, DID PHONE/EMAIL INTERVIEWS, AND WROTE SMALL BLURBS FOR THE MAGAZINE’S SUMMER ISSUES. IN DECEMBER 2022, NATALIE’S FIRST SOLO ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE MAGAZINE, WHICH WAS AN INTERVIEW SHE DID WITH AUTHOR GEORGE JREIJE ABOUT HIS NEW BOOK “SHAD HADID AND THE ALCHEMISTS OF ALEXANDRIA.” THAT ARTICLE WAS TITLED “SPUN GOLD,” AND NATALIE’S SECOND SOLO ARTICLE WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE SUMMER 2023 ISSUE OF PORTLAND MONTHLY.

LINK TO “SPUN GOLD”

https://www.portlandmonthly.com/portmag/2022/11/spun-gold/

AN EXCERPT FROM “SPUN GOLD”

FROM DECEMBER 2022:

“Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

Typically, you talk to a writer and they’ll tell you about how they grew up loving books and reading and writing, but my writing journey began mid-college. I’d just read a novel that I loved, and that voice in my head said, “Hey, I can do this!” But it turned out I was wrong. Everybody will tell you, those first few manuscripts—we don’t talk about those. Five years later, I said, I’m going to try to write  a middle-grade book. I really like this age category, but you see so many middle-grade fantasies, and I wanted to do something original. I’m an Arab-American. I have Lebanese citizenship. I lived in Lebanon for a few years, and I speak fluent Arabic. I was like, what part of my culture can I draw from that’ll be unique in this book? And I thought, no one’s really done anything with alchemy, even though it’s one of the original magic systems in the world and the precursor to science itself. Being that it was so prevalent in the Middle East and in the region I grew up in, I said, all right, I’m going to write an Arabic character who becomes an alchemist. Shad is in many respects a reflection of who I was at twelve years old.”