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Croatia Story
Blood Ties
I’m sitting in a trendy restaurant in Zadar, Croatia, with my parents and older sister: the type that serves truffle pasta and squid ink risotto. Outside, the street is lined with the archways and delicate pillars of Venetian architecture. A pathway dotted with Roman ruins leads to the looming facade of a 9th-century church. This…
November 6, 2024
Story Vietnam
The Weight of the World
There are reasons there are whole groups online dedicated to sharing the pitfalls and issues one can face when occupying a larger body. There’s a hesitancy in discussing it, as when we talk about weight and size, there’s not a lot of sympathy from people who don’t have to consider these things daily. My weight…
October 30, 2024
Australia Japan Story
Dancing Like a Fool
“I’m here to seduce you,” the dancing woman declares.  I’m not sure how to respond, so I giggle nervously.  My friends and I have been admiring her for several minutes. We’re in a disco-inspired section of an art exhibition in Tokyo. The artist I’ve been diligently listening to on the audio guide calls the room’s…
October 16, 2024
Story
Babysitting in Beauty Parlours
I’m sitting on a garish, shredded red sofa inside a barber shop that doubles as a women’s-only threading parlour at the back. I’ve just been handed a drooling baby to look after while I wait to fix my bushy eyebrows, which have seriously grown out over the last three months.  The last time I went…
October 5, 2024
Japan Story UK
Capital T(okyo)
One Month Before Departure I know I can’t be the first queer person in my family. But as far as I’m aware, I’m the first one who’s out and open.  As of writing, my dad doesn’t know I’m trans. He probably has his suspicions though: leaving breadcrumbs is one of my more satisfying hobbies. Normally…
August 12, 2024
Afghanistan Australia Story
First-Generation Guilt
It was my sister’s 14th birthday party when I first realised my parents' naivety. Henna ran upstairs wiping mascara-coloured tears with the back of her palm.  I turned to see my mum standing with crossed arms, swaying side to side with an uneven smile. When my sister came back downstairs a few minutes later, Mum…
July 29, 2024
Story Thailand
Dirty Knickers
I am plagued by dirty knickers. Not those lingering in the washing basket for weeks because you’ve had “no time” to do the laundry, nor the pair you’re wearing to spare the Uber driver a flash of your still-engorged clitoris after a one-nighter. I’m haunted by these underwear because they’ve been smothering my crotch…
April 25, 2024

Astray is a storytelling project centred on travel, community, identity and liberation.

We’re based out of Lenapehoking / New York City: the homeland of the Lenape. Specifically, we’re in Manhattan: a name that comes from Mannahatta, meaning “island of many hills”. As grateful guests in this city, we recognize the strength and resilience of the Lenape, and extend our reverence to all Indigenous peoples everywhere. This acknowledgement comes from our commitment to working against the ongoing legacies of settler colonialism.