Arrival. Airport. Visa. Baggage claim. Sim card booth. Someone waving a sign with my name on it. A dusty dark midnight Thursday ride through decrepit streets made of rocks and sand. Hotel. Shower. A few “new phone, it’s me—I’m here…goodnight” texts.…
Hello from Cape Town!!! I cannot express how good it feels to finally be back to this beautiful country. In fact, I cried when my plane landed at Cape Town International Airport. I arrived in the most beautiful beach town,…
17 days in Ecuador down! I’ve acclimatized to the altitude, learned how to navigate the bus system, spent a week with a host family, and most importantly, started leading my programs with the Manna Project. Here is a rundown of…
Sawadee ka, from America! I’ve been home from Thailand for a few weeks now, and am wrapping up my blog with this final post. Since my return, I’ve been trying to process everything I experienced, and keep the wonderful memories…
First full week in Ecuador: check. I’m currently in the final step of my Ecuador orientation: my host family stay. The Huertas live in Fajardo, a tiny rural community that is a ten-minute walk from the Manna Project. When I…
I have officially stepped foot in South America! I arrived at 11:30 pm on Saturday, Jan. 7, but my partner organization had the volunteer pick-up scheduled for 5 pm the following day. Naturally, I wanted to use every minute to…
It’s the 5th day of the new year and 12 days until I step on the plane to Kathmandu. I’m taking some time to look back on some of the preparations I’ve made for the trip—what I have done so…
A few nights ago, while searching for shooting stars in the clear Haitian sky, I was talking with a friend about sharing our stories and how different they would be if told on the same day each year. For example,…
An Ecuadorian friend recently summed up his country in two words for me: Buen vivir. Buen vivir means “good living” in Spanish, and originally comes from the Quechua words sumac kawsay. Quechua is the most widely spoken indigenous language in…
Greetings all!! I am so very excited for this adventure to begin. It has been a bittersweet seven months leading up to my departure (which is happening very soon). I have grown a lot, and become much more self aware…