Category Stories

Culture Fatigue

Sometimes it feels as if I was born again. New sights, sounds, and tastes are impossible to avoid when I leave the comforts of my small concrete home. Even the simplest things in life have become a demanding task that…

SuperVacas

This past week was SuperVacas!! All of our hard work and planning finally came together in a week full of dancing, crafting, singing, and water balloon wars. I won’t give a day-by-day account of everything that went on (to be…

Thai Street Market

Tour de Thai

Yesterday I was finally able to move into my new home at Princess Chulabhorn School in Chiang Rai, Thailand. Since it is still break for the students and faculty, we are able to have the week off to get settled…

Quick update @ Kwai River

Currently, I am sitting in a coffee shop in downtown waiting for the “Night Bazaar” to begin. Cannot wait for the bright lights, delicious food, and fellow ESL teachers to meet and enjoy the night here in Chiang Rai. Enjoy…

Bangkok/Kanchanaburi

Four days ago, I boarded a 19 hour plane from Boston to Bangkok without any expectations for my arrival here in Thailand. I remember making the long walk through the Suvarnabhumi International Airport to find make it through customs, find…

What We’re Doing Here, Pt. 2

Part Two As you can see from part one, the perilous history of most Guatemalan Mayan communities sets the stage for generational poverty and lack of opportunity. The Cardenas family started CEMOC ten years ago with the firm belief that…

Prep time

These past few weeks have been all about planning. Any free moments we had as a staff team, we were seated around a table discussing lessons, crafts, games, decorations, and schedules for one of the biggest programs put on by…