Category Stories

Week One

It is crazy that I have already been here a week. It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long, but as I type out all I’ve experienced in such a short time, it’s no wonder I fall asleep so early…

Hi friends, It took well over 30 hours of travel but I made it to Tanzania! After leaving Nashville at 3pm on Wednesday I stepped off the plane at Kilimanjaro international airport at 9am on Monday. Flying through Qatar was…

Just a few days away…

Hi, I am Mary Kate! I graduated from Belmont back in May of 2020 and have been waiting to take this trip to Tanzania since. It’s beyond exciting that the trip is finally here in less than a week, but…

Sweet, Normal Life Here in Panama

Hi everyone! The last couple of weeks have been pretty low-key. Have gotten into a steady rhythm of work, weekly sports meetups, and spending time with friends. Sharing a brief update here. Highlights recently have been Finding a yoga studio…

April Update

Hola, hola, hola! Highlights recently have been Weekly volleyball (and now soccer) games. A spear-fishing trip to Las Perlas. My pastor from Nashville visiting for a day. The first graduation of the year with Calicanto. Current Projects I just presented…

April Showers

Hola a todos! Happy April! Slowly getting adjusted to the rainy season here in Panama. It’s so much more humid (haha yes that’s possible) and there’s occasional flooding on our street. I got caught in a DOWNPOUR yesterday at the…

Celebrating Two Months!

Tomorrow marks 2 months of living in Panama! It feels like it’s been much longer in the best possible way. Highlights recently have been: – Weekend beach trip to Punto Barcos – Volleyball clinics – Dinner with a local Filipino…

Learning Learning Learning!

Happy March everyone! Capping off February with one last blog post. The rainy season will be starting soon here in Panamá so I am soaking up the dry days and sunshine while it’s still here. Highlights recently have been: Celebrating…

Getting Settled

Hola chicos! Quickly approaching one month in Panamá and feeling at home! For my sanity and yours, I’ll be updating this blog by answering the same couple of questions every few weeks. See below 🙂 Highlights recently have been: –…

My First Week in Panamá

I’ve been in Panamá for 72 hours! It feels like home! It’s warm! I can speak in Spanish all the time! The mangoes are huge! One of my best friends from Nashville, Tiff, also moved to Panamá to participate in…