Teaching and Trekking

Chiricanos Witness Snowfall by Laura Layton Many volunteers only dream of the opportunity to one day bring their best friends and counterparts from site to their hometown in the United States. There is only so much one can say to describe where they are from, but words never suffice. A few months ago, I lived out my dream by sharing my hometown first-hand with seven members of my community of El Palmar, Chiriquí, playing the role of tour guide, host, and cultural bridge. Last school year I assisted with an after-school English course for a group of teachers at my elementary school in site. The course was offered to all grade level teachers in an effort to make the school completely bilingual. When teachers graduated from the course, they received the opportunity through Panama Bilingue to spend their summer studying in the United States or Canada. To my surprise, seven of teachers from the course were chosen to study at Stockton University in New Jersey, only 30 minut...

Day 1, March 25 I arrived at mid-night feeling somewhat confident and secure, while somewhat nervous and unsure. When I picked up my luggage and headed to the exit I was relieved to see a man that resembled the pictures I saw on Couchsurfing. He greeted me and helped me place my luggage into the taxi. We soon stopped at a gas station to pick up some snacks and drinks and I was alone in the taxi, coming face to face with my mediocre Spanish skills conversing with the driver. When Anthony, my host, returned we began to drive down many unfamiliar roads that contained homes reminding me of townships in South Africa. When we arrived at his home, I saw a large gate blocking his property and I had no idea what to expect behind it. I paid the driver and walked through the dark with Anthony as he guided me and gave me a shadowed tour of the home and property. I didn't know what I was seeing until he showed me the building in which I would be sleeping. It had a tv and two mattresses low to ...

What gives you your confirmation that you need more? That you can't wait for anyone else, but that you need to make change yourself? This past summer, I completed a mind altering Yoga Teacher Training. I drove an hour to and from the retreat location in Naples so that I could spend my nights with my pup. An hour drive after deep conversations about philosophies of life taught me to observe and reflect each day. I never want to lose my sense of oneness and connection to the earth and the universe. I've since allowed for multiple pockets in my day to simply observe my surroundings, reactions, and interactions with others, without judgement or regret. In order to capitalize on my newfound "witness" I've continued my journey hosting couchsurfers. I've encountered singles and couples, similarly in search for something more. An unplanned adventure. Space from their reality. And the beauty has been that I can take part in their journeys, without leaving my neighborho...

            We arrived to Kruger late in the evening. The sun was setting and we got out of the van that took us to Jo’burg and hopped onto another truck at the lodge that the other traveler was staying. Our guides on the truck were Wesley and Elvis and they were extremely knowledgeable. They asked us what the one animal is that we wanted to see. Usually people say “Everything” or “The big five” but I am not usual and I said that I wanted to see a jackal or a honey badger.   The sun began to set and a beautiful shadow was cast over the nature that we drove past. Our first spotting were a red-billed hornbill (Zazu from The Lion King) and multiple buffalo. We paid close attention to the sounds the buffalos made, like cows speaking a different dialect of “moo”. We continued further and saw springbok, impala, tons of guinea fowl, and a few black-backed jackals. I was so excited to see the jackals because Elvis slowly held a spotlig...

THE 2 WEEK BACKPACKING JOURNEY TO KRUGER! The bus picked us up at an ungodly hour in the morning. I carried a huge backpack on my back and a small book bag on my front and my hall mate from Malawi gave me some crazy stares followed by a smile and a shake of her head. Me and Ben We headed a few hours by bus with some rest stops in between up to Wilderness, a town on the notorious garden route. They could not have picked a better name for it. We drove through mountains of woodlands before we could get to our campsite and hostel. At the hostel we were greeted by a guy our age named Ben, who quickly showed us where we were setting up camp and gave us a tour of the property. During the tour we saw the oldest building in Wilderness and he gave us the history..  “ Legend has it that the name Wilderness comes from a bride who asked her husband to take her away from the difficulties of 19th century life. She quoted from Haydn's "Creation" in the song ...