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Today was a beautiful day in Panama! Our group started off with a short beach hike where we quickly became friends with three local dogs. We swam in the blue water which we all really enjoyed. The beach swim was followed by a group reflection in which we talked about our presence on Bastimentos….
Today we woke up at around 7:00 and got ready for a day of hard work, but lots of fun. We walked outside to find that Maribeth had made us delicious scrambled eggs, rice and beans, and of course accompanied by Costa Rica’s famous Lizano sauce. We took a short bus ride to Coyote where…
Last night (around 1 am) one of our night patrol groups found a female Olive Ridley on the beach. We came across the turtle tracks that lead us to her and the nest that she was building! Elsie got to catch the eggs as the female turtle laid them. She counted 101 eggs in total…
Throughout this day we followed Sandro, one of the local tour guides through an organic farming tour where we learned about how the local people here in Rancho Verde use the environment to survive and consistently make food. Sandro is morally courageous because he took a risk by starting to become eco-friendly. He decided to…
Ashley shared her story about her daughter Esperanza. There is not enough work in Rancho Quemado, so she has to leave with her parents so that she can work in another town. It drove home the points from our pre-course curriculum about the economic challenges facing people in this region and the difficulty in balancing…
It was a great fifth day in Panama. We had a very packed schedule starting with a beach cleanup and a tour of the recycling center in Bocas. We learned about the roots and reasoning behind the issue of trash in Bocas and how groups like Unidos por Bocas are trying to implement a better…
We are thrilled to have arrived in San Jose, Costa Rica and anxiously await our final companion joining us tomorrow. Travel days are difficult. Even when all goes well, they are long days filled with early mornings or late nights. As several of our group experienced, sometimes you get both. A red eye from the…
Hola! To start off our fourth day in Panama we had a delicious breakfast of pancakes and fruit, followed by lesson planning for the community centers and a discussion about “learning service” vs. “service-learning. We discussed our intentions for this trip and how we can leave a positive impact on the communities we encounter. “Learning…
The group has arrived, enjoyed a meal together, and is tucking in for a well-earned rest.
The past 48 hours have been an extreme journey starting with the 3:45 am wake-up call on Sunday morning, which consisted of a four-hour flight to Dallas, a connecting flight to Houston, and then the last and final flight to Costa Rica. After a fog block and flying in circles for a good 45 minutes…
Hi from Bocas del Toro! We had a very exciting day at red frog beach! We played soccer and had a Sandcastle building competition! However, the most fun part of the day was playing lots of volleyball with some local kids at the beach Tomás and Emiliano. We had a nice dinner at a local…
After some fog-induced circling, our crew has landed and is on the way to Hotel Toucan for a meal followed by a well-earned evening of rest. Hope all journal readers have a restful evening as well. Until tomorrow . . .
We saw our favorite parts of Panama; old city versus new city was the theme of the tour from our great guide, Carlos. It was interesting to see how we toured the new city in a van and the old one on foot. Kind of ironic. By van and foot, Carlos taught and explain to…
The Panama II crew has arrived at their hostel in Panama City. They are going to eat some dinner and then head to bed before exploring Panama City in the morning. After that, they will be catching a flight to Bocas for their introduction to Give and Surf.
The smiles on the kids faces as we danced will never leave my brain, the kids were all amazing to talk to. -Charlotte (Kanxi) Learning the dances with the girls and just all the happy energy I felt while dancing (the peanut butter was wicked good) – Erin (Ritu) Every time I’d pass Chhyamba on…
After two whole weeks of learning, growing, and helping, it’s time to wave goodbye to Nepal. We have learned so much here, from the tenants of ethical leadership, to how to do traditional Nepali dances. While here, I have formed many strong friendships with other ethical leaders which I believe will endure long past the…
From the satellite phone, our Peru crew reports, “All good after 15k trek. Settled into Cancha Cancha. At llama breeders house. Amazing hike!” Once the full group is back together on Friday, we hope to post more reflections and photos. Again, due to the remote nature of the program, we are limited to short updates…
The following poem is a collection of small writing pieces created along our 3 day trek through the Himalayas. The orange clay like earth beneath my feet feels nice. It’s as if the soil moves according to you, its confidence determined by the rain. My skin is cool and damp, easily noticed as it sticks…
1. Even the tallest mountain in the world looks small from afar. This statement offers a lesson in perspective, a careful element to be considered when regarding the beliefs and practices of yourself and others, as well as re-evaluating the likes of both (particularly the former). 2. Attitude is everything. Although external factors can certainly influence your…
Our last days with the KACH kids and Tiriji team were overflowing with joy, laughter and love. Beyond continuing to build together shoulder-to-shoulder, we played games, snapped silly selfies, swam in the local community center, and finally bonfired together on our last evening. After some heartfelt expressions of gratitude and the impact we’ve had on…
Today was our second day trekking in Nepal. It was the hardest day because of all the uphills but also the most rewarding. As all of us pushed ourselves on and on as the trail winded through the trees, you could still hear the heavy breathing amongst us. The Everest view point was the only thing…
This week, our Kenya crew spent time working on a new building project led by IPI’s staff. From hauling cement and bricks to (partially) completing a second floor, our kids have loved every minute spent next to the KACH kids in fellowship and service. Lots of memories (and choreographed dances) have been made, and this…
Today was our last day at Arhaus Children’s Home. When we came downstairs to leave all the kids were waiting to say goodbye and give us hugs. It was a bitter sweet goodbye, I was excited to start our trek & begin a new journey but I didn’t want to leave my new friends. In…
We have had quite the two days. On Friday morning, we took a much needed rest from our four days of hard work. Elizabeth made pancakes and we stayed inside to shelter from the rain. We had a morning discussion on some of our hardships throughout the week, as well as played some intense games…
This was our last day at the Arhaus Children’s Home. I suppose all things must come to an end. We’re all sad to have to go, but excited to see where the rest of this trip takes us. I think that we all have a lot of reflecting to do about our time here. I…
The Peru crew sent a message last night via the satellite phone saying, “Final night Cuncani. Huge success with school kids. Ready to start trek tomorrow. Enjoyed a cool dip in the river.” This morning the group is off on a 6-mile trek to the Quishuarani High-Andean Community where they will spend the next three…
Today started out as a bit of a disappointment when we learned that the Corcovado National Park had been closed and that we would not be able to go on our tour due to some weather that would be hitting Northern Costa Rica in the afternoon. We were informed by our instructors that we had…
The day started out on a sad note. We were leaving Rancho Quemado and had to say goodbye to Alice, Glenda, Hope, and more of the amazing people who had taken care of us over the past week or so. I didn’t realize how much we had bonded until it was time to say goodbye….
We began the day at 6:30am and headed down for breakfast at 7am. We enjoyed pineapple and mango, as well as cheese omelets for breakfast. After breakfast, we headed to the playground to complete our paintings in the outdoor classroom. Although we all got a bit messy, all of the designs ended so beautifully and…