What happens at a Panamanian party? Kids climb up a slippery, muddy pole and try to grab a bag of goodies at the top. This is the best example of cooperation in my town.


Here is one of the community farms. Right now it´s watermelon and squash season but the corn is on its way. We always have plantains, bananas, root vegetables and rice. There are also four pigs getting fat and ready to sell, so that means pretty sooon somebody will be making fried pig skin...mmm.


If you´ve been wondering how pineapples grow, here´s a picture with the fruit in the middle. Who knew? 

I like this picture. These are the kids who live behind my house and ask about 100 times a day if they can paint a picture using my colors.



This is Señor Santana Arcia, my hiking partner/guide in Barrigón. He knows where to find golden frogs, mountains covered with primary forest (hence the machete...you have to cut your own path) and he also has the best environmental ethic of anyone in my town.


How´s this for a Coca Cola advertisement? Never mind that most kids have rotting teeth by the time they´re in kindergarten.

This might possibly be the best swimming hole in our province. 

I met my family and our friends the Lansings for Christmas in Costa Rica. Look! We´re hanging out above the clouds on a volcano.

Justin Lansing was studying abroad in San Jose last semester and we had fun acting like tour guides/translators for our families. 

We´ve started an environmental youth group called Panama Verde. I´m the coordinator, but the kids plan their own activites such as hiking trips, community clean-ups and going to camps with other groups from around Panama. In this picture I´m clearly giving a dynamic speech about picking up trash.


Las Lajas: my favorite cabin at my favorite beach.


I went swimming in this lake in the crater of Vocan Irazú in Costa Rica and now I have a third arm.

My parents were in my town for a week and even helped out with a few projects. My dad remembered lots of tricks (such as the best way to hang a mostquito net) from his time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ivory Coast.


Joe came down with them and amazed all the kids by juggling sticks and oranges. Nothing solves the problem of awkward silence like juggling and smiling a lot...hopefully the people in my town believe all Americans are capable of working in the circus.

This is my soccer team. Yes, Ann Mailander, who knew nothing about the rules of soccer until four months ago, is now a midfielder for the Barrigón women´s soccer team. All of this was done in an attempt to motivate women and I think it´s working.

These are my neighbor girls who hang out at my house every single day and observe all my strange gringa ways. Actually there are about 15 kids who want to hang out at my house every single day...I´m looking forward to school starting again this week (summer break is December-March).

It is true. Everything is made in China and then it gets shipped through the Panama Canal.

For those of you who hear me talk about my friends, this is me with Mona, Lindsay, Sam and Lauren. This picture was taken at a lodge that made me feel like I was back home. Yes, those are Disney movies on the shelves behind us.