Everything I needed to know about Peace Corps I learned in Kindergarten

“Everything I needed to know about Peace Corps I learned in Kindergarten” While this may be my first week of classes for this current school year, visions of lesson plans and chalkboards have still been dancing in my head all summer. The long summer break gave me time to think back on my own childhood […]

Those are my Mizungus

Early one morning I was walking down towards the beach in my site. An average walk through town- stopping to greet old men, practice English with little children and trying not to trip on the cobblestones. Still not fully awake and in desperate need of my first cup of coffee for the morning I was […]

Sheep. Goats.

Baaaaaaa Muaaaaahaaaaa Maaaahaaaaahaaaa Capturing the sound of a sheep or goat with letters is a difficult challenge- but this was my best attempt. In American English we often depict sheep sounds as a “Baaa” (with a B). So however your sheep or goat makes their voice heard- that is what I was going for. I […]

Global Education

What does it mean to learn? From our very first days we have been absorbing the world around us. Our families, friends and communities were the first teachers in our lives. Sharing their love. Showing us the big wide wild world. And I think very few of us would say that our learning and growing […]

Driven.

I wanted to do a blog post about taxi drivers. Andrew Zimmern had a great short show where taxi drivers in different cities from around the world showed him their fave spots. “Driven by Food” by was the name of the series. Great show and a neat concept. So here are two amazing individuals who […]

Island Question!

Hot seat time! This was a camp staple with your fellow counsellors, your kids during the week and especially those backpacking evenings as you reclined in your Crazy Creek watching the alpine glow fade into dark. For those of you unfamiliar with the practice of “Hot seat”- it is an activity where the person who […]

Géouriyawo

“What are you afraid of? What are you fearing? Say what you want. Do what you want to do. Be yourself man.” – Darussi Géouriyawo. Géouriyawo- this phrase is thrown out by almost everyone you meet on the street. Parents to kids. Grandmas to strangers walking along. Géouriyawo. I wanted to interview several of my […]

Where have you been?

Have you been to a high school graduation and not seen a reference to Dr. Seuss’s “Oh the Places You’ll Go”? We use these time of transition to think about where we will go next. It may be a physical change of scenery. A high school graduate may head off to university in another city […]

Tour of the Senses

My good friend Merry once taught me a technique to recenter yourself if situations seem overwhelming or you just can’t focus. This came at a point where I felt like I was barely treading water and keeping my head above the fray- balancing work, personal life and relationships, and getting ready for this crazy adventure […]

25 passengers, 2 kids, 1 live chicken, driver, and me.

“25 passengers, 2 kids, 1 live chicken, driver, and me.” To say that this country surprises me would be an incredible understatement. It is a place where the landscape, people, culture and climate are always throwing me curveballs or keeping me on my toes. Surprises are almost a norm- and yet I continue to find […]

Falling Jewels

Andrew's time in Comoros as a Peace Corps Volunteer. According to mythological tradition, the islands were formed by a jinni dropping a jewel into the ocean.