numberonedreamkoala

[numberonedreamkoala]

August 3-12, 2016

Topsail Beach; Surf City; Wilmington, North Carolina

 I had been back in the states for not even 2 full days before I left home for another trip. After that first night back, I knew I wasn’t ready to be in Murrells Inlet indefinitely. Something about returning home after experiencing what I did made me feel alone. All of my family and friends had carried on with their boring, normal lives (sorry ‘bout it) while I was out there living my life to the extreme. I was learning how to better myself, my lifestyle, and as bold as it is to say this, the world. I was eager to get home and practice the changes I was making, but when I got home, I realized this was going to be a lot more challenging that I had anticipated. I am no longer surrounded by people who, through experience, learned what I did. Environmentally, the United States produces so much unnecessary waste and citizens don’t even realize how much of a negative impact it leaves. Interpersonally, why the hell is everyone so mean to each other here?? I spent the summer living in a community that was filled with nothing but love. There were plenty of conflicts, but they were all solved peacefully and we all carried on with loving each other. Bringing these practices back to the states wasn’t out of the question for me, but realizing how many people don’t have these values & won’t reciprocate them towards me was the hard part.

I had given myself unrealistic expectations of what returning home would be like, and this was the perfect opportunity for my depression to creep back into my life. Not only was I going to have to transition back into living in the states, but also into the next chapter of my life. I’m not going back to school this semester, I’m not going back to my jobs nannying and working at Cupcake, I’m not even going back to live in Charleston. What am I doing? What’s next? I’m not sure. I don’t have a big girl job lined up, I’m not going to grad school right now, and I really don’t have any obligations I have to tend to. I’m taking this time to enjoy the freedom and stillness for awhile. Working 2 jobs as a full time college student was stressful and I never had nothing to do. I was constantly busy, and my free time was minimal. My free time was spent thinking about my endless to-do list, counting the minutes I had before I had to leave to go to work, cramming for my 8 am exam at 5 am because I had to work late the night before after a full day of classes. I’m okay with taking this “semester” of life off, living at home working at my favorite cake shop and letting my mind rest. That being said, there was no reason for me to feel rushed to get back into the swing of things after returning from Panamá. I acknowledged this and let myself ease back into the reality of being a US citizen. I did what I felt like I needed to do, and took off for a vacation on the beaches of NC with my family for 9 days.  

While I was in Panamá, I received a message from my cousin Kaeli in New Jersey and was invited to come visit her, her mom, and step-dad at the beach house they were renting for 2 weeks in Surf City, North Carolina. I didn’t seriously consider the invite until after I got home and realized I needed an escape and this was the perfect opportunity. I didn’t know how long I was going to stay with them, but I really only anticipated on being there for a few days. Thanks to the position I’m in right now, I had no reason to rush out and ended up staying for over a week.

I got in Wednesday evening and was welcomed with a cold beer (I’m still getting used to that being a normal, convenient thing) and we sat around the kitchen table that overlooked the ocean from 3 stories up while we all caught up with each other. I was at peace.

I spent the week reading on the beach, shark tooth hunting, exploring breweries and turtle hospitals, and just embracing the freedom of having no where to be.  We explored Downtown Wilmington for a day and took a boat tour on the river. We ate at amazing restaurants, one of them being Farm-to-Table! It was a real vacation for me and I was able to spend quality time with family that I normally don’t have the opportunity to do so with. Of course I was missing the simplicity of living in the jungle, but I was able to experience a different kind of simplicity by staying at the beach with zero responsibilities for over a week. Being here with family who truly love and support me was exactly what I needed at this time. I’ve realized how amazing my family truly is and how lucky I am to have so many aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents who are as loving and supportive as they are. I don’t know where my life is going to take me in the near future and I can’t even try to imagine where I will be 10 years from now, but I know that an important source of stability that I do have and can always fall back on is my family. So here’s to you guys- thank you for helping me when I wasn’t in the most mentally stable condition, for taking me under your wings, and for loving me unconditionally.

xoxo

[numberonedreamkoala]

August 1, 2016

Home?

 I would not have wanted to spend my last few hours in Panamá any differently from how I did. The final hike out of the valley was more beautiful than usual because of the appreciation I had for everything I was surrounded by. I took everything in one more time and continued to notice things on this trail that I was noticing for the first time. I picked mangoes that all had one soft spot from where they hit the ground when they fell from the trees that create a canopy over the path. I took my time and embraced the rainfall that came down over me during the last hour of the hike. I wasn’t sad, because I knew this wasn’t really my last time doing this. I know I’ll be back to this place where I am leaving a huge piece of my heart.

There were only 8 of us left that final night we stayed in San Miguel and it was a night I will never forget. It was a random group of us who really didn’t spend much time together this summer. I didn’t realize until it was just us that there were more people than I thought that I didn’t spend enough time with getting to know. To any of you guys who might be reading this, I love you all dearly and regret not making more of an effort to connect with you over the past few months, but you all hold a very special place in my heart. We bonded a lot over that short period of time, mainly over pizza box and truth or truth.

We had one last night to spend in this country and we may or may not have taken it too far. We had 2 cajas that we were not going to waste and we physically couldn’t finish them in a reasonable amount of time, so we stayed up all night until the shuttle arrived at 4 am to take us to the airport. Do I regret bringing the remaining beers on the shuttle and chugging them before my 8 am flight? Absolutely not.

 I’m sorry to all the people I pushed out of my way in the Charleston airport, but once I saw my mom and my brother on the other side of that window I couldn’t run to them fast enough. There really weren’t too many things I missed while being away, but my family was the hardest to be away from.

What should have been an amazing evening coming home was actually more of a nightmare for me. My family took me to dinner where I had sushi for the first time in months, we went out to get ice cream at my favorite place, and I ended the night in my queen sized, pillow top bed, cuddling with my dog in my own personal air conditioned bedroom with privacy. My first night back home I cried myself to sleep because for the first time ever, returning back to Murrells Inlet did not feel like I was returning home. I fell so in love with the new lifestyle I was living in the jungle that I didn’t want these luxuries I came back to. I got used to warm beer and cold showers. Falling asleep listening to the simple sounds of nature, my body temperature solely relying on how the weather was that night. Using the light from the moon and the thousands of fireflies that lit up the night sky. I got used to only drinking boxed wine out of a coffee mug. Always being covered in dirt, even immediately after bathing. Why on earth would I ever say that I’m going to miss having to shake out my clothes before putting them on to make sure there aren’t any spiders in there? Peeing in a real toilet? How do I even do that? I didn’t anticipate returning “home” to be such a culture shock to me. Communal living wasn’t always the best, but I got used to knowing who was where based on the sticker-covered water bottles I saw laying around. Being back home, it’s not like that at all. I’m not going to have to worry about leaving a gate open so the horses don’t get into the farm, I’m not going to appreciated an ice cold Coca Cola & Snickers nearly as much, and I won’t be able to start my mornings with a beautiful yoga practice overlooking the mountains. The things I’m going to miss the most are the things that made life in the jungle challenging and uncomfortable. These are the things that made me grow as much as I did, and for that I am grateful.

Looking back at the first couple of weeks in the valley makes me laugh. We were all faced with challenges and it was rough, but sticking it out and getting to the end has been more than worth it. Things didn’t go as expected, but I can now appreciate that for where those struggles brought me.

And the people. Oh, the people. This experience would not have been comparable to what it was had I not met the people I did. The locals in the airport who helped me when I was lost, Tom from Indiana, who I sat next to on a 2-hour bus ride and exchanged life stories with, new friends in hostels who took care of me when I got sick, the French man who kissed me in Casco Viejo, and most importantly, all of the staff and interns who stood by me these past few months at Kalu Yala. I can’t express how much you all mean to me, how much incredible knowledge you’ve taught me, but you all helped me discover a new layer of myself that I couldn’t have reached without you. Thank you for helping me learn to love myself, love the planet, and love selflessly. As I continue on with this soul-searching journey I’ve started, I will always fall back on what my experience this summer with Kalu Yala taught me. Be brave and believe in yourself, because you are worth more than you give yourself credit for.

[numberonedreamkoala]

July 12- August 1, 2016

“Let peace reside in my mind, my heart, my soul, and the kitchen.”

 Being back in the valley after backpacking around by myself for the past week or so made me realize how much this place feels like home to me. You know that feeling you get after you’ve been traveling and you finally get home and sleep in your own bed that gives you a sense of comfort? That’s how I felt my first night back on my air mattress in the jungle. I never would have expected that to be the case in a situation like this, and I was slightly alarmed when I made this realization. If I feel so comfortable and at “home” here in the jungle, what’s it going to be like when I return to my real home in the states?

 This has been a fun module in the kitchen. After many trial and error experiments, I am happy to say that I have finalized a recipe for my jungle cupcakes that I am happy with! My project is complete and I am satisfied (and so is everyone else who was part of the taste testing process). Toward the end of the module, there was a weekend where the culinary interns took over the kitchen with absolutely no direction or assistance from any staff. We all partnered up and were completely responsible for everything food related for one day. Jess and I worked together to create a menu for Sunday’s meals and we killed it. We were faced with an unreasonable amount of obstacles but of course we viewed those challenges as opportunities and worked our asses off to showcase our culinary talents. The last week in the valley was intern presentation week, where everyone presented the projects they worked on throughout the semester and we all got to appreciate everyone’s work. For the culinary team, our kitchen takeover weekend was more of our “presentation” because we showed everyone what we learned in the kitchen over the course of the semester and they were able to experience that through the presentation of the meals we created for them. Jess and I were forced to work with a limited amount of ingredients that didn’t necessarily work for the recipes we had planned on and it was extremely stressful, but resulted in new recipes that reflected how we learned to work with what we have, and that’s a major part of how Farm to Table works.

On the last day of our internship before presentation week, we had our own celebration of “La Matanza.” This is a Hispanic tradition where meat is harvested in bulk, and in our case we butchered a 1,000-pound cow. I personally didn’t assist in butchering the cow, but watching the process happen was more than enough for me. The chicken sacrifice at the beginning of the semester was where I drew the line.

Working with Farm to Table has been amazing and I have learned how cool farming and agriculture really is. I’m going to miss being able to walk to the farm and pick katuk and cranberry hibiscus to make salad with, walking through the orchard and finding perfectly ripe avocados, guanábana, & passionfruit, collecting fresh mangoes on my hikes into the valley, and trying all these new foods that are local inhabitants of this region. If I had to pick one crop that I was the most impressed with, it would be the miracle berry. I had heard about these before but I didn’t think I would ever in my life be able to actually try one! Guys, this was one of the coolest experiences of my life. I was shown where these trees grow, and one day I finally found a berry that was ripe enough to eat and I was ecstatic. These berries are nicknamed “miracle berries” because after you eat one, something magical happens with your taste buds and causes sour foods to taste sweet. I ate a whole lime as if it were an orange, sauerkraut, red wine, and a spoonful of vinegar, trying to see what the weirdest change would be. This was another one of those experiences that was so unique that it’s hard to find something to compare it to, but I strongly encourage everyone to try a miracle berry at some point in their life so you can experience the magic for yourself.

 I’m extremely thankful for the fact that I made it this far without having any illnesses or serious accidents (key word here being serious), but I knew it was too good to be true. After getting stung by a bee one afternoon, I learned the hard way that I am allergic to bee stings. I was swollen, red, hot, and woozy for almost 5 days because of this tiny little bee sting. Thankfully it wasn’t too serious and I didn’t go into anaphylactic shock or anything like that, because being in the middle of the jungle is an ideal place for emergencies like that to occur.

 Presentation week was a good time. Everyone was finally able to relax and fully enjoy life in the jungle with each other without the stress of having to get back to work. After the last round of presentations, some of the interns made an arrangement for a “celebratory beer run” and brought ice and 15 cajas of Panamá back into the valley. That was a good day.

 One of the most memorable days in the valley was Thursday, July 28. It was one of the final days in the valley as everyone had slowly been trickling out over the past week or so, and it was the last day here for a few of my close friends. We went to a swimming spot that I had never been to until just now, Ramon’s hole. It was a beautiful day spent in a beautiful place with beautiful people. When the afternoon storm came through, we went back up into the Family Room of École and spent the rest of the day simply enjoying the tropical weather in this amazing place while spending hours immersed in incredible conversations with each other. The best part is, I will forever remember this day by by the new stud in my ear thanks to Corynn’s jungle piercing. Being part of a sustainable community, we felt it was only right that we used a banana that was grown on our farm as the cushion for the needle. Hole #7 in my ear holds extra special meaning because it was done while sitting in a hammock in the middle of the jungle in Panamá by one of my new best friends, and will forever represent my Kalu Yala experience.

 The end of my time spent in the valley was extremely emotional. I was not ready to leave this place or these people. This place had become home, and these people had become family. We had one final town hall meeting with the remaining interns and staff on Friday and it was probably the saddest thing to happen at Kalu Yala. Everyone was sharing stories from the summer, calling people out to give them credit and appreciation, and expressing the intense love we have for one another. Almost everyone was crying together as we sat in a circle, appreciating what this summer together gave us. This was an experience that no one will ever understand except for those of us who were lucky enough to experience first hand. I can’t express the amount of knowledge I have learned, the relationships I’ve built, the appreciation I have gained for this amazing place we call Earth, and the new love & belief I have found in myself. Kalu Yala, you have done me well. Hasta la próxima, Panamá.

[numberonedreamkoala]

Break 4: July 6-11, 2016

Panamá City, Panamá

San José, Playa Jacó, Costa Rica

 Another reason I’m thankful to be a part of the culinary program- this break started early for us so we could go on our “field trip” to a fancy dinner at Maito in Panama City. The cultural food was amazing and we definitely got the hook up with 3 courses that consisted of almost 15 different dishes for us to try. I slept like a baby that night, which was a good thing because the next day was a very big day for me.

 I think that one of the biggest ways I’ve seen myself grow through my travels is how brave I have become. I’ve been extremely scared many times, but I used that fear to show myself how capable I am. People have made comments to me referring to my “bravery,” but that’s never been a word I would use to describe myself. That has definitely changed after this weekend.

I mentioned in one of my previous posts that I had spontaneously decided to go to Costa Rica- alone. When I came to Kalu Yala, I had no idea that we were going to have breaks from the jungle where we could go out and explore the surrounding areas. I’ve spent enough time in Panama City now that I am familiar with the area, I can get around, and I know what I’m doing. Being in a foreign country, that’s pretty cool to me. I’ve spent enough time in this city and I knew I needed to take advantage of our extended break and go somewhere else. I didn’t know the extent of where I wanted to go, but I knew I wasn’t going to stay in the city again. The challenge with this is that I had to make all my plans during the previous break while I was in the city and had internet access, because once I was back in the jungle I couldn’t do anything in preparation. This was a challenge that I was ready to take on. In one afternoon, without a computer, I “planned” a solo trip to Costa Rica from Panamá. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, but I took the leap of faith and bought the plane ticket.

Keep in mind, even though I’ve done exotic trips already, this is the first time I’ve been 100% on my own. I wasn’t meeting a group of people who had things organized for me already. I was going to an unfamiliar, international place that I had never been to all by myself and I was scared as hell. The circumstances were perfect in my mind. Distance wise, I wasn’t going anywhere far, it would be a quick weekend trip, and I received an abundance of support from my peers the week leading up to my next adventure. (Brady, if you’re reading this, thank you for giving me the assurance I needed to believe in myself for this journey.)

Fast forward to Wednesday, July 6. I got off the plane and walked out of the San José airport around 5 pm, and realized I had no clue what I was doing here. I felt lost, scared, anxious, and I regretted the decision I had made to take on this adventure. As if the blonde girl wearing a hiking pack wandering by herself outside the airport wasn’t enough, the look of fear spread across my face made it obvious to the locals that I had no idea what I was doing. Keep in mind, I don’t have an international phone plan, so I can only use it when connected to Wi-Fi, which of course I didn’t have access to at this point. I didn’t have much to work with, actually I had nothing to work with, so I said a quick prayer and took the advice of the friendliest looking taxi driver I could find. During the few hours I spent planning this trip, I made the decision that I would stay at a hostel near the airport Wednesday night, take a bus to Jacó the next morning, spend a couple of nights in Jacó, take the bus back to San José, and taxi to the airport the next morning. However, my new friend Pablo politely told me that I screwed up big time in my planning process and the reservations I made at hostels were not ideal based on location and my timing, so I had to reorient myself and come up with a new plan. I had a couple of minutes to try to calculate the cost-benefit analysis of my options and realized that no matter what, things were not going to go my way and I had to accept the emotional and (huge) financial burden that was about to be placed on myself. 2 hours, $80, a beautiful sunset drive through the hills of Costa Rica, and lots of good conversations later, we pull up in front of the hostel I didn’t have a reservation for until the next night. I’ve always been a scheduled person with at least somewhat of a plan, but even from the first day of my solo trip I knew this was about to change. Day 1 was an exhausting struggle, a huge challenge, and I was miserable, but I knew everything was going to be okay and it would pay off in the end.

 Day 2 was completely opposite. I scouted out the small beach town in the early hours of the morning before the hustle and bustle started, while the neighborhood was still asleep and there was a sense of stillness in the air. I felt a sense of independence as if I were the only one in this town. There weren’t many people walking the streets at this hour, but the sun was coming up and I was able to see this place in daylight for the first time. I found myself sitting alone on a bench in tears, but this was a complete 180 from yesterday; I was in tears because I was in the greatest state of being. Here I am, all by myself, with no where to be and no one to see and complete freedom to do whatever my heart desires. I had spent hours walking downtown just observing before I realized that I still hadn’t seen the ocean. I didn’t realize how much of toll it’s put on me by having absolutely zero privacy and constantly being in the presence of others. I embraced the freedom I had and sat on the beach for hours, enjoying my alone time.

 Looking back now, I clearly see how strong God worked through this experience. I was brave because I trusted Him, and it paid off. I listened to Him and blindly went into this experience and He had it all planned out so that everything would happen the way it did. The most unbelievable thing happened on day 3. So randomly, I happened to stumble across an old friend’s Instagram account and saw that she too was in Jacó. I reached out to her and a few hours later we were sitting on the beach eating fresh açaí bowls discussing our personal growth journeys and what our lives look like at the moment. We haven’t seen each other since we played tennis together my senior year of high school, and the first time we reconnect is when I’m on a solo adventure in a foreign country. There was another presence there with us that we both felt, and we discussed things that we weren’t sure why or how they came up in conversation, but we went along with it and sat there crying and hugging each other in the comfort of being in that moment together. The words exchanged that evening will forever sit in my heart because of the importance they hold. I was given, yet again, more reassurance that I was doing the right thing and I was exactly where I needed to be at that time.

Now if that alone doesn’t have God’s work written all over it, listen to what happened next. Months ago, before I even knew that I would have the opportunity to travel outside of the jungle this summer, my good friend Anne Breeden mentioned that she was going on a family vacation this summer. I didn’t think anything of it and had honestly completely forgot about it until she commented on one of my social media posts where I had checked into Jacó and told me that’s where her family was renting a villa that week. I got in touch with her and low and behold I found myself swimming in their beautiful pool just before I had to catch the latest bus to San José. Unfortunately, the timing wasn’t the greatest and they just got into town a few hours before I had to leave so I didn’t get to spend much time with them, but I was still in disbelief that I was there with them at all. The past couple of days in Costa Rica have been unimaginable and I was overwhelmed with emotions. Seeing one of my best friends after everything that has happened not only this past weekend but the past couple of months in Panamá was unreal and I didn’t know what to do with myself. It was too much of a tease for me, having someone from home here with me and only being able to spend time with them for less than an hour. Special thanks to the Lunn and Hewitt families for welcoming me into your beautiful villa and all the help you extended out to me, including sending me off to the bus station with your driver and a beer & donut for the road while I was in tears.

 I woke up the next morning at a hostel in downtown San José and briefly explored the city before catching a cab to the airport. I can’t speak for San José as a whole, but wherever I was staying was not a nice part of town and I did not care for this city at all. I’m thankful things worked out the way they did and I went straight to Jacó the first night because I did not want to be spending time in this city.

The plane ride back to Panamá was less than an hour long and I spent that whole time reflecting on this past weekend, this summer, the past 4 years of my life, and ultimately my life as a whole. I found myself crying (surprise!) as I was reflecting on everything I’ve been through, everything I’ve done, and everything I’ve learned over the course of my short lifetime, but particularly most recently. I’ve realized the importance of balancing independence and accepting an extended hand of help from those who love me. I’ve realized who those people are and that those who aren’t need to be cut out of my life for my well-being. I have learned more about life this summer than I could have ever imagined. My soul-searching journey is not complete, but has been quite successful so far. I want to send out a huge “thank you” to all of those who have helped me in my states of confusion, fear, and anxiety, while I also want to send out a huge “screw you” to those who have only encouraged these states for me. These challenges I have worked through turned into opportunities that have offered more than I could ever imagine. If things were always easy, we wouldn’t grow from pushing ourselves and we wouldn’t realize what we are capable of. This adventure has proved that to me and I will always stand by that. Before I close this up, I would like to let you know that the challenges kept getting thrown at me even after I landed back in Panamá City, a place I thought I was familiar enough with to navigate on my own. After I walked out of the airport, I sat at a bus station for 30 minutes before realizing I was at the wrong station. It is very hard to find anyone here who speaks English, so I was forced to try to remember everything I learned in the 8 years of Spanish classes I’ve taken. I found the right bus stop, missed that bus, and had to wait another 30 minutes for the next one. I stood on the back of the bus for 2 hours squished between two Panamanians who were yelling at each other ¾ of the time. I got off the bus at the wrong stop and thought I knew well enough where I was to walk to the neighborhood I was familiar with. I was wrong. I was walking through the ghetto by myself, scared for my life. (Remember, I can’t use my phone here!!) I keep walking in the direction I know I need to go and all of a sudden, the skies open up and it starts down pouring. I have no rain gear except for the rain guard for my hiking pack on my back. I’m walking under overpasses trying my best to not get soaked and that was a complete fail. I assume the rain is going to pass, so I keep on walking because at this point I am already drenched in rain water. It doesn’t stop and I realize I’m further from my destination than I had thought. I throw in the towel and hail a cab to take me to my hostel. It took a lot for me to not look at myself as a quitter as I got into the backseat of that cab, but I reminded myself of what I had just learned from all I had gone through. Being independent doesn’t mean you don’t need help for others, and that most definitely doesn’t make me any sort of quitter or failure.

[numberonedreamkoala]

Module 4: June 27- July 4, 2016

 Not a single day goes by in this valley where something remarkable doesn’t happen, and this module was no exception. For starters, we had a special guest stay with us for a few days. Ondi Timoner came to Kalu Yala with her crew to capture a little bit of what does on here in our jungle with the possibility of creating a documentary. Ondi is a director, writer, producer, two time Sundance winner who is known for her award winning documentaries. I had the pleasure of having a few conversations with her and her crew while they were visiting and I now have them to thank for the lessons they taught me, including the “reality” behind what it takes to make a documentary.

While they were working hard to try to document what was going on here in the jungle, I was working hard to create prototype after prototype of my cupcake recipe. In just one module, I am almost satisfied with the recipe I have created. I’m not going to reveal the recipe, but here’s the concept behind it:

Using as many fresh ingredients from our farm as possible, my goal is to create a recipe for a sustainable dessert. Instead of using traditional cupcake liners that produce waste, I am using cranberry hibiscus leaves that grow on our farm. These will bake into the cakes and are meant to be eaten together, not peeled apart. The sweet flavor that comes from the leaves will minimally transfer into the cakes. Based on what our farm is producing right now, I cannot use only ingredients found here but all of the necessary ingredients can be found locally. Eggs, honey, bananas, and plantain flour are some of the ingredients that would not need to be imported from any other sources as our farm grows. These ingredients are not the main source of flavor for these cupcakes, as they have a gingerbread/spice cake taste to them. As our farm grows, most of the ingredients will come straight out of Kalu Yala.

Meanwhile, I’ve also been playing mom and have been given the responsibility to take care of the pets this week. It feels so good to be responsible for furry friends again, even in the middle of the jungle.

 Fourth of July in Panamá was definitely not the same as being home for the Murrells Inlet Boat Parade, but I wouldn’t trade this year’s experience for anything. Everyone was in high spirits all day, starting with people chanting “Budweiser and bacon for breakfast” before 8 am. We had hotdogs, burgers, beer, and fireworks; all the necessities for celebrating such an American holiday.

 On another note, communal living has finally caught up with all of us and there has been a severe scabies outbreak. What started as a couple of people having itchy rashes rapidly turned into a large percentage of the community being infested with mites crawling under their skin. This means that everyone who was affected had to take everything their skin had come in contact with over the past week or so (clothes, sleeping bags, hammocks, etc.) and seal it up in bags for 3 days to kill any mites that could be on the fabric. As the outbreak progressed, every single person at Kalu Yala had to do this, along with take a pill that would kill and live mites under our skin. Now, you have to understand how much the struggle of dealing with scabies multiplied by us living in close quarters in the jungle. The outbreak spread rapidly through the ranchos and the majority of people were affected because of how hard it was to keep up with the treatment/prevention of the mites. We didn’t have hot water to wash our belongings in, so we had to use pots to boil water to use. It rains every day here, so those items took ages to dry, leaving people without anything to sleep with. I am extremely grateful for the fact that they didn’t get to me, and I feel so bad for everyone who had to experience that while living in the middle of the jungle with limited resources.

But wait! It gets worse! The design thinking and business teams have been out of the valley and traveled across the country to Bocas del Toro to work with Selinas Hostels. Long story short (this is from what my friends told me when they finally returned to the valley), they were staying in an abandoned hostel on Red Frog Island and the living conditions there were less than prime. The outbreak had been carried with them across the country and there were now cases of scabies, lice, and bed bugs among them. For the sake of protecting the locals, everyone who was at Red Frog was told they could not leave the island when they were originally supposed to and must stay an additional few days because they were now under quarantine. Two of my good friends from the business team, Becca and Corynn, were both on the island for this lovely experience. Being in the valley, I had no idea when they were coming back or when I would see them again. When they finally made it back, we sat in our rancho for over 2 hours and they told me from start to end everything that they experienced. I was speechless and couldn’t believe the stories they shared with me because it just didn’t seem real. I’m not going to get into all their struggles, but kudos to Becca for sleeping on a moldy mattress in her bathing suit using a bandana as a blanket and her laptop as a pillow. Anyhow, everyone made it back safely after being quarantined in an abandoned hostel on a deserted island without access to any medication to help the situation. Y’all are my heroes.

And if you hadn’t guessed by now, this was the end of Megabed. RIP.

[numberonedreamkoala]

Break 3: June 23-26

Panamá City

 This was one hell of a weekend spent in Panamá City. How can so much happen in such a short period of time? There were some serious lows this weekend, but the highs I had helped remind me that everything is okay, and we are all fine. (Thank you Davita for introducing me to your song that helps drill that into my head!) There were some incidents that happened and caused a lot of hostility amongst each other, I found myself the most homesick I’ve been while being in Panamá, and being in the city this weekend made me appreciate the simplicity of living in the jungle. On a positive note, I met some great people this weekend, one in particular who helped me solidify my decision to spontaneously book a flight to Costa Rica?!? Stay tuned for more about that..

On Saturday evening, I went on a biking adventure in Panamá City with my friends Corynn and Joe. These two beautiful souls are constantly sending out good vibes that make it impossible to not be in a good mood when you’re around them. So here we are, 3 blonde gringos riding bikes down the sidewalk along the bay drawing everyone’s attention because of how great outcasts we are, smiles spread wide across our faces enjoying the perfect weather as we watch the sun set out over the Pacific. We rode all the way down until the path ended, where we found a spot to sit on a wall that reminded me of sitting in front of the Kingfisher at Garden City, and once again I felt at home in a foreign place.

[numberonedreamkoala]

June 19-22, 2016

 What’s been going on these past few days in the jungle? Well…

·      I learned how to sheet-mulch

·      I struggled through an extremely emotional Father’s Day filled with many complete breakdowns

·      We turned a corner of our rancho into a “family room” complete with air mattresses for couches, a hammock, and a coffee table

·      Nat taught us how to properly make sauerkraut

·      I’ve finally gotten the hang of cooking on a hibachi grill

·      We celebrated the full moon by having the person with the longest hair give everyone else haircuts under the moonlight because legend has it, that’s how to ensure hair growth

·      I’ve continued to practice yoga before breakfast almost every morning

·      I learned how to use diesel to cure bamboo (this was another amazing day that came to an end when we were sitting on the top of suicide hill, watching the sunset, drinking Balboa)

·      I pulled a tick out of my tummy while I was taking a shower in the dark J

 And the thing I’ve enjoyed the most is the time I’ve been spending with Pulum, my amazing program director. Pulum is one of the wisest people I have had the pleasure of becoming friends with. He is knowledgeable about all sorts of things- from medicinal traits of herbs and plants to astrology to creating the most exquisite dishes in the kitchen. I’ve learned an incredible amount about these things, but the most important thing Pulum has taught me has come from a deeper level. I think I speak for a lot of other people when I say this, but Pulum is one of those people who you look at and say, “Wow, I want to live a life like him.” He’s a character for sure, but he’s an inspirational character at that. One afternoon, Pulum and I were just hanging out, engaged in another compelling conversation, when he helped me have a revelation about what I’m doing here. During the beginning of the semester, all of the interns came up with ideas of things they wanted to do with their time here through a working project that would have a beneficial contribution to the Kalu Yala community and would lead to the building and development of this place. For me, I didn’t really come here with intentions of creating anything except for meals in the kitchen every day. Until this point, I’ve been helping other people work on their projects but haven’t really claimed one for my own (and I’m pretty sure I’m the only one here who never submitted a formal, independent project proposal… whoops!). Anyways, I made devilled eggs to go with one of our meals this week and I made a comment to Pulum about how great it felt to have a piping bag in my hands again, even if it contained devilled egg filling and not a sweet buttercream icing. After I went into more detail about my history with baking and decorating during that conversation, he helped me see my passion from a different angle that holds more importance than I realized. I’m really good at underestimating myself, my abilities, and my productivity, but Pulum gave me that extra boost of support that I needed to move forward and stop doubting myself. So here I am, over a month into the semester, with a project I can call my own. I am constructing a sustainable recipe using farm fresh, local ingredients to create jungle cupcakes! This project might be as big of a contribution to the development of Kalu Yala as herb garden beds, a recycled booze water fertilizer system, or building ponds for a gray water system, but hey, who doesn’t love cupcakes?

[numberonedreamkoala]

Friday, June 17, 2016

 This was such a cool day!!! The culinary team took a mini field trip to our neighbor’s farm for a cheese workshop. Yes, you read that correctly. A cheese workshop. We watched them milk the cows into a metal pail and then carry that fresh milk over to the kitchen where the whole cheese making process happens. It’s a much simpler process than I had expected, but it takes time. We simply added an enzyme that curdles the casein in milk and ultimately creates cheese. It takes awhile for the enzyme to activate, but once activated, all you have to do is use a strainer to separate the curds and liquid whey that was pure cows’ milk just an hour ago. Salt is added, the curds are pressed into a cheese mold, and voilà you have farm fresh queso blanco! This was the freshest cheese I have ever eaten and there is no way for me to explain to you how delicious it was. As unique as this experience was, a sense of familiarity swept over me when I smelled the aroma of the fresh milk. There were a few weird moments where I felt as if I were back in Africa. The strong rays from the midday sun were striking my skin as I inhaled the aroma of fresh milk that brought me right back to Kenya. I didn’t realize that scent was so unique until I smelled it for the second time in my life, in another foreign place. This was another one of those indescribable moments in my life where crazy things were going on in my mind, as if I were having an out of body experience.

This morning I was able to participate in a great practice of Farm to Table sustainability, and it continued on into the late hours of the night. After dinner, the business team hosted a Tiki Bar Party which was pretty freaking awesome. Using local fruits, they juiced watermelons and pineapples to make fresh juice that would be served with rum that was made right here on our property. Check out this awesome video my friend Skyler made that explains the jungle distillery and the man behind the magic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fICOvkWcSEw (seriously go watch that video right now). Willie’s rum is a perfect example of how much better things are when they’re fresh and local. This is hands down the best liquor I’ve ever had, and it doesn’t even give you a hangover. What more could you ask for?

[numberonedreamkoala]

Beginning of Module 3: June 13- June 16, 2016

 Let me just start off by saying that on the first day back in the jungle, a real live sloth was found in a tree right by the staff platforms!! Alive and in the flesh!! In his natural habitat!! How cool is that!!! The jungle is full of surprises and this one was amazing.

 On a completely opposite note, the residents of Junto have come together (literally) and created what is called Megabed. Basically, everyone who lives in this rancho decided to push their air mattresses together and make one huge “megabed.” Why? I have no idea. But it’s awesome. It has become a popular hangout spot and the setting of a copious amount of stories that will forever be remembered.

 As far as electric power in the jungle goes, it’s primarily based on the weather. We have some industrial sized batteries that are hooked up to solar panels, so the stronger the sun is, the more power we have access to. The sun has been working in our favor, and our solar panels have been working to keep our batteries fully charged. Because of this, we were pleasantly surprised with a little taste of home when we had a movie night in the middle of the jungle. We had a makeshift movie theater by simply using a white sheet as a screen, a projector, and a movie that had been downloaded on Jackson’s laptop. We even had popcorn! I love the extremeness of living in the jungle, but it’s nice to know that some aspects of home can be brought out here to create a sense of comfort.

 There are quite a few different swimming holes around here, but so far my favorite is the P-Hole (short for Paradise Hole… don’t ask). It’s not as convenient as the spot at the rio inside camp, but it’s a lot more fun because there is a big rock to do flips off of and an even taller platform to jump off. I don’t know what it is about this spot but I’ve realized that I have a permanent smile on my face every time I’m there. I’ve been in a wonderful state of peace while being in the jungle and this place makes me so appreciative of where I am physically, spiritually, and mentally. I have been genuinely happy, carefree, and relaxed; three emotions I haven’t simultaneously felt in years. I’m focusing on myself and not comparing myself to anyone else. Everyone came to Kalu Yala from different places with different intentions. I came here after graduating from the most intense 4 years of my life at CofC to work on myself by working on something with a bigger purpose, and allowing myself to disconnect from home. I might not physically be working as hard as some of the other interns who are here for school credit and have to meet certain requirements, but I’m working hard internally to make changes in my own life. The best part is, I can see those changes already occurring and I am STOKED to see how this will play out in my future when I leave Panamá. If you know me personally, you know how big of a deal it is for me that I’ve learned how to meditate and I’m practicing being still every day. I’m a very routine person, so it helps that I can make this a daily practice during our afternoon rainstorms. Some days it’s lighter than others and it’s not always at this time, but it rains almost every single day around 3:00. I can’t speak for everyone, but quite a few of us have developed an unspoken siesta during this time. There’s really nothing like taking an afternoon nap during a rain shower in the jungle.

 I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be having such an incredible experience if I were with any other group of people. We are all very different from each other in many ways from our beliefs to our lifestyles, but we all come together on the same common ground and that is our love for the planet and our love for others. We’ve only known each other for about a month know, but we treat each other like family we’ve known our whole lives. One of our friends here in the valley got news that there was a family emergency back in the states and he had to return home. Because of financial reasons, he wouldn’t be able to buy another plane ticket to come back to Panamá to finish off the semester. Another one of our friends heard about this and took charge in making sure something was done about this. She came around and explained the situation to everyone, and without a second thought, every person offered to make a contribution to pay for a round trip ticket for him to get home and come back to the jungle. Our small community came together and raised over $700 to help our friend in a crisis situation. When he made a public announcement to thank us all, tears were flowing and at that moment I realized how special these people are, and that this isn’t a community and these aren’t friends, but we are a family.  

[numberonedreamkoala]

Playa Venao, Panamá

Thursday, June 9-11, 2016

 Vamos a la playa! We have the weekend off, and a group of us decided to spend it at the beach. The traveling process just to get here and back was brutal but 100% worth it. Thursday morning, we woke up at 5, hiked out to San Miguel carrying all of our bags, took the Diablo Rojo to the 24 bus station, took the Metro bus to Panama city, and from there 18 of us squished into a shuttle for a 5 hour ride to the beach. I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into this weekend (surprise!!!) but I just agreed to go with everyone and told the girls who were planning this whole thing to count me in. Boy am I sure glad I did. They told us that there wasn’t anything else around, so bring whatever you might need for the weekend... aka stock up on snacks and booze. Well, when we finally pulled up to this resort that was completely secluded away from everything after 12 hours of traveling, I understood. This is not a typical hostel at all. We stayed in the cutest little bungalows right on the beach for $12 a night. We jumped out of the van, set our stuff down, shotgunned beers, and ran down to the ocean just in time to catch the sunset. I jumped in the water and started crying for the first time since I've been in Panamá. This place is beautiful and it’s given me a slight taste of home. The water was so warm, even in the evening. The feeling of floating in the salt water, diving into the waves, and being at complete peace in my happy place was so unexpectedly satisfying that I just cried and hugged my friends and cried some more. For the remainder of the trip, I couldn’t stop telling all my friends how happy I was, and I don’t think there was a moment that I wasn't smiling. 

On Friday, we met another group of sustainable students and hiked to a different hostel where they held a turtle talk in the bar, Hablas Tortuga. Check them out on Facebook if you get the chance, they are super cool and are doing great things. 

I did another cool thing to check off my bucket list- I surfed in the Pacific Ocean!! These waves don’t come close to the waves in South Carolina and I wiped out a lot, but it was fun. 

On Saturday, we were supposed to leave at 2 but had to check out by 11, so we all just sat on the beach waiting for our van to come get us. This is Panamá, so it only made sense that they kept us waiting for an extra 2 hours. The shuttle finally showed up around 4 and we all piled in and hit the road. Only a few minutes into our ride, weird sounds & feels started coming from the wheels. We spent awhile trying to fix it or at least figure it out, but it was too risky. He drove us to his friends HOUSE (???) (sketchy Panamánian things) and his friend got in the van and started driving us down the street. Everyone was so confused and scared but he ended up just talking us to bus stop and we took a long bus ride to Albrook, where we had to uber back to the hostel, but all of our phones were dead. We sat on the floor of the bus station to charge up and then a police officer yelled at us and told us what we were doing was illegal. Honestly I have no idea what that means but we were all so exhausted and over the day we had so we gave up and took a taxi to Los Mostros. We made it back to the hostel, and it felt like we had crossed the finish line of a marathon. We made it. 

[numberonedreamkoala]

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

 Things at Kalu Yala are already improving. I’ve been spending more time in the kitchen and I can already tell that my basic kitchen skills are improving. I’m learning a lot here that I wouldn’t be able to learn anywhere else. Kalu Yala is an incredibly unique place and things here are a lot different from what I’m used to. Today is a perfect example of that. I spent the morning in the kitchen and went straight back into work after lunch. Because it’s the rainy season, we can pretty much predict that it will rain every afternoon, typically starting between 1:00 and 3:00. I was in the kitchen doing some prep work & looking out at town square when it started to rain and noticed a couple of interns who were embracing it, just dancing under the rainfall. The rain started to come down harder and more interns joined them. Next thing I know, someone ran to the farm and got a huge tarp to lay down and use as a jungle slip-n-slide. I couldn’t just stand back and watch, so I put down my knife and ran out there and started playing in the rain with everyone else. Directors joined in, rafts came out, someone started throwing a football around, and mud wrestling even happened. At one point I just looked around at all of us in our soaking wet clothes, covered in mud, with the biggest smiles on our faces. As adults, we were jumping in puddles & playing in the rain as if we were children again. It was such a beautiful afternoon. I put dry clothes on and got back in the kitchen and my mood was changed for the rest of the night. One of the important things that Kalu Yala is teaching me is that it’s okay to let your inner child out and have fun. Growing up doesn’t have to be scary if you make your happiness throughout life a priority, and it’s not all about being serious all the time. Jump in the puddles. Do cartwheels in the rain. Start a mud-war with your friends. Let it out and be free.

[numberonedreamkoala]

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

The Sacrifice

WARNING: Contains graphic and disturbing descriptions/images*

 I made the decision to harvest a chicken today. I believe that if you eat meat, you should be comfortable enough with the process of how that meat ends up on your plate to do it yourself. The process was probably about 40 minutes long.

First, we had to go to the chicken coop and catch the certain ones that needed to be harvested ASAP for health issues. The 6 of us carried our chickens to the special chicken harvesting area. I was the first one to go. I stepped up to the cone and held her by her legs as I dropped her in head first. I pulled her head through the opening at the bottom of the cone and she started to calm down as all of her blood rushed to her head. With my left hand holding the base of her head, I picked up the switchblade with my right hand and sliced through her neck and immediately felt the warm blood splatter on my arms, legs, torso, and face. This part was physically harder than I was expecting. Our assistant farm director, Natalie, has had experience doing this before and assured us this is the most humane method of chicken harvesting. After the hen’s head was cut off, she kicked around in the the metal cone for a few moments while her nerves died off. She was not in pain for long.

I picked her up out of the cone by her feet and took her over to the pot of 155° water and my friend Loren assisted me in dunking her for two sets of 10 seconds- just enough to loosen the feathers but not enough to scorch her at all.

We carried her over to the table where we hurried to pluck out each and every feather before she cooled down, because the feathers are very hard to get out if the skin isn’t warm. At about this time, it started to completely downpour. (Rainy season in the jungle is no joke!)

The next step was the complete gutting process. I started with the neck, separating the esophagus and another tube from the rest of the body as far deep as I could. I flipped her around and cut a small square right around her butthole. This part is tricky, because you need to make sure you’re careful enough to not puncture and intestines. I separated her organs from her muscles and pulled everything out, including one huge egg that she was almost ready to lay and 5 or 6 tiny fertilized ones that were still developing. It was like a science dissection, except warm and the animal was alive just moments ago, and I was the one who killed it.

I really kept my cool for the whole process. It was a lot more intense than I was expecting. I realized I was in such a trance the whole time that I didn’t even notice it was raining. It was a beautiful and respectful sacrifice that I am proud to have participated in. I have a new found respect for the animals we eat and the conditions of their lives up until the method they are killed.

[numberonedreamkoala]

Sunday, May 29, 2016

(Concrete) Jungle

After 10 days in the jungle, we made it back to the real world for the weekend. The process of getting from the valley to the city is exhausting and requires almost a full day of travel. We took cattle trucks from the valley to San Miguel, a Diablo Rojo bus to a bus station in the city, and then got on the metro that took us to the bus stop near our hostels. The diablo rojo is a unique form of public transformation. It is a school bus that is painted with cool designs and has streamers and loud reggaeton music playing, so basically a party bus.

I've had a couple of off days but yesterday was really bad. I don't particularly like being back in the city and really wish we were just going to be in the valley the whole time. I love living in the jungle surrounded by a whole bunch of freaking awesome people. Coming into the city and reconnecting with society is really stressful. I don't speak Spanish and none of the locals speak English, so trying to do anything from public transportation to ordering food or anything is a challenge. Since I've been in Panama City, I've been constantly on edge and uneasy, crazy anxious and uncomfortable. It's hard for me to get this across in the right way because everything is so complicated here that you really wouldn't understand unless you were here in this position and experienced it yourself. I've talked to my friends about this and I'm not the only one who feels this way. 

As much as I struggled this weekend, I still managed to have a lot of fun. We went out to Casco Viejo, where the locals just adore blondes so to my advantage I didn’t pay for any drinks this weekend.

I went to my first psy-trance show and that was one of the trippiest things I’ve ever experienced. I’m taking advantage of any opportunity I can to do things that are out of my comfort zone while I’m here and it’s adding to my overall experience tremendously.

We tried to go see the Panama Canal, but our taxi driver didn’t understand and took us to a museum instead. Classic.

My weekend in Panama City has come to an end, and the jungle awaits. Hasta luego amigos.

xoxo

[numberonedreamkoala]

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

 The Revolution

As I mentioned before, I jumped into this experience without knowing many details and I didn’t know what to expect. Turns out that’s how all of us interns feel. For me, I was willing to come to Panama not knowing how legit this would be but I was okay with taking that risk. Some other people also didn’t know what to expect, but they had higher expectations than I did. That being said, a lot of people are really unhappy with the program. There are A LOT of issues that need to be taken care of here.

As a group of 80 interns, we held a meeting with our directors a few days ago to discuss all of the issues we have with Kalu Yala. We have been deceived and lied to and are taking action. For my Farm to Table program, they are planning on having each of us in the kitchen one or two days per week. I was under the impression that I was going to be doing the majority of the cooking here. I also learned that for a Farm-to-Table program, not nearly enough of the food we eat comes from our farm. I spend most of my days just hanging out reading, swimming in the river, and playing mancala. The main part of the internship is to develop a project that will be help Kalu Yala grow and develop as a sustainable community, but there is no organization in my program and we haven't started working on anything yet. 

They told some of us that we would have internet access in the valley (this wasn't a big deal for me so I don't care) and some people have online classes and things that they are now screwed for because there is no internet in the valley that we can use. One of the interns got fired from their job back home because he wasn’t able to use internet out here.

We found out after we got here that we are spending 10 days in the jungle, and then we have to leave for 4 days, so we start a new module every 2 weeks. We have one 6 day break and one 5 day break towards the end. They didn't tell us anything about this and now a lot of us are concerned because that is a huge financial deal that none of us were anticipating having to pay for. We also don't have the option to stay in the valley during those times if we want. We have to figure out public transportation and they pretty much just put us out here on our own and tell us to come back Sunday. 

2 people have already gone home because they are so unhappy here and with the program.

Kalu Yala is going through a transition phase and is trying to create a separation from "Kalu Yala" and "Kalu Yala Institute" and this is also something we didn't know about. A lot of the previous directors didn't like this and all left, so we have pretty much all new staff this semester, which is partially why there is so much confusion and no one knows what is going on. They tried to tell us that we are "students" not interns, and are part of the institute. A lot of people are really unhappy about this because they are treating us like kids and not like adults. We came here to learn through building and developing and contributing to the community, not by sitting in lectures as students. 

Some people in certain programs were told they were going to be living in the city but found out AFTER they got here that they are living in the jungle and vice versa, so they did not come prepared. 

When we had the meeting with everyone, the staff valued everything we had to say and are going to work to make things better. I'm staying optimistic that getting into the second module on Monday things will start to improve. I'm not having a bad time by any means, but I feel like I'm doing nothing and don't want that to be the case for 2 more months. 

One of the things I’m really struggling with is the amount of down time I have. Because things aren’t organized very well, I spend a lot of time doing nothing. I’m not used to this!!! I’m going stir crazy. I’m glad I have time to read all the books that I always seem too busy to read, but seriously one can only spend so many hours of the day reading. I feel as though I’m almost wasting my time here when I could be doing something better with my time that would make an impact on something or someone else.

Something that I appreciate is that I’m surrounded by a bunch of similar, free-spirited people my age but we all have such different beliefs. Everyone is open to talking and listening to each other about what they believe and why. I was sitting in the library reading one of my Jesus books and started a conversation with one of the staff members about where I stand in my beliefs, and it turns out that he was in the same spot that I’m currently in when he was my age. I’m so interested in learning about what others believe because I feel as if it exposes a vulnerable side of them that makes them easier to read as a person. Being around so many different people with beliefs to share has made this an incredible learning experience for me already, and even though it’s been a rough start, I am beyond excited to be here and see what this internship has in store for me.

xoxo

[numberonedreamkoala]

Friday, May 20, 2016

 Orientation

 After five long days of sitting through orientation, I have a much better grasp on what Kalu Yala is really about and how we will be working together to better this community.

Let me fill you in on what I’ve learned:

Sustainability is a state over time. It is about using an adequate amount of resources, but not excess. It is about adapting to the environment and making it maintainable for the future. It is about trying to solve current problems now, while minimizing future problems. We are working on developing knowledge and skills that are necessary to establish a modern, sustainable community.

My friend Loren said it better than I could so I’m just going to give her full credit here:

“There aren’t many easy ways to describe what is known as ‘Kalu Yala’. Their mission statement is basically trying to build the world’s most sustainable town… Are we there yet? Not even close! I can say though, I personally have the chance to build that and create that and be apart of the community. All the other cities in the world are already built, and here we are trying to build one from the ground up with our own hands.As one of our directors put it, ’We are living more of a reality here than where most of us come from’. That to me, encapsulates it all. No, we don’t have internet, or air conditioning, or cell service, or a microwave, or walls, or floors, but what we do have is sooo much better. The constant hum of conversation can certainly be attributed to the lack of phone usage, but also a desire of the people to reconnect to what is truly important. I am apart of a beautiful thing out here and ironically enough, I am sharing it via the internet. So, we must take the bad and turn it into possibilities and opportunities.”

 On a personal note, I’m loving it here. Absolutely loving it. Everyone here is easy to get along with and I’ve already made really great friends. I’m surrounded by 100-something people who are just like me, yet so different from me. Every experience here, even the smallest things like having someone pour me my cup of breakfast tea at 6:30 in the morning, is a bonding experience that brings us closer together because we are slowly learning everything about each other, like the fact that people are catching on to the fact that I only like my tea to steep for a few seconds. I’ve never completely felt like I’ve been in a “judgment free zone” until I got here. Everyone is so accepting of each other as their true selves and no one tries to hide anything. I love the freedom I have here. I don’t have to try to fit in to meet society’s standards because everyone here comes as they are. I’m basically living in a hippie commune that partnered up with The Real World and Survivor, except I’m not going to be getting kicked off the island.

 xoxo

[numberonedreamkoala]

Sunday, May 15, 2016

 Today is the day. Nine months ago, I found out I had been accepted into the Kalu Yala internship program and it’s finally here. I’m currently sitting at a bar in the Charleston airport downing a $14 ShockTop that’s the size of my head while trying to mentally process the reality of what I’m about to do. It’s pretty ballsy of me to sign up for something like this, not knowing anyone or many details about the program, and yet I’m still eager to walk onto that plane and not look back.

 There are many details about Kalu Yala that I still have questions about, but here are some things I learned from their website:

“Kalu Yala is a new village being built in a Panamanian river valley to bring together entrepreneurs, artists, scientists and modern day romantics. Here, we are reimagining what’s possible from life and designing an optimized model of living to share with the world.”

“Our culinary program teaches the science and art of cooking at a professional level with local ingredients.  In the kitchen, expect to experiment with presentation, tropical foods, cheese making, and canning sauces and jams. Outside of the kitchen, be ready to get your hands dirty. We will constantly tour farms, help with harvests, develop partnerships with neighboring farms, and optimize our kitchen’s performance.”

[numberonedreamkoala]

March 6 &7, 2016

Nassau and Freeport, Bahamas for my last spring break of undergrad