#peacecorpspanama

[midnightmurauder]

#tbt to this open hearted, curious, powerful, and soft version of myself. Walking with Joy and loving kindness🌞 #panama #peacecorps #peacecorpspanama #kindness #openess #growth (at Los Mortales, Panama, Panama) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bof3QtbhsS4/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=mrcz37cydpl3

[midnightmurauder]

Happy International Women's Day. Let's protect ourselves and each other. :portrait I took in Panama 2012: #tbt #portrait #portraitphotography #peacecorps #peacecorpspanama #mood #children #panama

[midnightmurauder]

I learned so much about Afro Latino(a) culture and history while doing #peacecorpspanama . Everyone just thought I was from Colon or Bocas Del Toro because of my Blackness but there are #aftodescendiente everywhere in Panama 🇵🇦 Thankful to all my teachers. I learned how to Dance Congo y bullerengue. How to fry Peacao y Patacones and so much more. #peacecorps #panama #peacecorpsweek #culture #culturalsharing #imadethemsoulfood #afrolatina #africandiaspora (at Portobelo, Colon, Panama)

[midnightmurauder]

She was lecturing him on mechanics lmao 😂 #elders #missher #listentoyourelders #panama #azuero #peacecorps #peacecorpspanama

[midnightmurauder]

Portrait I took of my young teenage cousin(host cousin). She was so funny, patients with my awful Spanish, and kind. She allowed me to shoot her hair natural even tho she was embarrassed. She spent an hour brushing and geling her kinks and curls away. I thought she was most beautiful just this way. #peacecorps #peacecorpspanama #Panama #afrolatina #naturalhair #selflove #portrait #photography (at Los Mortales, Panama, Panama)

[itsalligee-blog]

Things I never would have said before Panama

“That’s not even a real sized cockroach” *smashes with bare hand*

“I own a cat, and love him”

“Anything in spanish”

Non sarcastically “Thank you for saying I look fat today. You are also looking quite large yourself.” 

“85% humidity isn't THAT bad”

[itsalligee-blog]

After working on a water tank all week at our in service training, we saw some sweet water falls #PeaceCorpsPanama

So every group gets an In Service Training. This is typically planed after about six months in site, so we are aware of the needs of our community, and can pay attention accordingly. We worked on a water tank for a volunteer who is a year ahead of us in his service, to learn more about the process and issues that may have arised during his time here. It was a week filled with lots of hands on engineering and construction, and was very fulfilling to see it all come through. The volunteer has since finished his tank, and is having his system finished by a follow up volunteer that will be joining us in Panama in July of 2016.

[itsalligee-blog]

While the only seasons that exist here are wet and wetter, Bocas still brings out those fall colors at the perfect time.

Got to help my family with their first round of cacao harvesting. It's days filled with cutting down the cacao pods, collecting them in one location, emptying the pods, followed by fermentation and finally drying. Very labor intensive process to earn about $1.25/lb of dried seed. This is top dollar price, as my family's farm is organic. Others can be paid as as little as $0.50/lb. With these days in the finca, I'm becoming more convinced that I live in the land of Oompa Loompas. <\p>