Central America Semester: “Gettin’ Giddy for Guate!”
Greetings from Portland! Abby and Matt here, your Central America OE’s reporting from a cute corner cafe in Portland! We are wrapping up our preparations for an awesome upcoming 10 weeks! Today we participated in a Carpe Diem scavenger hunt around Portland, and in the process have continued learning about and getting to know one another – for example, Abby learned that Matt is both left handed and colorblind (poor Matt!) and Matt has learned that Abby minored in Spanish and History in college, and is a tea enthusiast!
We are getting super excited for all of the adventures, growth and learning that is about to happen! Abby is most excited to see Lago Atitlan at sunrise, while Matt is most excited to talk more about Guatemalan history and culture! We hope you all have your own unique highlights that you are looking forward to and preparing to experience
We are also getting super excited (and yes,a little bit nervous!) to meet all of you, our students! Soon we will all be getting to know one another in the land of tortillas, chicken buses and volcanoes! Until then, we hope you are finishing up all final preparations and getting hyped yourselves!
Some last-minute tips for packing:
✅ As with many things in life, less is more! Remember that you will have to carry all of your things, so pack light!
✅ It will occasionally be a bit chillier than you are likely anticipating – we will be staying at some altitude after all! A good sweatshirt or jacket will be greatly appreciated.
✅ Don’t forget a journal! We will be doing all sorts of reflective activities and discussions, and we will be encouraging all of you to put some of your thoughts and feelings down onto paper!
✅ Financial stuff – make sure you have a card you can use at an ATM! Cash is king in many places that we will be going, and exchanging dollars can be complicated. Also remember to notify your bank of when/where you will be abroad so that they don’t block your card.
✅ No sleeping bag is required for this trip! You are welcome to bring one if you want, but we will always have access to either beds or rented sleeping bags.
Aloha Semester: E Komo Mai!
Aloha from your Overseas Educators Forrest and Fiona! We look forward to welcoming you to Maui in the coming week. As you descend into Kahului, watch for Mauna Kea and Haleakala mountains.
We shared a few packing tips at our last meeting, but here are a few more:
👉 Forrest: Bring extra batteries and sun protection.
👉 Fiona: Please do not bring any sunscreen containing oxybenzone and octinoxate. Source mineral based zinc sunscreen. Anything that can be purchased at Walgreen’s and Costco can be topped up throughout the semester. Please consider bringing a small gift representative of your home to share with guests, such as small amounts of maple syrup or pieces of art.
Co-leader trivia – did you know that…?
👉 Forrest: I have been a carnie in two countries.
👉 Fiona: I am teaching myself to spin wool.
What excites us for the coming semester?
👉 Forrest: I am super excited to see whales.
👉 Fiona: I have never been to Maui! I look forward to meeting all our hosts.
That’s all for now. Take care, a hui hou.
Italy & Greece Semester: Ciao at tutti!
Ariana and Mara here reporting from Portland! We’re very excited to meet you all soon and get started on this epic adventure! We’re looking forward to getting to know each of you better and wanted to share a bit about ourselves beforehand.
Here are some fun facts about us, take a guess which one of your leaders each piece of trivia applies to! Answers at the bottom 🙂
1) Who has Greek heritage?
Ariana
Mara
Both
2) Who grew up competitively Irish dancing?
Ariana
Mara
Both
3) Who has previously led programs in Hawai’i and Europe?
Ariana
Mara
Both
4) Who has a degree in theater?
Ariana
Mara
Both
5) Who seeks out live music at every opportunity she has?
Ariana
Mara
Both
6) Who has a cat named Coconut?
Ariana
Mara
Both
ANSWER KEY: 1) Both; 2) Ariana; 3) Both; 4) Mara; 5) Mara; 6) Ariana
Before we see you in NYC we wanted to share a few tips and tricks to help you get ready.
✅ Remember to save some space in your bag and make use of packing cubes when in doubt!
✅ Leave your favorite items at home and bring multi purpose items that you don’t mind getting a little wear and tear over the course of the semester.
✅ If you haven’t already tried out your hiking boots, take them for a walk before the trip! You’ll be glad to have them a little worn in before our trek.
✅ Finally, ensure you have a spare change of clothes and any prescription medications in your carry on bag just in case of any luggage delays when we arrive in Rome!
We’re excited to see you all and can’t wait to share the wonders of Greek and Italian history, culture, and cuisine with you soon!
Southeast Asia Semester (Carpe Mundi): Shining Light on a Gray Day
Carpe Mundi is coming full circle. Soumya and Carol met in 2019 when Carol started at Carpe Mundi full time and Soumya started as an Americorps Vista for the year. Now, they are leading PDXChange’s Pon Lue Cohort to Cambodia and Thailand. A lot has changed between then and now, but their love for Portland, exploration, equity and inclusion has not.
Here are some hot, cold, and tepid tips that they have learned over the years about travel:
✅ Unless you are particular about your body products you can find what you need there except menstrual supplies
✅ Bring half as much and twice as much money
✅ Pack a pair of clothes in your carry on
Also— even if you’ve know each other for a long time, (the pandemic doubles years so it’s been a while) there’s still more to learn about each other. Here’s some things we learned chatting, laughing, and tripping around Mississippi and Albina.
1. Soumya thinks she might be growing a mullet. (she says she IS growing a mullet.)
2. Soumya possesses an intuitive compass and Carol is envious.
3. A true treat for Soumya is French fries and always kombucha.
4. If Soumya trips in front of a property she is likely to buy it. (According to her mom).
1. Carol’s handwriting is eerily similar to Soumya’s sister.
2. Say the word booger to see Carol laugh so hard she cannot really make a sound. Thanks Alberto from the 4th grade.
3. Carol doesn’t like when people talk over each other. Also you can laugh at? With? Around Carol to make her smile.
We are so excited to hear our students jam out and see how they are inspired by the musical stylings of Thai and Cambodian music. We can’t wait to see them soak up the wonder of ancient civilization, beautiful architecture and also become increasingly aware of what it means to care about the climate issues far away from ‘home.’
Also, did we mention we look forward to laughing heartily?