Lush green vegetation, steep hillsides and cascading waterfalls were the perfect contrast to the sandy beaches and cozy accommodations back at the San Juan Marriott. A 7am departure wasn’t an ideal match for the all-night Puerto Rican dance parties, but the fresh rainforest air quickly trumped the urge to retreat back into my plush king … Continued
Puerto Rico makes me want to dance. Don Omar’s “Danza Kuduro” makes me want to dance. So, I flew down to San Juan, Puerto Rico, pressed play on my walkman and let the good times roll! This is what happened. A huge thank you to the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino for hosting … Continued
Take a three minute journey of highlights from my four-month trip to Bolivia, where the mission was to volunteer with literacy NGO, BiblioWorks, in Sucre, Bolivia. I helped develop learning initiatives at one of their eight libraries in the small town of Morado Q’asa outside the city and worked with the BiblioWorks staff to organize, execute and … Continued
I passed through Ica, Peru for a few nights to check out the Huacachina oasis and to ride sandboards and buggys through the desert. Here is a short video of my sandboarding experience on the sand dunes of Huacachina, Peru. If you notice, the snowboarding approach didn’t work very well because the sandboards were very … Continued
Drinking and sharing Mate in Argentina is one of the most beloved traditions in Latin America. An employee at the hostel I stayed at when I first arrived in Buenos Aires introduced me to the mate culture, and from that point forward, I’ve developed an appreciation (and taste) for what this powerful tea signifies for … Continued
Here’s the result of four months of working and traveling in Guatemala as a Kiva Fellow. The scenery is incredible, the people are inspiring and the memories are forever. I’ll see you again soon Guatemala. Shots from Guatemala: Flores, Solola, Panajachel, Tikal Ruins, Antigua, Rio Dulce, Semuc Champey, San Antonio de Palopo, San Andres, Mazatenango, … Continued
On February 1st, I moved into a one-bedroom apartment in my hometown of Rochester to work on the launch of two new projects, plan the next adventure, catch up on video footage and see about a girl. This past Sunday marked my 29th birthday, and I found myself in the familiar birthday mindset of being … Continued
Ancient ruins are cool, but the tours associated can also be slow and boring at times. I have a tough time sitting still when I’m put in a “tourist” type situation, so I seperated myself from the group and went off to explore the Tikal Ruins my way. Here are the highlights of our tour … Continued
On the pacific coast of Guatemala there is a place as magical as any fairytale you’ve ever read. Where the water flows like wine and the smiles are contagious. The name is Xocomil, and the game is water slides. Guatemala’s largest (and I think only) water park is a grueling three and a half hour … Continued
This is a peek into my daily routine as a Kiva Fellow in Guatemala. I was working with a new microfinance partner in ADICLA, so most days consisted of visiting borrowers around the region and uploading their profiles to the Kiva.org network. Join the T2T Kiva Lending Team and help fund the people I’ve met. … Continued