The motto of Barranquilla’s Carnival, or Carnaval in Spanish, is ¡Quien lo vive, es quien lo goza! (literally, “Anyone who lives it, is who enjoys it”). Over the past month, life in Barranquilla has been turned upside down as people live and enjoy the start of the Carnival season. Sin[...]
Archive for February, 2010
February 16th, 2010 - 12:56 am § in Around Town, News
We Want to Hear From YOU!
You may have noticed a new button the lefthand side of this blog that says “Feedback.” It’s a pretty straightforward ask: we’d love to know how we’re doing. La Vida Idealist was created in August with the goal of better supporting you, from helping you take that first s[...]
Let’s Talk About the “G-Word:” Gringo
Here’s my gringo story: I was 18 and I had just arrived in Guatemala to work as a volunteer teacher with Global Vision International. It was my first time living abroad and I barely spoke Spanish. I left my hotel in Antigua to go exploring, and from the window of a house across the street, [..[...]
Why We Do What We Do
“Why are you here?” she asked. My Spanish teacher, who is equally perplexed on how I “forget” to pronounce all vowels in each word, asked our group of beginning Spanish speakers why we traveled from Sweden, USA and Ireland to volunteer in Cordoba, Argentina. Maybe, she questi[...]
How to Fundraise With No Funds
This week I was really impressed by another volunteer here at Tashirat. Some of us (myself included) are intimidated by fundraising events, by the thought of all the time, energy, and resources spent resulting in little or no money raised. And, being in a rural community in Mexico, one may think: If[...]
February 10th, 2010 - 5:40 pm § in Around Town, Nicaragua
Taking Your Time
Before I came to Solentiname, Nicaragua I was determined to arrive and get to work immediately. I imagined riding up to the remote archipelago in a long, thin wooden boat where children and families eagerly awaited my arrival. I would jump out of the boat, introduce myself with a smile, a handshake,[...]
Nerd Notes: Navigating New Ways of Living
I’m a straight up nerd. I love technology and am on an undying quest to expand people’s access to information. Moving to Guadalajara, Mexico from San Francisco, CA to get Adapting to Scarcity off the ground has proved to be an… interesting transition for me. For years I’v[...]
