Peace Corps WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) volunteer in the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé in western Panama. I live in a small community of about 230 residents and I am working with families to improve their household water access, hygiene behaviors, sanitation, and overall quality of life.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I would love to host visitors traveling through Panama or Central America. Mainstream tourism has not come to the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé yet, so this is one of the only ways for English or Spanish-speaking foreigners to really experience the culture of Panama's largest indigenous group.

I live a 40-minute pickup truck ride and then an hour hike from the nearest town, San Felix. It's out of the way but a true backcountry experience!

Interests

• coffee
• triathlon
• gardening
• hiking
• canoeing
• camping
• skiing
• snowboarding
• swimming
• ukulele
• harmonica
• environmental justice
• jewelry making
• civil engineering
• cooking and baking
• acapella
• celtic music

Music, Movies, and Books

Several favorite music artists: Rudimental, the 1975, The Head and the Heart, Sia, Imagine Dragons, Halsey, The Lumineers, MIKA, Walk the Moon, Bleachers, LP, St. Lucia, Little Comets, Kodaline, Niko & Vinz, Jeremy Loops, Noah & the Whale, San Fermin, The Griswolds, Kygo, Disclosure

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Studied and interned at Ulsan National Institute of Science & Technology in Ulsan, South Korea for a summer. The civil engineering lab I interned in researched different methods for electrokinetic decontamination of radioactive concrete.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach: Ngäbere language and culture, rural living, life of a Peace Corps volunteer
Learn: anything!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share my experience as a young American living and working in the Panamanian Ngäbe culture.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Italy, Japan, South Korea

Countries I’ve Lived In

Panama, United States