Megan Unbounded

What do you do when you have travel burnout?! The first thing to do is to distinguish between symptoms of culture shock or burn out from traveling. It is possibly that you are experiencing culture shock because there are similar symptoms like homesickness and others that are common for both. Before buying that ticket home, take some time to focus on what is going on within. A few symptoms of travel burnout are: Homesickness. Traveling feels like a chore. You feel exhausted mentally and physically. No interest in site seeing. Unable to cope with your new surroundings. Anti-social and have no desire to take advantage of this great opportunity to meet new people, learn the language, and culture! Okay, so you are feeling like a spoiled brat right now and that you should be enjoying this chance to travel that most in the world do not have. I remember my first sign of travel burnout was when I went to Beijing, China. I was able to get through it and it was an awesome trip! H...

Are you deciding to move to Beiijing, China?! STAY OPEN MINDED Have you ever thought people would eat roaches off a stick? How about scorpions or grass hoppers? For me, China has been the most unique place I have traveled to so far. But, being open to the experience and maintaining a worldly perspective have helped me to adapt to the cultural differences that I have encountered. LEAVE BEIJING FOR THE HOLIDAYS While I really wanted to see the holiday parades and some tourist sites over the long holidays, they actually turned out to be the worst times to go see any tourist attractions in Beijing! First, the pollution was really bad where you needed to wear a mask and the skies were hazy, which I assume was due to the massive movement of city dwellers leaving Beijing and rural residents coming into it. Also, those that do not live in the city and foreigners that may be traveling during these times too are all trying to see the events and take advantage of their time off to see ...

I would have to say that one of the craziest things that I have ever done in my life was to hike Volcan Baru, at midnight! For me, it was a once in a lifetime thing to do because I am not sure if I want to hike a total of 10 hours straight, no sleep for about 32 hours, and do all this during freezing temperatures. But it is an experience worth seeing the views and to say that you have completed a feat that most probably would not do. If you start at midnight, a few things to keep in mind are.... 1. YOU NEED A HEADLAMP. We were lucky and went with clear skies with a bright moon guiding us through some of the path but then there were parts that had so many trees blocking the moo and it  was pitch black. It would be impossible to climb without some light because you can easily trip on rocks since the road is not that great. 2. BRING SNACKS, WATER, AND MORE SNACKS. So, it is about 6 hours up and depending on how long you can descend, 5-6 hours down they will estimate as...

I want to share with everyone a few things that I have learned and my overall experience while being a Peace Corps Volunteer in Panama!  I give you all the truth and try not to hide anything about how my time here! If you have any questions or similar experiences, please share!!

My time is winding down in the community so on the weekends, I'm visiting community members and cooking with them. Each weekend I'm trying to spend as much time with my Pana-mom especially. I also asked her to share any advice and words in a video just to look back at and be reminded of the great times we had together!

A couple weeks ago, I visited a volunteer to do a collaboration about baking and business topics. It was fun to work with one of the volunteers in my group and  with her community members! The lady who hosted all of us at her house was so cute and kind. Check out the video for a little more information!

Have you ever considered eating jerked llama? How about a roasted guinea pig???? These are some of the interesting foods and culture norms you will find in Peru. Of course I had to see Machu Picchu while I was there and the cute mountain town that I stayed at before going was Cusco. They had more to share about their traditions and the ancient Incans than Lima and is worth checking out! ( If you want more travel info and tips, check out my sister website here, theruleofthr3e !) Some similarities between Panama and Peru are the variety of indigenious groups you will find and they dress differently according to their village. They change their hats, skirts, and colors in relation to their group. The day I arrived, I got to see many of them in a parade in Cusco while they danced their traditional dances. I am an agriculture volunteer so I found it really interesting that they grow quinoa, stevia, and thousands of types of potatoes! However, the most fascinating is...

Each month with the newly formed tourism group, the business uses a part of their earnings to support environmental conservation, from clean-up groups to, hopefully, education in the schools. We are working on continuing the awareness of the importance of recycling! The volunteers before started the construction of recycling bins in the school so I have talked to the tourism group to start this project back up again and I am here to help with that! Before they did not have a sustainable way to transport trash and recycled products out of the community but with management and financial training (with me!), I am sure they can get it to work out, even after Peace Corps leaves this site. I found a dead fish from contaminants in the river :( And we came across a gold digger and his family while cleaning up the river!  Some are not pictured but this is the group that worked to keep our community clean!

The community aqueduct needed some repairs so I went with a community member to check out the problem with the water source. It took about an hour and a half to hike to the location over many hills (omg my legs were burning because the steepness was insane), some creeks, and farm animals hanging around. At the top of the highest hill, it was beautiful to see all of the mountains and rivers that surround the community and the lake that flows into the Panama Canal. The site of the water source was shaded and cool without many people or animals, which is a good thing to ensure that the our drinking water stays clean! though the hike was intense with many hills but it is like a natural stair stepper for a good days workout as well. On the way there, we came across some goats and I learned of a time when the community was in a bad time where something was eating their livestock and goats. I was told, it possibly a jaguar or the Chupacabra because the odd thing about the animals was that o...

Finally I had some visitors from the USA!! My former college roomies came to visit my community and experience Panama! Let's just say that I forgot about some the interesting things about Panama and campo life that I have become accustomed to, like the diablo rojos (buses with crazy designs), 3AM rooster wake up call, and cold showers/bathing in the river. Also, they enjoyed the variety of fruits and vegetables that are easily available in our gardens or found in the jungle especially coconuts, pipas, and bananas.   Iguana! A monkey!

Independence festivals usually take place for the whole month of November. I went to parades in my community and one in the city to be a part of this cultural moment. This is the time of year where the streets are filled with people wearing Polleras and the intricate head pieces where ever they go, at work or just going to the supermarket for groceries. It is exciting to be a part of this moment, especially when they are dressed in the traditional Panamanian dress for the whole month! The little girls in their Polleras are so cute as well. It is definitely a time of the year to visit Panama to experience their pride in their country because it is not just one day when they recognize their independences from Colombia and Spain. It is really a month of fiestas, arroz con pollo (chicken with rice), and family gatherings.