Why I loved Antigua!!!!!

I loved Antigua.  It was a beautiful city and the people were lovely.  The best part:  I hiked Volcan Pacaya.  It was amazing!!!!!

Panama is alive.... with The Sound of Music!

The past 5 weeks have been spent in the total saturation of The Sound of Music.  It is one of my favorite experiences working with kids... (other than the total lack of organization that I am learning to live with here...)  I got to know a group of kids that I, otherwise, would never have even spoken to.  They (and we) pulled it out at the end and it was fantastic.  I am glad it's done but sad that it's over, you know.  Here are a few pictures of the show:

I will be starring in a play in two weeks.  It is a Woody Allen play, "Old Saybrook".  I've had a great time getting to know everyone and rehearsing with the.  I have been completely overworked BUT it's been worth it.

Tomorrow afternoon I am leaving for a short visit to Guatemala, 4 days.  It will be fun: volcanos, coffee plantations, ruins....  I am super excited.  

That's all for now.

Life in the Fast Lane

Ok, so maybe not the "fast lane" but a life that's really really busy.....  

I have, since returning to Panama at the beginning of the month, been doing lots here.  I have been hiking at least once a week in prting the final touches on The Sound of Music with the middle and high school and I have started the elementary school musical.  Many of you know how much I like filling my life to the brim and then running around like a crazy lady and here I am doing it all again.  I think it's good for me, keeps me occupied.  I am having a good time and I am happy but I am also extremely home sick right now.  I miss the people I love.  I miss being comfortable with people and being able to be myself all the time.  I miss knowing I am loved.  

Here are a few pictures of my life the past month!  Enjoy!

Hiking Campana with Laura, Jon, Ron, and Hope (taking the picture.)

Dirty Kari climbing UP the mountain.

The hike up!!

La Cruz at the top.... it was stunning up there.

Hiking in Parque Metropolitano... the view of the city.

Ant Highway while hiking.

Marilyn and Elise in the water.

At the fort with Marilyn, her husband, and Elise.

Here's to You

In true Kari-Fashion I composed a poem to commemorate the passing of another year and to welcome a new one.  

Happy New Year everyone!   Love you all!

Here's to You

It comes upon us,

The close of another year.

We pause for a moment

to ponder how we got here.

My year has passed

with moments that flew;

Moments unnoticed, 

under appreciated,

moments with you.

How do I take inventory 

of the time that has passed?

What memories to forget,

what to remember,

and which among them will last.

The laughs we have shared,

the kind words you have said.

The dancing we've done

the poems we have read.

The tears that have fallen

the rivers we crossed.

The parties we've thrown

the friendships we've lost.

The conversations we shared

the love we have shown.

The music we've made

the ways we have grown.

The late night phone calls I've made

when I couldn't go on;

The connections I feel

even now that I'm gone.

The seconds that fly

as we all stand here;

sharing each other

as we welcome a New Year.

So here's to my friends

the ones who have helped me shine;

here's to another important one,

here's to 2009.

50 Important things from 2008

Here it is, in it's fourth year, the list of important things:

50 important things from 2008.  



 

1.  My Friends.

2.  Dancing.

3.   Making it through another year of teaching

4.   Chicago

5.  My niece turning two.

6.  Learning that it does get easier with time.

7.  Finding out that when your heart breaks you will make it….. (Yes a repeat from last year and the year before but I think that maybe this will be a lesson I have to learn over and over and over and over and over….)


8.  Matt Walters.

9.  Joel Spencer. 

10.  New roommates, new apartments, new country, new life, new beginning.

11.  St. Patrick’s Day.

12.  Saying the hardest goodbye I’ve ever had to.

13.  Salsa dancing with Luis.

14.  Realizing love.

15.  Chalwa at Wild Wings


16.  Learning Spanish

17.  Finding friends even when you think you can’t.

18.  Learning and learning and learning who I am.

19.  Days that I wake up with only my dance shoes on.

20.  Losing the person I love to dance with.

21.  Satellite Crash Down Parties, glow sticks, and blue face paint.

22.  Lindsay Scarborough. 

23.  Jonathan Scales and his steel pan of greatness.


24.  Saying goodbye to students that I love.

25. Dancing in the Drum Circle.

26.  Going away Parties.

27.  Ed Woods.

28.  Photo Shoots in downtown Asheville.

29.  Writing poetry.

30. Painting.

31.  Finding Matt again, after I thought I had lost him.

32.  Highlights and I am Legend


33.  Rachel Harris Scales.  Because she made me laugh…. A lot.

34. Christmas Caroling at the Director’s House


35.  Seeing my friends again after four months.

36.  Realizing that sometimes friendships just end, for no reason.

37.  Panama.

38.  Family

39.  Cinco de Mayo.

40.  Mike and Rachel’s wedding, new friends, and fun times in Charleston!

41.  Poetry readings, Melodicas, and the Flat Iron

42.  Leaving a job, friends, a city, and a life that I loved.

43.  Distance.  Thousands of miles of it.

44.  Finding my own strength.

45.   Panamanian Tipica Dancing.

46.  Believing even when it’s hard.

47.  Giant Silver Beans and a moment that felt like home.

48.  Barak Obama

49.  Seeing hope in someone else.

50.  Ending 2008 with the belief that “Perhaps 2009” is the year for us.

We wish you a Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, and all that other business too!!

The countdown has begun:  Only 6 days until I arrive in the US!!  I woke up this morning more ready for NC and cold weather and friends and family than I had expected to be!!!  Last night we had a small Christmas party at my friend John's house.  It was filled with turkey, Christmas lights, eggnog, and caroling.  We stood around together, sang some songs, and then on an impromptu note, drove to the Director's house and the Elementary principal's house and sang to them.  It was almost like being back at home except that we were sweating our bums off!!  It was a good reminder of how you can find friends anywhere if you just try.......  So to further celebrate a Panamanian Christmas, here we are:  

It's a Panamanian Christmas

We Wish You a Panamanian Christmas....

And thus begins the Christmas season.  So as I am sure you can imagine it is super hard to get in that Christmas Spirit when it's 90 degrees outside and every one speaks spanish.  One night last week Jodie and I were walking to our favorite Lebonese restaurant.  On our way is a lovely park and as we passed on this night there was una fiesta grande.  There were singers, dancers, a drag queen, the coca cola bear, light up santa hats, and street meat.  If there is anything that can put a little yule-in-your-tide it is street meat and light up santa hats.....  You think that that was it, oh no, look at the awesome..... well I'm not sure what they are, but they were awesome.

As if it weren't Christmas enough...... this is what I got to do this weekend.......

I just love a hot sunny day at the beach at Christmas.

And lastly I think penguins, in the mall, with santa hats really just says it all.