Coclé, Panama

My time in the rural mountains of Coclé taught me much more than how to open a coconut with a machete or teach a class in Spanish;

The kindness of the strangers who invited me into their homes to talk for hours and share their mangoes and avocados with me gave me the confidence to start conversations with new people upon returning to the United States.

It has been a month since my trip, and I still talk with my host family, students from the local school, as well as the owner from the local store!

Coclé, I'll never forget you.