Volunteer Caroline with members of various organizations that are members of the National Assembly for the Disabled at a conference for Ukrainian organizations that work to promote and to improve the lives of the disabled in Ukraine.
This scene from the Acting Out Awareness play represents the four corners of the world coming together in the fight against AIDS. The actor in the middle represents the AIDS virus. Even though the virus is strong, if we all work together we can...
On the morning of June 18th, 2011, at 4:00am in Moldova, my host father knocks on the door to my room. I open the door, and am told "today we are going to work the land my son!" I was tired, yet excited. We then proceeded to walk about two miles to...
While staying with two Slovak young men at a historic mill in the woods of the High Tatry of Northern Slovakia, I was invited to join them in walking to a cabin, the home of an old woodcutter. One of the young men had promised to take photos of his...
Teachers and students; Traditional dress; Dance; International Women's Day
My school held a celebration dinner for International Women's Day, March 8th. Women's Day is a big deal in Romania. I enjoyed the dinner and dancing, after which a friend took this picture showing me and students in traditional costumes. My...
One of the many women's choruses at a Festival of Russian Culture in Vilkova, Ukraine, 2009. This region of southern Ukraine was formerly called Bessarabia, and I have been told that there are more than 30 ethnic groups or cultures in Odessa...
My neighbors operate a lavash bakery and I often go there in the winter time to hang out because the ladies are always good for a fun conversation and it is nice and warm in there. The process is fascinating to watch, obviously these women have had...
Kazakhs traditionally tie strips of cloth to trees at special places, such as the top of a mountain or near a stream, and make a wish. Photo taken near Ayrtau lake, Northern Kazakhstan in July 2010.
This man paused to tell stories of the river we were photographing for a story about trash in Armenia's rivers. He was reminiscing about how as a young boy he used to swim in the spot we were photographing.
As someone who has lived in Los Angeles for 20 years, the Ukrainian winters were quite different than anything I had experienced before. This photo was taken in January 2005 from my balcony in Khmelnitsky, Ukraine.
This photo was taken during my training in Trypillia, Ukraine on March 6, 2006. The little girl is my host sister, Liza, all bundled up for her morning walk to school. It was one of the first major snowfalls I experienced while in Ukraine.
This photo was taken in the winter of 2009. Even though the temperature can get pretty cold in the Winter it does not stop the children from playing outside. Sledding is the favored pastime when the snow hits the ground.
In June 2012 in L'viv on the same day as a EURO 2012 game was taking place in the city, my leadership club from school and the organization Prosvita partnered for an event. Prosvita organized a concert, while the leadership club implemented their...
This is a picture of me and my wonderful neighbor, Mila. She was helping me white wash my kitchen during the summer. It was a pretty hilarious experience as I had never used white wash and had no idea how messy and unpredictable it was. Shortly...
In this seaside town in Morocco there is a large fishing industry. In the mornings and later at night, you can go to the fish market to pick up some fish to take home or take to a nearby restaurant and have it prepared as you like. Another common...
This is my favorite part of the day in Moldova: when the cows come home. It always happens right around sunset when the cows start walking up the hill and you hear mooooooooooooooooo! for about 30 minutes. They all know where their respective homes...
In the scene from the Acting Out Awareness play, the AIDS virus has just appeared in the world. The virus, represented by the actor in red, is surrounded by the four corners of the world, represented by the four actors in white. Here, the four...
This photo was taken at my wedding on November 21, 2009 in Naxchivan, Azerbaijan. I married my community counterpart after completing my first two years of service, and starting my third year. We participated in a traditional wedding ceremony for...