Mayana Bonapart

Overseas program(s): Ecuador Spring 2015
Overseas project(s):
Expected graduation: May 2016
About me: I am from Northern California (Mill Valley) where I grew up exploring West Marin's exquisite mount Tam and oceans via biking, hiking, and camping/backpacking and traversing through the plethora of San Francisco's exciting nooks and crannies. I am a third year undergrad student at Lewis & Clark College studying Anthropology/Sociology and Spanish. Some of my interests include practicing/teaching yoga, playing music (ukulele and harmonica) and singing, and hiking/gardening (and finding any excuse to be outdoors).

Master of Survival - 26/3/15 Some of us learn how to speak another language. Others excel in the sciences, mathematics, dance, and poetry. We are practice-rs beginning, growing through trial and error. or we progress, become proficient, fluent and yet still learning while some, the fewer of us, the dedicated, the bloody and sweaty, the diligent, determined, the […]

Gringa Gratitude - 27/2/15 I’m writing this on a Friday afternoon on the rooftop of our school Amauta, sharing a rare moment of solitude with the city and a piece of gluten free berry pie from one my favorite gringo cafés. This morning in Chilca Totora was very relaxed, probably because our main compañera Maria forgot we were […]

Haikus y fotos de mis primeras experiencias - 18/1/15 Copas de Café Están perfecto para Escribiendo Cups of coffee Are perfect for writing Soy una Gringa Es obviamente por Mi primera vez I am a gringa It’s obvious for My first time La Paradoja Y sincronismo están En todos partes The Paradox And synchronicity is everywhere 1) Soy Judia, que Está aprendido Muy […]

La Confesión de una Gringa de las Calles - Quiero empezar este puesto con una poema pequeña que lo escribí en el café “San Sebas”: 1/2/15 Desayuno de San Sebas San Sebas is a refuge for the gringos And those heavy of heart and breakfast. The two white girls on the couch next to me speak in English. About misogynistic men, plays they have […]

Diving Deeper into Coral Reef Ecology at Lady Elliot Island

Another day in paradise. Today marked our third day on Lady Elliot Island, and it’s easy to see that we’re all getting used to this. Waking up early isn’t a challenge with the bright sun and the cacophony of seabirds, but for once no one is upset, as our first activity is a quick snorkel […]

Journey to the top of Queensland – 5/4/18

Today marked our last day at Carnarvon, with our next stop to be the Great Barrier Reef. Although we’ve stayed at Carnarvon Gorge longer than expected due to the cyclone off the eastern coast, it allowed us to explore even more of the beautiful park. We were woken again by the sounds of Laughing Kookaburras, […]

Great Times at Great Kepple

April 7, 2018 Our first full day on Great Kepple Island! We spent the morning in lecture learning about coral, coral reefs (there’s a difference!), conservation and the general weather trends that can dictate the biogeography of the ocean. While some had come into this program with invertebrate knowledge from classes at Lewis and Clark, […]

Planes, trains, automobiles and the amazing reef!

On April 10th I woke up to the sound of the train wheels clacking. It was 5:30 in the morning. I was so tired but also so thrilled to be traveling to a new destination. Soon after we woke from the comfy and unique accommodation of the train, we all gathered our belongings and hopped […]

Under the Milky Way Tonight

On April 3, 2018 we stayed at the Takarakka bush resort in Carnarvon Gorge. One of the many highlights of Carnarvon George is the sky. Specifically, the entire Milky Way. Which, as our tutor brought up, used to be a sight that everyone could see. It is because of our cities light pollution that […]