As most of you know, I'm headed out of town for a little while. I'm leaving July 1st for 27 months of Peace Corps Service in Benin.
In where? Benin is young republic in West Africa. It's located between Togo and Nigeria, and it covers an area about the size of Virginia. Beninese culture revolves around sustenance farming, with predominating animist religion (Voodoo) and strong tribal traditions. I'm sure these blurry images will be supplanted by the visceral realities of my particular community, friends and experiences. Benin has sustained a peaceful democracy since a brief brush with Marxism in the 1980's. It's a beautiful place, with a mangrove coast and thick forest in the highlands.
And 12 species of monkeys. Boy do I love monkeys.
I'll be working as a natural resources adviser: helping to adopt sustainable harvesting practices where clear-cutting has devastated forests, improving the productivity of local food systems, and teaching HIV/AIDS awareness on the side. I have no delusions of spreading enlightenment and saving the world, but hopefully I'll be able to collaborate with some folks, mix ideas together, and facilitate small steps towards healthier people and ecosystems. There's no doubt I'll learn much and get dirt between my toes.
The last few months have been a giddy whirlwind of travels with friends and family.
I'm going to step aside from 2skinnypros and let it rest as an archive of several incredible years. I would however like to introduce you to the newest iteration of my online personality:
www.wanderlustimagery.com
This journal will present mostly photographs with sparse text, and I'll keep it updated sporadically whenever I cross paths with the internet.
cheers folks, and thanks for reading.
Christoph
