Names:  Allan, Courtney and Wiley Carver
Ages: 36, 32 and 18 months
Home: Originally from Ashland, Oregon, but currently living in Guatemala City

We serendipitously met the Carvers in Antigua, Guatemala, having dinner one night at the India Palace Restaurant.

Work:  Both Allan and Courtney teach at the international school in Guatemala City.  Wiley spends his time teaching Allan and Courtney how to be parents.

What makes them interesting?:  Even on their first date, Allan and Courtney talked about wanting to travel internationally.  They seriously thought about going into the Peace Corps after graduating from the University of Montana in Missoula.  However, this proved not to be a practical option for them because of their student loans.  Allan had a good friend who held a teaching job in Paraguay.  He persuaded them to consider living and working overseas as teachers in international schools.  They decided to try it and have now taught in Kuwait, Morocco and Guatemala.  The work not only allowed them to fulfill their goal of international travel, but also gave them the opportunity to totally immerse in their host cultures.  Ultimately, these experiences outside of the classroom enabled them to bridge differences and see people firsthand for who they were, free from the stereotypical labels that develop through less accurate filters.

Meaningful Experiences:  Allan and Courtney readily admit that the most meaningful experiences for them haven’t come from work.  The work seems like any work anywhere – they are teachers and teach at private international schools.  It’s their encounters with people have produced some memorable situations.

While living in Kuwait, they decided to travel to Oman over a Thanksgiving break.  They found themselves lost in a small town in the mountains.  Their rental 4WD was huge and almost impossible to turn around in the narrow streets of a residential area.  A man dressed in typical clothing (a robe and turban) came out of his house to assist and, after getting the car situated, invited them in for tea.  They ended up staying for dinner where he treated them to an amazing feast of beef medallions dipped in honey with homemade flatbread, beautiful fresh fruits, tea and pastries.  Afterwards, they congregated in his diwaniya (living room) and talked – as much as the language barrier would allow - with his sons and nephews for over an hour.

During their time in Morocco, Courtney worked on an incredible project called “Rugs to Riches.”  She and some other teachers visited a tiny Berber village on the outskirts of town.  The people actually lived in the town dump and were doing the best that they could to just survive.  The teachers met with the women of the village and found out that they desperately wanted to learn a skill so that they could earn money and build a school for their children.  After organizing a fundraiser, the group secured enough money to buy a sheep for every woman.  They then hired Berber weavers to teach the women how to weave rug, bags and other textile products.  The project earned enough money to build the school and opened in the fall of 2007 to the village children.

Philosophy of Life:  “Enjoy your life to the fullest, appreciate what you have, live close to the heart.”

You can learn more about Allan, Courtney and Wiley’s adventures on www.carverjourney.com.