Name:

Henry Hartzler

Where do you call home?

Byron, MN

What were you doing before you joined Peace Corps?

Just finished student teaching and then was living in the North Woods as a kayaking and climbing guide

Weirdest/most specific/interesting item you brought to country with you?

A hanging closet from college — turned out to be the most useful thing I brought!

First impressions of Nicaragua? What surprised you most?

It’s much hotter than Minnesota! Never thought that I would find climbing here though.

Funny anecdote from training/service so far?

When we went to La Boquita at the end of training, I came back so burnt that I was literally the same shade of red as the wall across from Britton’s house. Even applying aloe hurt!

Best Spanish mistake?

Accidentally asking for a coño of ice cream instead of a cono will make your server turn bright red.

Favorite Nica food?

Guiso de pipían – specifically made by Doña Lígia!

What do you hope to accomplish in your service?

I hope that the schools that I work implement school-wide and classroom-wide interventions that support learning of the whole child.

What do you miss most from home?

While I am eternally grateful that there are bolted climbing routes in Matagalpa, I miss the long, perfect granite lines of Yosemite and the endless number of overhanging walls at the Red.