Caitlin Chacon

The Bonderman Fellowship will give Caitlin the opportunity to explore herself in various contexts that are unfamiliar while also not having the comfort of immediate, arms-length support. Her travels paint a picture of cultural and self-exploration, how interdependence looks across cultures, and how self-care is conceptualized and practiced in different spaces. She has grown up being told that independence should be a goal, however, she has always been the person to lean on for everyone else in her life. Being a fellow, for Caitlin, has a lot to do with having the opportunity to really focus on filling her own cup: getting to know and understand herself, and bringing those findings back home with her to inform her professional practice, as well as how she would like to operate and be present day to day. She is eager to go to places like Costa Rica, Japan, South Africa, and Kenya to get a glimpse of the land and communities where her family and ancestors once lived. She is also looking forward to exploring places in Greece, Thailand, Peru, and Indonesia to dip her toes into all the different ways of life, cuisine, nature, and ways of forming connection that exist outside of the paradigm(s) that is often taught within the States.