Tomorrow 2013 begins! Thus, it’s that time of year when we all join gyms and buy all natural food, hoping that this year is going to be the year you finally make those changes you have been saying you will for years now. And while I don’t have gyms to join, I still made up a couple of resolutions that I am hoping I continue for longer than just the month of January.
1) 52 books in 52 weeks. I am aiming for a book a week, although if I end up skipping a week and then reading 2 later on down the road, I am okay with that. If you have any recommendations for me, let me know! I don’t have a kindle and am thus limited to what is floating around the Peace Corps library, but suggestions are always welcome! And you can check out my Book List to see how the progress is going!
2) Learn to enjoy running. Okay, I know probably 5 of you literally laughed out loud reading this. This is ME we are talking about! But, what better time to actually give this goal a go than in the Peace Corps. I am going to wait to start until March or April once temps cool down a bit, but this is something I am really hoping I can achieve. I am not looking to run marathons or anything, just to be able to go for a 30-60 minute run without wanting to jump in front of a passing moto…
3) Meet more families in my community. Over the course of the past 8+ months in site, I have grown very comfortable. I have my friends and my families I visit, and that’s about it. And while I am happy, I know I should meet (or at least attempt) all the families in my community. I know most of the kids through the school and the library, but not the parents. So I am going to aim to visit 2 new families a month.
What are you all aiming to achieve this year?
If I remember to, I will try to post again around June to give you all an update. Although if I failing miserably at them, don’t expect to hear from me… Hope you all have a fabulous and safe NYE! I am ringing in the new year in Buenos Aires with some friends. Should be great!
Monday, December 31, 2012
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Hot hot hot!
While summer officially starts in a couple of days, the heat has already arrived in full force! It is HOT here, and I am definitely missing the cold Chicago weather. But just because the heat came, doesn’t mean that things have slowed down. The past month has been crazy busy with various activities, so here is a quick update as to what I have been up to.
First up: Thanksgiving!
On the actual day, I did laundry, worked at my library, and ate a dinner of Mac n’ Cheese. No joke. Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday, so I was definitely bummed to be missing the McWilliams celebration! Thankfully though, I had an awesome weekend with volunteers to make up for it! Some PCVs organized a huge pool party at a hotel in Encarnacion for the Friday and Saturday after, and it was SO much fun! There was a cooking committee, so I was able to get my fix of turkey, stuffing, and other delicious treats on Friday night. Then it was hanging out by the pool, listening to music, and hanging out with friends the rest of the weekend. It definitely made up for my lame Thursday evening!
Next: GAGA
For those who know me, I like Lady Gaga, but definitely not a fanatic. But when tickets are on sale for the equivalent of $40, how can I say no?! Her concert was the Monday after thanksgiving, so I went straight from Encarnacion to Asuncion with a bunch of other volunteers who were going. Not gotta lie, it was AWESOME. So much fun! We got dressed up all crazy, covered in glitter, danced like fools, and it felt like I was back in America for a bit.
Boring part…: Training
During the first week of December, my G reunited for a weeklong training. It was in 3 parts: Project Design and Management, HIV/AIDS workshop, and an in-service training. The first two parts were meant to be with a contact, but because of how long the training was, I couldn’t find anyone to come with me. It was a bummer since so much of it was working with our community contacts, but at least I was not alone in not being able to bring one. The last part was just for us volunteers, and much more enjoyable. We had chats with current volunteers who have successful projects, and I definitely left with new ideas and feeling motivated. The best part of that week though was definitely just hanging out with G38. We all get along so great, and I feel very lucky to be a part of such an awesome crew!
To End: Adios
One of my best friends here, Andrea, was my neighbor out in the campo. We immediately got along and probably got together at least once a week for lunch/dinner/American time. Sadly, her group of volunteers swore out last week, so she is now back in the good old US of A. She will definitely be missed, but thankfully she got a follow-up in her site, so I now have a new friend to hang with! Also, the last couple months with her were spent with lots of conversations about the future, so it will be nice to get back to living in the present. But if you’re reading this, Andrea, you were the best! Good luck in ‘bama, have fun with Indy, and please don’t start talking with a drawl! Miss you already!
Today, I’m off to Uruguay to spend Hanukkah/Christmas on the beach with 8 friends, and then will be taking a ferry to Buenos Aires to ring in the New Year! Happy Holidays everyone!
First up: Thanksgiving!
On the actual day, I did laundry, worked at my library, and ate a dinner of Mac n’ Cheese. No joke. Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday, so I was definitely bummed to be missing the McWilliams celebration! Thankfully though, I had an awesome weekend with volunteers to make up for it! Some PCVs organized a huge pool party at a hotel in Encarnacion for the Friday and Saturday after, and it was SO much fun! There was a cooking committee, so I was able to get my fix of turkey, stuffing, and other delicious treats on Friday night. Then it was hanging out by the pool, listening to music, and hanging out with friends the rest of the weekend. It definitely made up for my lame Thursday evening!
Next: GAGA
For those who know me, I like Lady Gaga, but definitely not a fanatic. But when tickets are on sale for the equivalent of $40, how can I say no?! Her concert was the Monday after thanksgiving, so I went straight from Encarnacion to Asuncion with a bunch of other volunteers who were going. Not gotta lie, it was AWESOME. So much fun! We got dressed up all crazy, covered in glitter, danced like fools, and it felt like I was back in America for a bit.
Boring part…: Training
During the first week of December, my G reunited for a weeklong training. It was in 3 parts: Project Design and Management, HIV/AIDS workshop, and an in-service training. The first two parts were meant to be with a contact, but because of how long the training was, I couldn’t find anyone to come with me. It was a bummer since so much of it was working with our community contacts, but at least I was not alone in not being able to bring one. The last part was just for us volunteers, and much more enjoyable. We had chats with current volunteers who have successful projects, and I definitely left with new ideas and feeling motivated. The best part of that week though was definitely just hanging out with G38. We all get along so great, and I feel very lucky to be a part of such an awesome crew!
To End: Adios
One of my best friends here, Andrea, was my neighbor out in the campo. We immediately got along and probably got together at least once a week for lunch/dinner/American time. Sadly, her group of volunteers swore out last week, so she is now back in the good old US of A. She will definitely be missed, but thankfully she got a follow-up in her site, so I now have a new friend to hang with! Also, the last couple months with her were spent with lots of conversations about the future, so it will be nice to get back to living in the present. But if you’re reading this, Andrea, you were the best! Good luck in ‘bama, have fun with Indy, and please don’t start talking with a drawl! Miss you already!
Today, I’m off to Uruguay to spend Hanukkah/Christmas on the beach with 8 friends, and then will be taking a ferry to Buenos Aires to ring in the New Year! Happy Holidays everyone!
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