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!