A Picture A Day (almost)...

One Year

2012-02-14T05:14:00.001-08:00

During the second week of January, I completed my first year in Nicaragua. This amounts to roughly:

547 meals of gallo pinto
35 bus rides
5 wrong bus rides
780 articles of clothing handwashed
7 cases of intestinal illness
1 presidential election
1 fluffy puppy
1 pair of shoes ruined by fluffy puppy

Time has flown. I absolutely cannot believe that just over a year ago, I was saying goodbye to my friends and family in cold, snowy Iowa. I must say, I have learned more in the last year than in all of my 25 years, including how to integrate into a community with completely different norms and traditions than me, how to communicate effectively with a group of people that speak another language, how to cope with loneliness, and how to search for work on my own with very little structure or schedule. I have learned a lot.

What I have loved most about the past year are the amazing friendships I have formed with some beautiful Nicaraguan natives. I felt so incredibly lonely when I moved to my site for the first time, but little by little, I was able to form relationships, and I am so incredibly grateful for the compassion and kindness that I have experienced through these once complete strangers. They have invited me into their homes and lives, and a year ago, they didnt even know of my existence.

The friendships that I have formed here seem much more rooted than a friendship of one-year, and I think it all comes down to acceptance. If all of us can learn to accept people of other cultures, colors, backgrounds, trades, education levels, we will all feel a little less lonely. I feel as though I have learned to be more accepting, and I have my Nicaraguan community to thank for that.

I cant wait to see what the next year holds.

2012-02-13T21:05:00.002-08:00

New update coming soon! Wow.. I have been terrible with my blog lately. :( Love you guys!

Navidad

2011-12-30T15:57:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays to all of my family and friends back home.

I must say that spending Christmas in Nicaragua was an absolute delight. I didn´t have plans up until about a month ago when my neighbors invited me to spend the holidays with them at their family´s home in Mozonte (a little more than an hour from where I live). Christmas tradition here is quite different from in the States. It has nothing to do with finding the perfect gift or last minute holiday shopping sprees. In fact, gift-exchanging isn´t even a part of the culture. Christmas is about family time, cooking, and eating.

On the 24th, I set off with my neighbors, Ana and David. They are a middle-aged married couple who have easily become some of my best friends in site. We, along with the mayor of Jicaro (who was on her way to Ocotal), set off for Mozonte on Christmas Eve morning (with Javier Antonio on my lap!). The back of the pick-up truck was filled with chickens (that had been killed that morning... my neighbors taught me...), nacatameles (a traditional Nicaraguan food made from corn dough, pork, rice, and potatoes), pots, pans, and other cooking supplies. Along the way, we picked up a few last-minute travelers who eagerly hopped into the back of the truck with the chicken.

Once arriving at David´s parents´home in Mozonte, I was eagerly welcomed into their beautiful home. We began cooking right away! The evening was spent at a former Peace Corps volunteer´s home eating peliguey (Kind of like goat, I think...). This volunteer spent a number of years in Honduras and Nicaragua as an English teacher and decided that she didn´t want to leave. She now owns her home in Nicaragua along with a coffee field and teaches English classes almost every day of the week. It was great being able to chat with her and ask for her advice on Peace Corps life.

Christmas Day was much like Christmas Eve-- lots of food; lots of conversation with friends of the family. I had a great time chopping a large mountain of vegetables with Ana, and I really enjoyed talking with David´s parents and brother.

On the 26th, we packed up our things in the pick-up truck, said our goodbyes, and finally convinced Javier Antonio that it was time to go home. My Christmas holiday was very simplistic, but it was exactly the kind of Christmas that I was hoping for. I loved every minute of it, and I feel so lucky to have my Nicaraguan friends here.

More updates to come soon!! 2012 is going to be a huge year!! I miss all of you.

One last thing... THANK YOU, LARRY!!!!! :)

2011-11-15T13:53:00.000-08:00

Two new blog posts (below) and a picture of my new puppy, Javier Antonio. Enjoy!

Cocina

2011-11-15T13:51:00.000-08:00

ingredientes para hacer vino

My free time lately has been spent exploring a gem of a book that PCVs received during training. It's called The Food Security Cookbook. Now, this book isn't your everyday cookbook; it covers everything from typical Nicaraguan recipes to fermentation to nutrient dense chicken feed to natural medicine.

When I first moved into my house, I had no problem eating and receiving food day-to-day from my very generous neighbors. Recently, however, I have decided that I need to do some more exploring in the kitchen.

Not only do I have generous neighbors, but I also have a generous site-mate who gifted me a bag of red beans. My first major kitchen endeavor was cooking these beans over my wood-burning stove. See, cooking beans is a slow process, and although I have a gas stove, I knew that leaving beans to cook for a few hours on a gas stove would cost a lot of gas. And gas is expensive. Gotta be economical (pinche!)! So, after using an upright fan to separate the grass, sticks, and small rocks from the beans (you turn the fan on, hold the bucket of beans above and in front of the fan, and pour the beans into a pan that is sitting on the floor. The airflow from the fan blows out the grass, and the beans fall into the pan on the floor. Get it?), I continued sorting and cleaning the beans for a good hour or so. Then, my awesome neighbor, Luis Carlos, came over to help me get my wood stove lit. It's tricky. You'd think that typical backyard wood would suffice and light pretty easily, but that's not the case. We ended up using a small piece of hocote wood to get it started (this type of wood lights easily and smells wonderful). I put my pot of cleaned and sorted beans above the fire, filled it halfway with water, hechared some salt and garlic, and let it sit for a few hours. They came out delicious. I don't have a refrigerator, but they keep for a few days without refrigeration; you just have to make sure you boil them each day.

Another kitchen experiment I have recently tried is fermentation. In fact, I'm in the process of making my first batch of wine. Wine-making involves water, sugar, fruit juice, yeast, and an airlock contraption to allow the release of carbon dioxide. I purchased twenty oranges for 87 cents and a brick of "dulce" for a dollar. Dulce is sugar that comes straight from the cane--100 percent pure and natural. Squeezing the oranges took a while, maybe an hour or so. My hands hurt! Next, I boiled the brick of dulce in some water until it melted, added the fruit juice, and then made a mixture of sugar, warm water, and yeast. Once the fruit sugar juice cooled, I added the yeast mixture (don't want to burn the yeast!). Everything was put into an airtight, two-gallon plastic container. In order to create an airlock system, I inserted a plastic tube into the plastic container (I held a match to the lid of the container until it became very pliable; I was then able to press the tube into the melted plastic to create a hole) and led the tube into a separate plastic bottle of water. This allows fermentation to take place in the container holding the wine because carbon dioxide can escape through the tube and into the water. I started the fermentation about two weeks ago, so it has another two weeks to sit. I hope hope hope it turns out!

Today my site-mate and I made pancakes from scratch using banana flour, eggs, sugar, baking powder, milk, and salt. They turned out delicious, and the scrambled eggs on the side were a nice touch. This put me in breakfast mode, and when I got home, I decided to try to make some whole-wheat english muffins from scratch. SUCCESS! These little gems were a delicacy, and the taste of whole-wheat bread, which I haven't had since being in the States, was delicious and nostalgic at the same time.

Yesterday I visited one of my Nica Mommas (this term refers to the large number of Nicaraguan women in my town who have pretty much adopted me as their own-- I have quite the family here), and she taught me how to "sacar quajada". Quajada is a type of very soft cheese-- it almost has a greek yogurt consistency. In order to sacar quajada, you need to have a few gallons of fresh milk, "fresh" meaning straight from the cow. Then, you insert a curdling agent, which is usually in pill form, and let the milk sit for a while. The curdling agent causes the milk to coagulate, separating the quajada (cheese) from the suero (whey). Once the milk has sat, you insert your hands and slowly push down the cheese curds to the bottom of the pail, forming a ball (as best you can). Once the curds have amassed, you remove the cheese curd from the suero and continue to compress the cheese until all of the suero has dripped out. Quajada is delicious with a warm tortilla, and suero can be made into a drink or fed to the pigs.

Being accustomed to the food here has not been difficult for me. Since arriving in Nicaragua, the VAST majority of food that I've consumed has been fresh and local. I haven't had fast food or canned food for months, and although Nicaraguan food can be heavy on the grease, it's delicious. And you can always reduce the amount of oil you cook with. Nothing beats a typical Nicaraguan plate of crispy gallo pinto, avocado, quajada, a warm tortila, and fresco de avena. My goal for the month of November is to learn a few more simple dishes and possibly invite my neighbors over for a Thanksgiving dinner. We'll see what happens :) Miss all of you back home! Any easy recipe suggestions?

Whoa!

2011-11-15T13:48:00.001-08:00

Things that make me think, "Wow, I STILL can't believe I'm in Nicaragua (and how I love it here)!"

1. Twelve horses "parked" outside the cantina on Sunday afternoons.

2. Fruit vendors, juice vendors, ice cream vendors, taco vendors, chicken vendors, pastors, and beggars packed onto the bus from Ocotal to El Jicaro. Chickens in boxes, pigs tied to seats, and bags of corn thrown up top. And these busses are school busses from the United States-- they're now traveling through mountains and carrying eighty people at once through winding roads and narrow paths (a bus driver once said to me, "Y si morimos antes que llegar??"... "And if we die before we make it??" This was from El Jicaro to Quilali during the rainy season).

3. Seven-year-old boys, machetes in hands, walking to work in the fields at five in the morning.

4. Cowboys. True cowboys. Seventy-year-old men with leathery skin, cowboy hats, spurs, and lassos sitting next to me on the bus.

5. Mountains. Beautiful, breathtaking mountains. Looking out from the beautiful view of the mountains from the brigadista's home in El Conchita.

6. Pigs and chickens and cows and horses and dogs and birds and children in my backyard... all at the same time.

7. Hearing stories about the war that took place only about twenty years ago. Meeting war veterans. Talking to people my age whose family members died in the war.

8. Listening to accounts of people who tried to go to the United States illegally, were captured by immigration, spent time in prison, and are now back in Nicaragua. Some of them have spouses who completed the journey and are working in the States; many of them haven't seen their significant other for more than five years.

9. More horses in the street than cars.

10. The electricity going out at night, causing the stars to glow ten times brighter. The only way to get around is by candlelight, and looking out my backyard, I'm only able to see the slight outline of the mountains by means of moonlight.

11. Waking up at 5am to help my neighbor ladies make tortillas.

BzzzzzZzzzzZZZZ

2011-10-03T14:57:00.000-07:00

A couple months ago, I moved into my new house. Not long afterwards, I realized that I was not alone.

No, I´m not talking about people creepily entering my house and hanging out (thanks goodness); what I¨m refering to are the insects and animals that are living in my walls, my ceiling, my clothes, and in any nook and cranny that my house provides (there are bunches). I´ve become pretty used to swatting at mosquitos and watching mice scurry around my floor, but the giant wasp nest that was slowly growing DIRECTLY over my bed was starting to scare me. Of course, it was kind of cool to watch these insects work. They were very focused and always seemed to be flying around with a purpose. Whether they were bringing food to the larvae that were incubating in their nest or going out to get building materials, they buzzed around with diligence. Although I was scared, I didn´t want to interrupt their lives.

Then things started to get out of hand. I´d wake up to the sound of buzzing in the middle of the night. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes in the morning was the wasp nest. I had nightmares about what would happen if it fell (without a doubt, landing on me while laying in bed). I realized that for my mental and possibly physical health, I needed to get rid of this wasp home.

One evening, my friend Lenny came over to practice English and play around on my computer. I told him about my fear of the wasp nest, and he responded with ¨Vamos a quemarlas.¨ ¨We are going to burn them.¨ I´ve always admired Lenny´s quick help with anything and everything, and I took him up on the offer. I asked him what supplies we needed, and he responded with, ¨La escoba, fosforos, y un periodico.¨ ¨The broom, matches, and a newspaper¨ I dug through my bookshelf frantically looking for an old edition of La Prensa, and within five minutes, we had the supplies gathered. Lenny wrapped the newspaper around the end of the broom and taped it down. We went into my room and moved my bed out of the way. And then.... he lit the match.

Before I knew it, Lenny was holding a burning wand and angry, confused wasps were flying everywhere. ¨Cuidado! Cuidado!¨ ¨Careful! Careful!¨ yelled Lenny as I dropped to the ground. Wasps were surrounding us, and their buzzing was louder than I´d ever imagined. I looked up from where I was laying and saw Lenny swinging furiously at the wasps. His lightsaber was a magical device, and he was slowly getting rid of the creatures one by one. Then, everything came together in my mind. I realized that this moment, lying on my cement floor in the middle of Nicaragua with a teenager holding a burning broom and little kids gathering outside my windows and door, would forever be implanted in my memory. Then I started laughing. And for all of you who know me, you know that once I start laughing, it´s hard for me to stop.

The wasps realized what was going on, I´m sure of it! They started swarming us, and I got scared. While Lenny was still torching them, I ran outside of my room and out onto the street, screaming and laughing at the same time. My neighbors came to their doors. They asked if I was ok. ¨Si, si! Estoy bien.. solo es que estamos quemando avispas y tengo miedo!!!!!¨ ¨Yes, yes! I´m fine! It´s just that we´re burning wasps, and I´m scared!!!!!¨ My neighbors laughed at me. They get a kick out of my daily activities, and this just happend to be another ¨gringa moment.¨

When things felt a bit more calm, I reentered the house. It was as if a bomb had gone off. Ash was EVERYWHERE. Lenny was still swinging the lighsaber, but his fire was about to burn out. I quickly grabbed La Prensa and ripped out some more pages. We reloaded the broomstick, and Lenny was back at work. After the initial mass killing, it turned into a game of trickery. The remaning ten or so wasps were not going to give up easily.

Wasps are drawn to light. Lenny and I decided to turn off the light in my bedroom and only leave on the light in my living room. Once this happened, the wasps were hypnotized by the fully exposed, shining lightbulb. One by one, they quenched their light thirst by flying up to the bulb. Once they were there, they stood no chance. As soon as Lenny touched a wasp with the lighsaber, it fell to the ground. It was my job to step on it to ensure that it would never fly again. Kind of sad.

Finally, we were convinced we had them all. Burnt newspaper everywhere; half burnt broomstick; kids asking ¨Natalie! Natalie! Que esta haciendo? Porque esta sucio aqui? Porque habia un fuego? Yo quiero jugar con fuego tambien!¨ ¨Natalie! Natalie! What are you doing? Why is it dirty in here? Why was there a fire? I want to play with fire too!¨ I finally got my house swept and cleaned. I thanked Lenny for his help and reassured him that next time we would stick with an English class. I went to bed.

And then.. the next morning... Bzzzzzz. Wasps. They´re still in my house. And I KNOW they want revenge. In fact, they´re hiding out in my ceiling, probably constructing a megastructure. Am I scared? Yes. Will I live in fear? NO! As long as they´re not chillin´right above my bed, and as long as they´re not stinging me, I¨m sure we can live in peace. I just hope they can forgive Lenny and me for destroying their colony in the first place.

DayByDay

2011-09-12T15:50:00.000-07:00

(Sorry for lack of posts.. and pictures! Internet access has been difficult lately)

As I write this entry, I'm laying in bed with terrible body aches and nausea. I hope it's not dengue. I can't sleep, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for an update.

One of the hardest adjustments I had to make when I became a Peace Corps volunteer was the lack of a structured daily schedule. Before arriving to Nicaragua, my days were always planned around the clock: class from 9am-2pm, work from 3pm-7pm. Wash, rinse, repeat. Here, that NEVER happens. Peace Corps has five different sectors in Nicaragua; three of those sectors (small business, environment, and teaching English as a foreign language) all have a schedule structured around class times. The volunteers in these sectors are assigned counterparts that work in the schools and are given classroom hours each week. Along with their weekly schedules, these volunteers find secondary projects to fill the time when they're not in the classroom.

The other two sectors in Nicaragua are agriculture and health (woo!). The volunteers in these sectors are not given classroom times, rather they are to collaborate with their counterparts and work towards forming their own sort of schedule.

When I first began working in Nicaragua, I strongly disliked the fact that I didn't have some sort of structured agenda-- a specific place to be at a specific time. I was almost envious of the volunteers who were given classroom hours. Slowly but surely, however, I'm learning to appreciate the freedom. My job here is SO different day to day, and although at times I still wish I had a schedule, I'm grateful that I have the flexibility to fill my time with things I want to do and work I find interesting and important.

I want to note that I don't think volunteers of a specific sector have it 'easier' than volunteers of another sector. That was my first impression; I remember wishing that I had been assigned to teach English rather than health. All of us have our struggles; all of us have our rewards. For example, a TEFL volunteer that lives pretty close to my site (and happens to be one of my best Peace Corps buddies) has a pretty structured agenda, and she's constantly busy. She's great at her job, but that's not because of her schedule-- it's because she loves what she's doing and is perfectly integrated in her community.

So, my work her varies greatly from day to day. I can always be doing some soft of work; I just have to find it. A couple examples of how my days go by:

5:30am: Wake up! (I never sleep in anymore. This part of the world rises early).

6:00am: Shower (bucket shower if there happens to be no water, which has been frequent lately). It's becoming more of a struggle as the nights get chillier; showering outside in cold water early in the morning does a great job of waking me up.

6:30am: My six-year-old neighbor, Jefrey, brings me coffee, and we sit in my backyard and talk about everything under the sun: bike rides, playing marbles, school, cartoons, etc.

7:00am: Wash a few pieces of laundry (by hand). It takes forever. I can usually get one pair of jeans and two shirts done in a half hour.

7:30am: Leave my house for the health center.

7:30-8:00am: Chat with my neighbors on my way out the door; talk to the store owners who are out sweeping their stoops; answer last-minute english questions from late students walking to class; swing by Esperanza's pulperria to buy some bread for breakfast.

8:00am: Meet up with IXCHEN, an NGO that's currently working in my pueblo. We all hop into the ambulance and take off for a rural community outside of Jicaro.

9:00am: Arrive to the community. The doctors and nurses from IXCHEN set up their station (I try to help out in any way I can).

10:30am: Help the educator of IXCHEN (Dina!) give a charla on women's health. We pass out condoms and talk about safe sex.

10:30-1:00: Hang out at the health post of the rural community and strike up conversation with the community members. Sometimes it's health related conversations; other times, it's conversation about the differences between Nicaragua and United States; and yet, other times, it's me playing with the kids and holding babies.

1:00pm: Lunch with the nurses and doctors, usually at the home of a brigadista (a community leader that has received training and education in health related topics).

2:00pm: Back to the health post. More chatting.

4:30pm: Return to Jicaro.

5:00pm: Dinner at a counterpart's home while planning potential charla topics for the following week.

6:30pm: A chat with a group of high school girls while walking back to my house. They ask me to teach them words in English, and I ask them to teach me Nica phrases.

7:30pm: Chat with a business owner (still on the way to my house). We talk about Nicaraguan and US history, the 'bolsa de valor,' the American Dollar in contrast with the Nicaraguan Cordoba, fluctuations in business, etc.

8:30pm: Finally home! Walk into my front door, shut it, set down all my stuff, and lay down for ten minutes.

8:40pm: Open my front door (here, that's an invitation for people to stop by).

8:50pm: People from my neighborhood start to drop by. I talk health with one of my older neighbor ladies, I color pictures with the 8 year-old girls that live across the street, I give relationship advice to my 17 year-old neighbor (maybe he shouldn't listen to me... haha...), I lend out salt/pepper/oil and accept various foods from amazingly kind neighbors, I put on salsa or bachata and try to learn the basic steps from some of my neighbor boys (and fail), I watch or partake in the soccer game that occurs in the street right in front of my house, etc, etc, etc

10:30pm: I shut my door and read for a bit or work on materials for the following days.

11:00pm: Sleep.

3:00am: The roosters wake me up. Usually I can fall back asleep.

5:30am: Rise and shine!

6:30am: Coffee with Jeffrey.

7:30am: Decide I want to go back to bed. So I go back to bed and sleep or read or study Spanish.

11:00am: Think about getting out of bed, but decide another hour would be nice.

Noon: Get out of bed; shower; head to the park.

1:00pm: Sit in the park and chat with my friends who are hanging around (shoe-shine boys, women selling food near the bus stop, city government workers who are on lunch break).

2:30pm: Afternoon coffee with my site-mate, Jonathan.

4:00pm: Visit my friend, Ruby, and her adorable six-year-old daughter.

6:00pm: Home. Shut my door and read.

7:00pm: Co-plan upcoming project with a doctor who stops by my house.

8:00pm: Impromptu English class with neighborhood kids.

10:00pm: Shut door. Sleep time!

3:00am: Roosters again.

5:30am: Open my eyes and think about what type of day I want to have.

Very variable. Some days, I'm not doing much with regards to health work, but people of my community constantly surround me. I'm always learning Spanish because I'm always caught up in conversation. Although I don't have a typical 8-5 job, I always get home feeling exhausted. As I mentioned in my last post, I'm really starting to feel more integrated in my community. It's an amazing feeling, and it helps to insure that I always have something to do and someone to talk to.

Untitled

2011-09-12T15:48:00.001-07:00

Warning: this is not going to be the typical, uplifting blog entry.

I'm exhausted; the past couple weeks have been pretty jam-packed and busy, and I haven't been able to catch up on sleep for a while. I, however, need to write about something that I witnessed tonight that really has me shaken up. There are some terribly horrible things going on in our world, obviously, but it hurts more when you actually see it right in front of you.

Tonight, I was invited by a couple nurses and doctors to go the city of Ocotal to celebrate the birthday of a coworker and friend. I absolutely love hanging out with this particular group of people, so I didn't hesitate to say yes. Currently, there are fiestas going on to celebrate los santos patronales (patron saints). With these fiestas, there are parties in the streets, fairs in the park, and horse shows all over the place. We decided to attend one of the fairs, and we went to a cantina that had a lot of dancing going on (bachata, salsa, ranchera, reggaeton... everything!). All of us were having a great time sitting and chatting and watching the dancing. While all of this was going on, however, I couldn't help but notice a young girl shuffling around who looked very lost. She seemed to be about fourteen years old and was wearing a jean skirt, lipgloss, and earrings. Now, the reason I mention what she was wearing is because here, in the northern part of Nicaragua, it's very rare to see a young girl by herself wearing these types of things. Most people, especially children, are dressed very conservatively, and you almost never see a fourteen year old with makeup. She had very sad eyes and wouldn't stand up straight.

I thought about her situation for a couple minutes, and then it hit me like a wall of bricks--this young girl was a sex worker. Shortly after, I noticed her mother standing off in the corner. Not much later, a man began talking to the mother and almost immediately approached the young girl and started dancing with her. She didn't know how to dance. She squirmed away as he tried to put his hands on her. She wouldn't look at him. She stared at the ground. All of this was happening as her mother watched on with a smile on her face. It was OBVIOUS that her own mother was pimping her out to earn money. I asked the doctors and nurses I was with about the situation, and they said that it's common here.

I was watching this all happen from about twenty feet away, and it just killed me inside. There are some terrible, terrible things happening in our world. There's war. There's starvation. Horrible things. There's also child sex trafficking. When I witnessed first hand a glimpse into the way of life for this poor, young girl, I didn't know what to think. I still don't know what to think. I just hope she's safe at this moment.

Normally, this type of entry would be a personal journal entry for me. I know there are many people reading my blog, and I hate to post very sensitive material, but the only way that we can help change and stop these terrible things happening in our world is through awareness. Please keep this young girl in your thoughts.

Ups

2011-08-01T17:59:00.000-07:00

I don´t think I ever want to leave this place.

Now now, don´t freak out, Mom.

What I really mean to say is that my job is certainly an emotional rollercoaster that is constantly taking unexpected turns. One of the first conversations I had with my site mate, Jonathan, was about the ups and downs of Peace Corps service. When this conversation took place, I couldn´t really relate-- I had only been in site for a couple weeks. As of today, I am about to complete my seventh month in Nicaragua.

Things in site right now couldn´t be better. I´ve been really busy with work, although a lot of that is still observation. I have a couple projects going on right now, and I´m about to start a major project with a doctor in my site. We are going to see if we can add on to the casa materna and create a food program. Currently, the casa materna has eight beds, and there are always about 12-15 women staying there. They absolutely need more space, and I´m excited to see if I can help (especially if I´ll be working alongside a Nicaraguan doctor.. that will definitely help a lot!).

A lot of my weekdays are spent going to the surrounding communities of El Jicaro, which I really love. It´s a real eye-opener to see the living conditions of some of these places, but it´s almost becoming first nature for me. It´s completely normal to see pigs on leashes, stray horses, ox carts being driven through high river waters, and naked kids running around. Sure, I still get those moments where I can´t believe I´m in Nicaragua, but it´s definitely starting to feel more like home.

And speaking of home, I just moved into my very own house. It´s beautiful, and it has the perfect patio set-up for a hammock (nice breeze!). There are two rooms, the patio, and a kitchen. The living room has an extra bed (hint hint.. visitors!), and there are windows throughout the place that allow nice air flow. My shower is outside, and my neighbor boys helped rig up a hose so that I can have running water for my shower. My mornings are spent showering with the sun coming up and the Jicaro mountains in the backgroung.. SALVAJE!! My neighbors are incredinly nice, and they all came over before I moved in to help me clean and give me food. It´s just been a wonderful feeling knowing that I´ll have a place to call my own that´s surrounded by such nice people.

I´m really loving my time here, but I know that I´m still going to have those days when all I want is a Stomping Grounds americano and good, english conversation with my best friends. Nicaragua certainly is full of ups and downs.

Miss you all!

It's like.. pulling teeth.

2011-07-04T15:42:00.000-07:00

Wow; it's been a while! I hope all of you back home are doing well, and oh how I miss ALL of you! First off, I want to say THANKS to everyone who donated to my fund to start a children's library in my site; I raised 290 dollars in less than a month, which is just AMAZING. I have already located a children's bookstore in the semi-nearby city of Esteli, and I will be traveling there sometime this month to make a few purchases. This project is very important to me, and I know that it's going to make a wonderful impact on the kids in my community.

Most of my blog entries have some sort of theme to them, but I'm finding it difficult to narrow my recent happenings into one topic. This is going to be a ramblin' post, and I hope that's ok with you.

I really feel as though I'm starting to find my place in El Jícaro, and my workload is definitely increasing. It's a great feeling. Recently, I've been involved with an organization called OYANKA, which is based out of the nearby town of Jalapa. This group works with Familial Violence, which is a topic dear to my heart. After working at ACCESS in Ames, Iowa, I really feel as though I can put some of the training and resources I learned into affect with my community. I'll begin giving charlas in the health center and surrounding communities to bring light to this topic, and I'm excited to get started.

Last week, I assisted with a jornada in a pueblo about an hour away from where I live (if you're lucky enough to have a ride.. otherwise it's about a three hour walk). Along with giving charlas about teeth brushing, chagas (an illness caused by parasites that typically results in an overgrown heart, and ultimately, death), and warning signs during pregnancy, I assisted doctors with pulling teeth. I'll be honest-- the first site of rotting teeth being cracked and extracted made me nauseous and dizzy (I had to sit down for about a half hour to keep from fainting), but I got used to it and enjoyed talking with the doctors and the patients. Our reward for two-day's hard work was a baseball game amongst the beautiful, green mountains (it's like The Shire!), and what a reward it was!

I've also begun the process of moving into a new location. I really do love my host family, but I've had a few issues and it's time for me to be on my own. I found a BEAUTIFUL home to rent for 25 (yes, 25!) dollars a month, and I can't wait to get everything finalized. I've already purchased a hammock and am going to hang it up this afternoon so I can start cat-napping and reading in my new home. This should just be incentive for ALL of you to come visit me; I'll always have an open door.

I'm still having my everyday reunions with the kids in the street, and they melt my heart. I haven't been able to go to the primary school as much as I had been in the beginning with the (slight) increase of work, and the students keep asking me to come and teach them something. They're adorable.

This past weekend was a celebration of the Fourth of July with fellow Peace Corps volunteers, and it was a fantastic time. About thirty of us went to Ocotal, Nueva Segovia and went to our frequented restaurant, which had been decorated by staff in red, white, and blue. The night continued with Flor de Caña with Coke and lime, games, and dancing. Lots and lots of dancing. LOTS of dancing. The most dancing I've done in a long time. It was SO much fun, and I had a great time getting to know other volunteers and catching up with everyone; probably the best weekend I've had yet in Nicaragua.

Next week, I'll be returning to Santa Theresa, Carazo for a language taller, which will include five days of advanced Spanish classes. The week will start with a reconnect, and the Nica 55 group will be reunited--finally! It'll be great to see my old host family and get to know Santa Theresa once again. After my language taller, I'll be back in site for two weeks; during the first week of August, I will be traveling with one of my best friends from home, AMBER!!! I can't wait to see her, and the two of us together really know how to aprovechar our time.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY to all of you, and I hope you're doing well. I really do miss the summer days of bike riding, tubing, and volleyball, and I hope those activities have carried on with full force! Love you.

***

Pictured above is a ranchero band that stopped in front of my house one night. I was sitting outside and enjoying the fresh air while everyone else in my house was asleep, and these guys rolled by and saw me. They decided to stop and sing three or four songs, and they did a beautiful job! Afterwards, a lady from a nearby pulperria brought us fresco de nancite (a tiny, sweet fruit that grows from trees), and all of us enjoyed our frescos and chatted for about twenty minutes before they took off--a great, cultural experience (and the best live music I've seen in a while!).

Libros para los Niños

2011-06-16T10:55:00.000-07:00

While growing up (and even before I was born), my parents read to me every night before I went to bed, and these stories seemed to come alive.

Since arriving in Nicaragua, much of my time has been spent interacting with the children of my community. They are all very smart and eager to learn, and I’ve found that most of them have the desire to read.

Illiteracy rates are very high in Nicaragua, especially in the more rural areas of the country. Many adults struggle with reading, and although the school systems are trying to improve their teaching strategies all the time, kids still don’t have all of the resources available to them to learn how to read. The number one resource they need is books.

While talking to my site mate one day about how much we enjoy our time with the kids in the park, we started bouncing around the idea of starting a reading circle with the kids.

This is an idea that we really hope to make a reality. In order to get started with this project, we must stock up on children’s books (in Spanish, of course!). This is where all of you guys come in. I’m asking for donations to help start this project in El Jícaro, Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua. If all of my Facebook friends donate $1 to this cause, I’d be able to buy enough books to start a small library. If all of my Facebook friends donate $2, I’d have a library twice that size! And if all of my Facebook friends donate $5, I’d have about enough money to acquire one book to be read every week for the next six years.

Not only would this project assist with teaching children how to read and giving them something to do after school, it would also be a good way to teach responsibility. I intend on giving one child of the group the privilege of choosing the “Book of the Week.” This will be the book that is read in the circle, and activities may be centered on the book for the children to do during the week. Now, in order for the child to be selected to choose the book, they must receive good marks from their teacher in the Primary School. These good marks will come from being responsible, completing homework, helping other classmates, and assisting the teacher. I also hope to come up with a short manual for the teacher and posters that he or she can use to keep the project going in the future (remember those smiley-face charts? Yahh! Like those!).

The children of El Jícaro are my best friends in Nicaragua. They are so eager to learn, and you can see it in their faces every time you talk to them. Not only that, they are BIEN INTELIGENTE (they’re really smart). Some of them are really craving an extra push to help them sound out their vowels; others really need an afterschool activity; all of them want to hear some stories come to life.

I’m hoping all of you can help, and I want to say MUCHAS GRACIAS in advance.

Click the "Donate" button below to help.

2011-06-13T12:10:00.000-07:00

nido de araña
loved the dainty flowers.

Amiga

2011-06-02T15:50:00.000-07:00

One of my best friends in Nicaragua is a young woman named Ruby. We met randomly as I was walking home one day; she said “hola” to me, and we started talking. Ruby is a beautiful woman who also has 24 years of age, and she has a six year-old daughter who shares the same color eyes as her mother.

Many times, I’ll wander over to Ruby’s house just to chat; her family lives in a quaint, cozy home, and they sell things from their “venta” to the people in their barrio. You can buy everything from Coca-Cola to dish soap to batteries at their pulperria, and it’s fun to sit and talk to Ruby and watch the people come in and out of her house.

The first few times I chatted with Ruby, I got to know about her studies in the university (economic development) and about her views on the politics in Nicaragua. I also learned about her hobbies and other parts of Nicaragua that she has visited. We also pass the time by watching the local news with her father-in-law.

Ruby is married to a man who currently lives in Wisconsin. He traveled to the States “mojado,” which literally means “wet one.” He didn’t have a VISA. He didn’t know English. He didn’t have a plan. All he had was the desire to create a better life for his family—his wife, his daughter, and his parents.

Ruby’s husband is currently passing his fifth year in the United States. He was able to enroll in English classes and has been working and sending money back to his family. Towards the end of the year, in September, he plans to return to El Jicaro and be reunited with his family; he hasn’t seen his six year-old daughter since she was a couple months old.

Today, I visited Ruby, and we sat and talked about the heat and the rain and all of the obvious things that have been going on lately in our community. I commented on her beautiful watch, and she told me that it had been sent to her from her husband. Soon, our conversation steered in a different direction, and she began telling me of her attempts to join him.

Ruby has tried twice in her life to travel to the United States illegally. People who wish to do so usually pay a hefty sum of money to a “coyote.” The coyote is a person who leads a group of people across the Mexican border through coordinating logistics and using their current knowledge of the PanAmerican highway and train system to make their best attempt to get the group to the United States. I asked Ruby if she was scared during her attempts. She told me that she wasn’t scared, but there wasn’t as much danger as there is today with gangs in Central America and Mexico. It took her twenty days to cross the border into the States, and she soon found herself in San Antonio, Texas. This is where she was caught by immigration.

Surprisingly, while telling her story, Ruby didn’t seem upset at all by her capture and arrest. In fact, she almost made light of the situation. She went on to tell me that the police officers were “…muy tranquilo y no habia maltrato. Todos estaban muy amable y con repsecto por nosotros. Nunca decian malas palabras a nosotros.” Which translates to, “…very tranquil and there was no maltreatment. All of them were very nice and with respect for us. They never said bad words to us.” I was shocked. Ruby completely respected the job of the immigration police and didn’t fight her arrest and had nothing bad to say about her captors.

After being arrested, Ruby spent SIX MONTHS in federal prison. She said it was her “castiga.” Her “punishment.” I asked her if she was scared. She told me “no.” I asked her what she thought of prison, and she basically told me that she didn’t have issues with being there; she explained to me that she is a person that likes to sleep, “…entonces no problema, podia dormir todos los dias!” “…then, no problem! I could sleep every day!”

The second time Ruby attempted to meet up with her husband, she was found in Houston, Texas. She was arrested another time, but didn’t spend quite as much time in prison—only a couple weeks.

I know that illegal immigration is a constant topic of discussion in the United States. After speaking with many locals in my community, including one of my best friends, I have come to view the topic on a more personal level. These people leave Nicaragua for the United States in order to provide for their family. They don’t leave for the United States to relocate; their lives are rooted here. Sure, there are the instances where illegal immigrants do end up living out their lives in the U.S.A., but I’d say that a high-percentage end up returning. I’m a witness to the stories that people have shared with me one-on-one, and I’m also a witness to the pride that the people in Nicaragua take in their land and homes and families. They don’t want to abandon all that they know, but they also want to make sure they can provide security for their family.

How far would you go to provide for the people you love?

Can you blame the ones that put their lives at risk to put food on their tables?

***

Pictured above is a little boy in El Jicaro that I've pretty much adopted as a nephew. His mom and I are really good friends, and he is just adorable (this is the one that LOVED your mail, Paul!).

Ay la lluvia...

2011-05-31T14:59:00.000-07:00

Gracias a dios la lluvia ya vino. Durante el verano, la clima aqui es muy caloroso. Ahora, Nicaragua es en la epoca del invierno, y por eso, hay mucha lluvia. Todavia los dias son calorosos, pero por la tarde, casi siempre, hay el sonido de la lluvia fuerte en el techo de mi cuarto. Las calles estan como rios durante la lluvia, y es casi imposible a salir de la casa o andar afuera.

Tambien con la lluvia, hay las lomas VERDES. La tierra, ahora, es bien bonita y hermosa con las fincas de maiz y frijoles. Casi todas las casas aqui tiene un jardin, y no hay una necesidad para sembrar! La lluvia es como magica y puede cultivar los flores y las plantas en cualquiere lugar, incluyendo algunos partes de mi cuarto.

Los flores son bonitos, pero los zancudos son locos. Con los charcos, lagos, y rios, hay bastante animales y insectos que estan caminando en todos partes del pueblo (creo que de Nicaragua...). Todas las noches, yo me acuesto con el miedo que va a levantarme en la manana con insectos en mi cubija. A veces yo encuentro sapos grandes que le gustan sentarse en mi cuarto durante la lluvia. No son peligrosos, pero siempre me asustaron!

Me siento bien en este pueblo ahora. Estoy hablando siempre con la gente aqui, y tengo buen amistad con mucha gente. Poco a poco...... siempre yo digo ¨poco a poco¨con respecto a la idioma, las relaciones, y el trabajo. Poco a poco.

Ladrón

2011-05-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

The rainy season is approaching, which means my mosquito net is being used diligently each night. The rain beatles are huge (and crunchy!). Apparently, along with the bugs, the thieves are in full-force as well…

My wallet with all of its contents was taken from me on a bus today leaving from Ocotal, Nueva Segovia. Unfortunately, I had just returned from the bank and had all of my cash packed away tightly in my wallet. I boarded the yellow school bus at about 12:30pm, and like always, many vendors were packed in the front of the bus trying to sell their varying goods. I was crunched in-between a cluster of people, and I couldn’t get through quickly to a seat. I didn’t feel anything take place, but one of the oddest sensations came over to me as I walked to the back of the bus. All I could think was, “Oh my goodness, my money just got taken.” My intuition knew it even though I hadn’t physically felt anything.

I am so gratefully that my site mate, Lexie, was with me at the time. I couldn’t help but start crying once I realized that all of my money was gone, but Lexie helped me come to terms with it all. I hadn’t been hurt. Things could have been worse. Lexie even had me laughing within ten minutes and lent me the money I needed to pay for my fare; she’s great.

Not only was the timing of my bank trip pretty ironic, but I had also just received a safety and security presentation by Peace Corps Nicaragua’s head security officer and the country desk. The entire meeting was about ways to stay safe and prevent thefts and assaults. Honestly, I was nervous to call my security officer to report the incident because he had JUST told us that we should not carry large amounts of money in one place, which is exactly what I had done.

I want to emphasize how amazing Peace Corps Nicaragua has been with regards to volunteers’ safety and security. In fact, my security officer in no way scolded me for my actions. He was nothing but caring and grateful that no one had been hurt. It felt so good to talk to him and discuss the incident with him on the phone, and he really made me feel better about everything. Before coming to Nicaragua, I had many friends and family members express concern about my safety (and rightfully so). Please know, however, that I feel safe here with Peace Corps Nica backing me up. We are constantly being sent safety and security alerts. Everyone in the Peace Corps Nica staff, in my experience, has promptly and effectively dealt with any issue regarding safety. I really in truly feel that they have my back, and that’s a wonderful feeling.

By the time I returned to my site, I had to go to the police station to file a report. All I wanted to do was get to my bed and lay down, but I wandered into the station and explained to the officer what had happened. He typed everything out (on a typewriter!) and told me to return the following morning to pick up the report.

Once I returned home, I told my host sister what had happened. Then, I unpacked my stuff from my short trip and immediately took a nap. Upon waking up, I didn’t really feel like doing much of anything; however, I decided to wander out of my room and see what my family was doing. Everyone heard about what had happened and was extremely sympathetic and caring towards me, and I was glad that I didn’t stay holed up in my room all evening. After dinner, my sister asked me for help with an English assignment; she was to learn a song in English to sing to her class. I WAS SO EXCITED when she put on the song she wanted to learn—Another Day in Paradise by PHIL COLLINS! I’ve always thought amazing things about my host sister, but the fact that she loved this Phil Collins song totally put her on a different level in my book. So, the night ended with me teaching my entire host family how to sing a Phil Collins song, and we danced into the evening. My little host brother threw cheese in my hair (he’s always throwing food at me, but in a loving way… haha), and my host cousins held a boxing match in front of the house. Like always, they pressured me to 'pongase los guantes!' (put on the gloves!), and I graciously declined while promising them that one day I'll beat both of them in a boxing match.

Although the day started out a bit terrible (and I’m currently broke), the night turned into a Nicaraguan noche that I will never forget. Seriously—every time I hear that Phil Collins song, I’ll remember being with my host family. I’m so entirely grateful to be surrounded by such wonderful people who can completely change my mood from sad to one-hundred-percent-happy. I love them.

* * *

Pictured above is the one ambulance in my municipality. It is used to transport doctors and nurses to health posts and to take emergency patients to the nearby city of Ocotal. This ambulance does a great job of carrying us through the mountains, but it's almost imperative that El Jicaro have more than one. Hopefully some funds will come through soon to fix the broken-down ambulance that has been sitting idle for the past few months, or even better, to buy a new one.

Are we there yet?

2011-05-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

I had a truly unique Peace Corps experience over the weekend. I was taking a trip to the nearby city of Ocotal, which is about a two-hour bus ride from my site. I boarded the yellow schoolbus that said "Ocotal" in front of the park in Jicaro, and we left about fifteen minutes later. After we were a few kilometers out into the campo, the ayudante (the person on the bus who goes around and collects money from all of the passengers and helps with bags) came around to get everyone's fare. I was one of the very last people he got to because I was seated at the rear of the bus, and when I told him I wanted to go to Ocotal, he gave me a funny look. He then informed me that the bus was going in the opposite direction of Ocotal; I had boarded the wrong bus!! At this point, everyone around me knew exactly what was going on, and the ayudante whistled up at the bus driver to STOP the bus. I asked the ayudante, "Que necesito hacer ahora?" ("What do I need to do now?") He told me, "Espere por una camioneta para Jicaro" ("Wait for a pick-up truck that is on its way to Jicaro"). At this point, I was beyond embarassed as everyone watched me get off the bus ("La gringa no sabe..."). So, the bus drives away, and I'm left kilometers out of town in the campo of Nicaragua. I start walking back to Jicaro, and people are coming out of their dwellings to watch the gringa with her giant bag pass by. I get out my cell phone and think about calling my host family, but I have no signal out in the mountains. After about a half-hour or so, a see a truck in the distance. I stand and turn around and stare as it starts to get closer to me. It slows down, and the man asks if I'm walking to Jicaro. I say yes, and he says "sube." ("Get in.") I jump into the back of his pick-up truck that's already holding three other people and have an awkward conversation with one of the guys all the way to Jicaro on the bumpy dirt road. A half hour later, I was back and safe.

Next time I'll ask the bus driver where he's going before I find my seat all the way in the back of the bus.

Pictures and English

2011-05-16T12:32:00.000-07:00

I’ve been really homesick lately; not in a typical way, if that makes any sense. I miss the comfort of evening runs and bike rides to the unknown outskirts of town--my alone time in the United States was cherished. Of course, I loved being with my friends—they were more like family than friends. My alone time, however, was really what kept me balanced and allowed me the opportunity to separate myself from everything around me. It was meditative, and here, I’m finding difficulty in being able to separate myself from my surroundings in order to find the comfort that I always encountered when I was alone back home.

Many factors contribute to this, and one of the major factors is the heat. It’s unbearably hot right now. My room turns into a furnace beginning around 10am everyday, and I am literally forced to hunt down some sort of breeze or any hint of moving air. I typically go to the park where there are a lot of trees and find a bench in the shade. The park really has been my hangout spot lately, but I can’t be alone. I always run into Lenny, one of my new amigos, or a worker from the alcaldia, or a shoe-shine boy who wants to learn some English, or a gaggle of third-graders who want to draw chickens and horses with me. Of course, I love talking to all of them (especially Lenny—he’s so cool!), and it’s a great cross-cultural exchange each and every time, but I can’t be alone. Essentially, my quest to encounter some fresh air forces me from my only space of solace, and it’s still 100 degrees in the park.

Not only is it difficult to find physical solace, it’s very hard to separate myself mentally from everything that’s around me. In the Nicaraguan culture, quietness is associated with sadness; therefore, it’s impossible to travel anywhere without the noise of typical Nica music (which hasn’t found any place close to fondness in my heart), Evangelical pastors repenting through the radio waves, baratas (essentially GIANT speakers attached to cars that yell out advertisements for food, school, garbage collection, politics, anything…) dogs barking, and babies crying. The only quiet time is during the madrugada—around 3 and 4 in the morning. I find myself so badly wanting to hear the sound of silence, and I become very frustrated when I start to fixate on all of the noise. (By the way, a big thanks to Lenka, my amazing Peace Corps friend, for the awesome earplugs. They do help, and I sleep with them every night).

Along with the heat and noise factors, there’s the fact that I can’t go anywhere by myself. It’s not safe. I have gone on some pretty cool walks with my site mate, Jonathan, and those walks were probably when I felt most at ease during my time in Nicaragua. The mountains lined our path, and there were honestly parts during the walk where we ran into the “fall season.” Both of us commented on it—yellow leaves were falling from trees and crunched under our shoes, and it smelled like fall. ‘Twas wonderful. Being with Jonathan is great; we get along really well. He did tell me, however, that walking around solo is probably not a good idea, and I don’t feel comfortable wandering around without a trusted person’s company.

I consider myself a loner, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I spend a lot of time reflecting, and I simply like being by myself. Being in the Peace Corps in Nicaragua is really pushing me out of my comfort zone, and I’m constantly reminding myself that it’s better to be homesick for loneliness than to be homesick for people. That doesn’t mean that I don't miss everyone back home. HOLY COW I miss all of my friends like crazy. I miss my Mom and my Dad and my sister. But they’ve all been so supportive with my decision to be here, and I know that they want me to do what makes me happy. I miss everyone; I just never thought that I would miss solitude as much as I do.

I’ve included some pictures of my impromptu English class that began a couple weeks ago. I have about eight young girls who come into my room every Tuesday night to learn words in English. I tape up a giant piece of paper and let them take turns drawing pictures, and then I tell them the equivalent of the word in English. They make me smile. Amy is pictured in one of the photos, and she is very smart. I always give her the giant piece of paper after “class” to take home and study. She’s wonderful, and I can see her desire to learn every time I talk to her. I love the kids!

HAHA I just noticed that someone drew a robot on the paper! Look closely! HAHAHA

2011-04-28T11:16:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned how much I love the kids here? I went far out into the campo with a doctor and two nurses last week to distribute HIV tests. I met a family with BEAUTIFUL children who were so helpful and well-behaved. I think this was the first time they had ever had their pictures taken.

This girl served me lunch: rice, beans, and a tortilla. She was very soft-spoken.

She never stopped staring at me and was wearing a big, fluffly dress. She seemed to enjoy holding and treasuring her piece of candy, rather than eating it.

Although he had just finished bathing in the river, this boy couldn't resist playing in the dirt and getting it all over his face.

This little girl was really shy, but didn't stop staring at me. After I took her picture, I showed her the image on my camera. She didn't know what to make of it.

Kids!

2011-04-14T10:20:00.000-07:00

If you ever want to feel like a celebrity, head on over to a place where all of the kids want to learn English.

It has worked for me.

I seriously love the children here. They are all very eager to learn, and they make me feel special. I haven´t had much luck finding a lot of work in the health center here; the doctors, nurses, and staff are always really busy and don´t necessarily have a lot of time to try to understand my Spanish. So rather than sit in my room and read a bunch of books (ok.. I have actually done a lot of that..) and wait for work to plop itself into my lap, I decided to visit the schools in my town to try to set up times to visit the classrooms. One thing I have realized during my Peace Corps service--I am no longer shy or embarassed to do anything. I´ve struggled with communicating in Spanish; I´ve said phrases completely wrong; I´ve gotten lost multiple times; I´ve basically made a fool out of myself on a number of occasions. I am the number one source of entertainment for my host family because I have no shame. I´ve learned to laugh at myself. Nothing embarasses me anymore like it used to in the States, and although going to these schools by myself and wandering in to the principal´s office was a bit nerve-wracking, I still got the job done.

During my visits at the schools, I give short health charlas. A charla is a short lesson on a specific topic and is generally emphasized with papelografos, or large sheets of paper with pictures and phrases. I also like to use dinamicas with the kids, and these are short games that help to grasp their attention. Classrooms here are a lot different than what I´ve been accustomed to in the States. The teachers have a really hard time getting their students to listen, and the kids just kind of wander.

When I walked into the classroom today, the children were so excited to see a gringa, and they immediately gave me their attention, gracias a dios. We played a game of memory (you know the game.. you have ten cards and need to flip two at a time to try to make a pair), and afterwards, I talked to them about the importance of washing your hands throughout the day. They were so cute.

It´s true; I feel like a celebrity here. At least with the kids. Everyday while walking down the street, I hear the pitter-patter of small feet running up behind me. Then I can see the shadow of a group of kids immediately stop before they reach me. They follow me for thirty seconds, and then the brave one of the group says, ¨hello¨ in English. That´s when I turn around and respond, ¨Hello, how are you?¨ They burst into laughter because they´re not used to hearing English and because they don´t understand what I´m saying. Then I´ll proceed to talk to them in Spanish and ask them their names and ages. They´re really penoso, or shy, at first, but once I get them laughing they come out of their shells. They love giving hugs, too.

I´ve also learned that keeping your door open is an open invitation for everyone to enter your room. The other night I was doing some reading and decided to open the door to my room to get some fresh air. My room is separate from the home of my host family, and I would compare it to a garage. My door faces the driveway, and there is another gate that faces the dirt road outside. The kids can see in through the gate, and the other night they saw that my door was open. Before I knew it, I was having a coloring party in my room with ten kids. We drew rivers, ducks, houses, trees, and pigs. The boys were adorable and drew me flowers and hearts... hahaha. I took a picture of the drawings that they gave me and was going to post it, but this computer is not allowing me to do so. Maybe next time.

With regards to work, I´m having a bit of a difficult time. Like I mentioned before, the centro de salud is really busy. Also, the health sector of the Peace Corps is a little different than other sectors. We are in a sense forced to find work on our own. We aren´t given classroom time and teacher counterparts, therefore we don´t have a set schedule of six hours of class every day. I know it´s going to take a while for me to settle in and get to know everyone, but I´m really looking forward to being busy. I´m used to being busy.

I´ve also had the chance to talk to a couple Peace Corps friends of mine who have either finished their service or are more than half-way done with their service. All of them have reminded me that as a Peace Corps volunteer, you have to realize that observing and learning is also working. Non-formal education is very important as well. I´ve been telling myself every day that these coloring lessons with the kids are opportunities to educate; talking with my little host cousin every morning and helping her with her homework is educating; teaching a girl how to swim in a swimming hole on a Saturday afternoon is progress; learning how to roast coffee, bake bread, and make cheese is observing and learning. Even though a lot of my time is down time, I´m still speaking Spanish. I´m still answering questions about the United States. I´m still asking questions about Nicaragua.

I also have a great network of Peace Corps volunteers nearby. My site-mate is a ten minute walk from me, and he is a small business volunteer. I´ve only known him for a little over a week, but I can already tell he´s a great guy and always willing to help. It feels really good to know that he´s close-by, and he´s promised to show me his running routes sometime next week. yayyy. There is also a TEFL volunteer who is a ten minute taxi ride from me, and she is really fun and super friendly. Her house is adorable, and in the short time I´ve been here, she´s reached out and made me feel welcomed. The other Peace Corps volunteer nearby lives in a rural area and works with agriculture. He´s very knowledgeable on a wide range of topics, and he´s a mean guitar player. He´s promised to teach me how to drive an ox cart, and the other day we spent the afternoon baking bread with a group of Nicaraguan women in the campo. I really feel great knowing that these wonderful people are close to me and can relate to the experiences that I´m having.

Well, I feel like I´ve written a book, and I also feel like I have so much more to share. This morning I had one of the moments where I woke up not knowing where I was. It took me a few seconds to realize that I´m in Nicaragua. I´m not even sure if I believe it now.

Miss all of you! Especially you, Larry!

2011-04-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

Wow, it´s been a while! It seems as though life in the PC got SUPER busy for a while, and now it has drastically slowed. After a beautiful, patriotic swearing-in ceremony in Managua with US Ambassador Robert Callahan, I am finally an official Peace Corps volunteer. I also passed my language interview, which means NO MORE SPANISH CLASSES, although every day and every situation in Nicaragua is a Spanish class for me.

After a very complicated journey, which included missing a bus and staying in a city two hours from my site for a night, I finally made it to El Jicaro. You´d be surprised at the things people try to sell on the bus. While waiting to leave Ocotal, I observed vendedores with bananas, mangos, hocote, dulces, rosquillas, rosquetes, bread, movies, cds, planners, pens, dvd cleaners (a guy basically gave an infomercial on the bus and actually sold a dvd cleaner), water, gaseosa, fresco, ice cream, y mas! I could have eaten a five course meal just waiting for my bus to take off.

Now, I´m in Jicaro. I live with a host family consisting of a mom and dad with four sons and one daughter. They are all very nice, and my room is outside of the house. It´s basically like a garage, and I have my own little stove, bookshelf, water filter, mirror, and BED! The Peace Corps volunteer before me left all of this stuff, and I´m so grateful to have a bed with a comfortable mattress. I love it.

Since I´ve been here, my host family has taught me how to roast some of Nicaragua´s wonderful, infamous coffee. I´ve also learned how to make guajada (a type of cheese) from scratch. They are all very friendly and think that I´m a comedian. No matter what I say or do, they´re laughing at me. I´ve learned to not be embarassed when trying to speak Spanish; the more I speak, the more I´ll learn. This turns out to be pretty funny when I don´t pronounce something correctly. They also laugh at the way I wash my clothes on the lavendero--apparantly I´m not doing it correctly.. haha, who knows.

The work aspect of my site has been a bit difficult so far. I´m used to having a full schedule of work. In fact, back in the States, I always thought of myself as a workaholic. I don´t feel comfortable not working a lot. During Peace Corps training, that wasn´t a problem at all because I had Spanish classes for six hours a day followed with heaps of homework. Trips to Managua were frequent in order to attend Peace Corps lectures. Now, I don´t have those classes; I don´t have those weekly trips to Managua.

I´m supposed to be working with a counterpart here, but I haven´t been able to get in contact with her. I´ve gone to the health center a couple times, and the nurses and doctors are always SO busy--too busy to find something for me to do. So, I´ve kind of put things in my own hands with regards to finding work. Today, I went to two different schools and spoke with the directors about giving health lectures as well as teaching English classes. I´ll be returning to both schools next week. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

During my free time, I like to go to the park and sit and just wait. Usually someone will come up and start talking. Yesterday a little girl, probably about five years old, came and sat with me. We drew pictures for about a half hour and she helped me with my Spanish.

I hope all of you back in the States are doing wonderfully. I´m still missing you like crazy!

Also, I have a new address. If you feel inclined to send me something, you can pass it along to:

Natalie Woodrum
AP 21
Nueva Segovia, Ocotal
Nicaragua

Nos vemos!
Natalie

2011-03-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

This is my new host cousin in El Jicaro. He wanted to be a lion, so my host sister painted on his face with permanent marker.

All of the trees in Santa Theresa are painted with Sandanista flags.

During my site visit, two current volunteers and myself went on a hike to a school in the campo. We came across a tree full of starfruit, and this little boy climbed up the tree and picked about twenty fruits for us to take with us.

Visita!

2011-03-15T17:38:00.000-07:00

...sin acentos.
Lo siento porque es mas dificil traducir.

Todo esta bien en El Jicaro, Nueva Segovia! Estoy aqui por una visita para conocer la gente, el centro de salud, los trabajadores de MINSA, a la casa donde yo voy a vivir. ME ENCANTA El Jicara. Ayer, yo fui con una colega en una ambulancia a las comunidades de Jicaro para dar medicina, vacunas, y cloro (para el agua) a la gente. Muchas veces, las enfermeras necesitan ir a las comunidades porque la gente del campo no puede ir al centro de salud. Tambien hay puestos de salud en estas comunidades donde la gente puede recibe servicios de salud. Mi colega y yo platicabamas mucho con muchas familias, y todas de las familias me recibian muy bien. Por eso, yo estoy mas comoda y contenta con my citio, y yo estoy muy emocionada y feliz a regresar en el segundo dia de abril. Hay mucho trabajo aqui, no solo con el centro de salud, pero tambien con las escuelas, la policia, y las brigidistas. Tambien yo tengo tres voluntarios que estan muy cerca a mi, y vamos a tener projectos juntos para aprovechar nuestros sectores con el cuerpo de paz.

Y TAMBIEN.. yo puedo hablar mas en espanol! Estoy muy feliz porque me siento muy bien con la idioma. Por supuesto, yo necesito practicar mucho mas, pero ahora, yo tengo como amigos aqui quien pueden ayudarme y hablar conmigo.

Manana yo voy a regresar a Managua para tener una reunion con cuerpo de paz, y jueves yo regresare por Santa Theresa. Todavia yo tengo tres semanas de las clases de espanol y charlas con el cuerpo de paz.

Yo estoy muy contenta y feliz, y me encanta Nicaragua y la gente... muy muy bonito.

I MISS ALL OF YOU BACK IN THE STATES!!! Love you!

My new address (the old one will still work, but this one is better):

Natalie Woodrum
AP 21
Ocotal Nueva Segovia
Nicaragua
Central America

2011-03-11T19:09:00.000-08:00

Well, it finally happened.

~~I cried.~~

I sobbed.

At the dinner table.

In front of my entire host family.

While they had company.

Hahaha, it's a bit comical looking back on it, but I was so upset at the time! I think everything just kind of hit me all at once, and all of the stress combined with lack of sleep finally took its toll on me. I've been creating a presentation, along with giving numerous charlas and Spanish interviews, throughout the past month of training. I also had to prepare to leave for my site visit yesterday, which meant packing up all of my stuff and reorganizing all of my belongings. Anyways, I spent all day yesterday in Spanish class, and after class, I had to travel to the nearby municipality of Jinotepe in order to go the bank because my debit card had stopped working. Traveling to Jinotepe is a headache in itself; the packed, scary microbuses are always very hot and crowded, and walking through the streets in Jinotepe as a gringa, I feel as though I'm on display in some sort of zoo. It's very uncomfortable. I do have to mention that the bankers at Bancentro were BEYOND pleasant and had no problem understanding my accent as I slowly explained to them in Spanish that the ATM wouldn't accept my card. Finally getting that taken care of was a relief, and I decided to head to a nearby comedor and celebrate my mini-accomplishment with a cup of coffee. That all went well, and I actually ended up meeting two Peace Corps friends there. Talking to them was great, but I started to get a headache soon after. The bus ride back to Santa Theresa was terrible, and when I walked into the door of my casa, I could barely see straight. My head was pounding, I was sweating, and I thought I was going to throw up. I sat down for dinner, and immediately my host mom asked me what was wrong.

That's when I started crying, and I couldn't stop.

In all honest, this is the hardest thing I've ever done. Yes, it's wonderful and great and I'm embracing this opportunity. I'm learning MORE than I've ever learned in any class or school or seminar. I LOVE talking to Nicaraguans, and I really believe that's why I'm beginning to feel confident with Spanish. The more I talk, the faster I learn. However, I've never been so busy in my life; I've never been so tired in my life. Everyday, I get up at 6:15 (an hour earlier if I have to do laundry), so I try to get to bed early. The problem is that I can't sleep. My mind never stops racing; I'm constantly thinking about Spanish or wondering how my charla will go the next day or worrying about the world. Sometimes I just can't wrap my head around the fact that I'm here, and that I'm able to be here. What I mean by that is that I've met so many Nicaraguans who have spent their lives trying to travel to the United States. It's nearly impossible for them. Yet as los Estadosunidenses, we can travel almost anywhere in the world. We can go to school on loans. We can buy new shoes. We can eat when we want. We can drink our water. I just don't get it, and it's thoughts like these that keep me up at night.

My host mom was so amable when she saw I was upset. She took me into the other room and told me that it's normal to be sad every now and then; she's hosted ELEVEN volunteers before me, and apparently all of them have cried at one point or another (phew). She insisted that I go and take a bucket shower and then head to bed, which I did.

I love being here; I really do. Nicaragua is a really poor country, but the people have giant hearts. You can see it when you're talking to them. I can see it when I'm walking around Santa Theresa trying to find someone to help me with my tarea because I can't understand how a certain aspect of their health system operates. They want to platicar and explain things to me. They want to help. I feel so fortunate to be here.

But it's hard.

My heart goes out to Japan.
And to everyone in the world that is hungry right now.

A man goes out on the beach and sees that it is covered with starfish that have washed up in the tide. A little boy is walking along, picking them up and throwing them back into the water.
   "What are you doing, son?" the man asks. "You see how many starfish there are? You'll never make a difference."
   The boy paused thoughtfully, and picked up another starfish and threw it in the ocean.
   "It sure made a difference to that one," he said.

-Hawaiian parable

SITE!

2011-03-07T17:07:00.000-08:00

Well, waiting for site placement in the Peace Corps is a lot like chinese water torture. During training, you are told of all of the potential job sites for the next two years of your life, and you are constantly on edge waiting to find out where you will be placed.

Last week, my APCD (Associate Peace Corps Director), who is WONDERFUL.. shout out to Ximena!... gave everyone in my group one-on-one interviews to determine what type of site would fit them best. I spoke with her about my desires to work with youth groups, as well as domestic violence (shout out to ACCESS in Ames!), and I also wanted to be near some agriculture volunteers in order to collaborate on projects to assist with cultivating and providing nutrition from the ground up.. literally. Oh, and I also told Ximena that I wouldnt mind being somewhere beautiful..

Well, my awesome APCD listened to my requests, and I will be living in El Jícaro for the next two years! The pueblo is in the department of Nueva Segovia, and I am farther north than all of the other volunteers. The department of Nueva Segovia is the poorest in all of Nicaragua, and there is a lot of opportunity to do some amazing work. I am also really excited to be living in the mountainous region of the country where the mountains are filled with pine trees and coffee plantations.

My job will include working with pregnant women and forming groups of embarazadas to give charlas and health related talks. I will also be working with a group of pregnant adolescents.. in fact, 32 percent of adolescent girls in this region are pregnant. The numbers are quite high. Along with assisting in maternal health, I will be working in the nearby schools to teach the subjects of interfamilial violence, sexual and reproductive health, hygiene, and suicide prevention. I am so excited to be working in differing aspects of health.

Along with working in the health sector, I plan on doing some collaborative work with some current Peace Corps volunteers in the area. I know I am going to have a site-mate, and although we won´t actually meet until I go to my site for a visit in a few days, I do know that he is a small business volunteer. Having a site mate in a differing sector will be great for collaborative work, and I´m really excited to meet him. It´s quite possible that we´ll be teaching in the same school since we´ll be living in the same town.

I also know that there are a lot of argiculture volunteers in the northern part of the country, and my APCD informed me that there will be many opportunities to work on gardening and farming to assist with nutritional education for the people in the area.

I really can´t believe how time is flying. I feel like I just arrived here, and although it´s only been two months, the time feels much shorter. My Spanish is improving MUY RAPIDO! I had a language interview last week, and I found out today that my Spanish ability has jumped by three levels, which is great news. Basically, it´s at the point where I can understand almost everything people are saying, and I can usually jump into conversations. I still get my tenses mixed up, and I´ll ALWAYS be learning new vocabulary words, but it´s finally starting to click-- a great feeling. My host family had some relatives from Mangua visit during the weekend, and they said to me, ´Que bueno que ud. habla mucho!!!´ Translation: ´How great that you talk a lot!´ Haha that made me feel good.

I hope all of you back in the States are well and healthy!! I miss everyone so very much, and I think about all of my friends and family all the time. Sometimes I get weird looks from people because I´ll randomly start laughing at something that I remember from Ames. For example.. foses. Or when I think about my sister being locked in her closet. Or Stage 5ers. Or advice from J. And G, I can´t wait to show you my dream journal.. haha there are so many entries!! One of them involves saving a killer whale from Olsen Park by calling 911. Ok I have to stop rambling...

Paul, thanks for the crossword puzzles. I´ve been working on them diligently for the past couple nights (the ones from The Daily are muy deficil!! Are they from Fridays?)

LOVE ALL OF YOU!! besitos.

PS I have some GREAT pictures to upload, including ones of Sandanista trees, but the cyber isn´t allowing me to upload them. Soon!

Hoy.

2011-02-23T19:55:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the suggestion, Scott :)

Mi horario de hoy..

0500: me levanté

0630: desayuné.. huevos, pan tostado con miel, y un taza de café con azucar y poquito de leche

0730: fui a la dalia con mi grupo para trabajar en una casa materna. dimos una charlita sobre las enfermedades durante el embarazo y de nutricion.

1200: almorzé.. carne de reis con salsa, platanos verdes fritos, arroz, y frijoles.. y un fresco de maracujo.

1300: volvimos a casa materna para hacer una manuelidad con las embarazadas... pulseras con hielo y shakiras!

1500: un vuelto al centro de salud para platicar con un medico.. la facilidad es nuevo de 8 deciembre 2010

1700: volvimos al hostel... caminé con unas compañeras arriba una loma.. que bonita.

1730: cené.. pollo asado con salsa y arroz y una tortilla

1830: una platica con mis compañeras y unos voluntarios del Cuerpo de Paz

... y ahora estoy aqui escribiendo!
hope all is well!

2-4

2011-02-16T14:48:00.000-08:00

The big 2-4 finally came around, and it really doesn’t feel much different from 23. A big thanks to my family for sending me a birthday card; It ended up arriving the day before my birthday. Good timing! One of the girls in my training town bought some rosquillas (baked cookie things) and made me a card, which was very sweet, and some girls in a town close gave me some handmade jewelry. My host family surprised me with a gift as well—a stuffed animal! They way that they gave it to me was so precious, and its probably one of my favorite gifts… ever.

Thanks to all of my friends back in the States for the birthday wishes! I really can’t believe I’m 24. I know it’s not old, but I still feel like I’m 15. Is that normal?

Above is a picture of my house from the outside.

Novio

2011-02-16T14:39:00.000-08:00

Well, for all of you that said I would find a Nicaraguan boyfriend during my PC Adventure, I hate to say that YOU WERE RIGHT! Click "read more" to hear all about Fernando..
Hahahahaha.. who fell for it?!?!?! KIDDING! I took this picture of a guy during the hipica that happened a couple weeks ago in Santa Teresa. During the hipica, there were about 500 vaqueros riding horses down the street. It was quite the interesting experience!

But alas, no Nica boyfriend for me!

Murcielago

2011-02-16T14:34:00.000-08:00

My host family has some tenants that refuse to pay rent. I got to know one of these tenants quite well for a few minutes, but unfortunately, our meeting ended in chaos.

See, when I first arrived to my house, I always wondered why balls of dirt and random wet spots seemed to accumulate on one certain section of the floor. I figured it was the crazy wind pattern of Nicaragua (however, the forever-present conspiracist in the back of my head whispered that I shouldn’t just assume these spots were natural.. I should have listened).

During week four of my stay in Santa Teresa, I was walking to the kitchen to get some water. My host sister was sitting at the table studying, and as I walked by her, I saw a clump of fur limping across the floor. I was shocked at what I was seeing, and with my minimal Spanish skills, I was able to yell, “HAY UN ANIMAL EN EL PISO!” My host family looked at me like I was bizerk, and after realizing I was serious, my host mom jumped up to see what it was. Turns out that this ball of fuzz was a BAT that had fallen from the ceiling. My family uses a huge wooden bar to lock the door at night, and I am witness to the fact that the huge wooden bar can double as a weapon. My host mom grabbed the bar and began beating the bat right in front of me. I wanted to cry. While this was going on, the bat’s family members, who were still hanging out (literally) in the rafters, began squealing. My host sister exclaimed, “Estan llorando!!!” After six or seven blows, my host mom grabbed a broom and swept the dead bat out the front door (I’m sure one of the street dogs was thrilled to have a meal).

So, turns out that the “balls of dirt” and “random wet spots” are bat poop and bat pee. They still accumulate during the day. Sometimes, I wake up in the middle of the night and can hear the bats flying around the house. I do really feel bad for the little guy who died a horrific death, but I cross my fingers that none of its relatives seek revenge beneath my mosquito net one night.

Comunicacion

2011-02-16T14:31:00.001-08:00

One of my fellow Peace Corps trainees and myself decided to head to the park one day after Spanish class to soak up some sun and watch the corbradores scream for people to board the microbus to Jinotepe. Across the park on a bench facing ours, I spotted two gringas. It was the first time I had seen gringas in Santa Teresa other than my group of three Peace Corps trainees. I told Shona that we had to go talk to them and see if they were also Peace Corps volunteers or working with an NGO. I awkwardly walked up to them and said, “Hola, hablan ingles?” They responded that they didn’t speak English, so I asked, “De donde son?” We found out that these girls were from Germany and working with an environmental program. They live in a nearby town, Jinotepe, and sometimes arrive in Santa Teresa for work. I found this whole exchange VERY interesting, because SPANISH was what allowed us the ability to be able to communicate. They didn’t speak English, we didn’t speak German, and without Spanish we would have been able to say nothing to each other. Four gringas from two different countries in the middle of Nicaragua speaking Spanish. Cool.

Ames

2011-02-16T14:30:00.001-08:00

After a Peace Corps meeting one fine afternoon, some trainees, including myself, decided to head to a semi-famous Vegetarian Malaysian restaurant (quite the combination). We had heard great reviews from other Peace Corps volunteers, and when we walked in the door, current TEFL volunteers already occupied one of the tables. The food was pretty good, and my meal cost under a dollar. Having Malaysian cooks speak Spanish was also very interesting, and the restaurant had AMAZING muffins for dessert.

After the meal, I went up to pay my bill, and an older gentleman was standing and ordering his food. He asked me where I was from, and I told him I was from the United States and working with the Peace Corps. He responded by asking what part of the United States I had come from. I told him that I was from el estado Iowa, y es en el central del pais. He responded with, “Ohh. Ames?” My. Mouth. Fell. To. The. Floor. I was shocked! I asked him how he knew Ames, and he informed me that he studied at Iowa State University many years ago. A FELLOW CYCLONE?! IN NICARAGUA?! That’s nuts!

The man was very, very nice, and he told me that he owns an avocado farm. He gave me his business card and told me that if I ever wanted a tour of his farm, I could call him or shoot him an email. I have yet to do so, but I don’t think I’d have a problem rounding up a group of people to go. The aguacates here are DELICIOUS and HUGE. Imagine a haas avocado.. triple in size and double in flavor. Yummm.

FYI

2011-02-08T15:46:00.000-08:00

Just a quick FYI... placing electronics that have been soaked in water in a tub of rice really does rid of the moisture. Thank goodness my camera works after a week of drying, and thank goodness mi familia nicaraguense always has a good supply of rice en la cocina.

Carnies

2011-02-03T13:48:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, I dont have a picture right now, and I probably wont have a picture for a long while. Today, while walking to the Ciber to update my blog and check emails, I kept wondering why the back of my leg felt like it was tingling. Turns out that my water bottle in my bag was completely open and the water was dripping all the way down my back and leg. It took me three blocks to figure that out, and by the time I finally realized it, my camera was sitting in a puddle of water. Boo. It is airing out right now, so please keep your fingers crossed for me that it will work again. AHHH big bummer.

Anyways... hmmm.. some updates as to whats going on right now in Santa Theresa. Things are going really well. Ive made a lot more friends, and they are all helping me with my Spanish. Last weekend, Santa Theresa had its bi annual patron saint festival. There were parades, fireworks, dancers, horses, and toros. It was insane, and lasted all of last week and during the weekend. It was topped off with a disco that took place in one of the run down buildings in the barrio. Once again, I was put to shame as the gringa trying to dance, but I have realized that theres no sense in being embarassed.. Im just going to put myself out there and keep on awkwardly jumping around and throwing in my disco moves.. hahaha. It was a really good time. I am glad, however, that its all over. I barely slept at all last weekend with the fireworks starting at 4 in the morning... no joke.

Today was the last day with my current language facilitator, and I was quite sad. The language teachers rotate sites every three weeks, and next week will mark my fourth week of training. I cant believe how fast time is flying!!! Erika, my first instructor, was beyond amazing, and Im really going to miss her. The next professora definitely has some big shoes to fill.

Next week, I will be presenting a charla on nutrition in the centro de salud. Im extremely nervous, because its going to be the very first time I actually speak to a group of Nicaraguans without the help of my language teacher. I know Im ready, but I cant get over the nerves! Im excited to be presenting on nutrition, and my objectives for the charla include informing the audience why its important to eat fruits and vegetables and what types of nutrients are in these types of foods. Youd be surprised at the way people here eat. There are so many fresh fruits and vegetables readily available, but most people stick to the diet of fried tortillas, fried plantains, rice, and beans. Im really excited to be going to the market tomorrow because I have full intentions on buying some avocado. They are HUGE here!! YUMM

One of the highlights of my week was when Earth, Wind, and Fire came on over my shortwave radio. I use that thing all the time, and Im really glad I brought it. Usually, at night, I hang out under my mosquito net and work on spanish homework while everyone else in the house is sleeping. I listen to my shortwave radio, and youd be surprised at some of the interesting stations you can run across on the AM wavelengths. Ive heard evangelical preachers in numerous languages, creepy carnival music, indecipherable chanting, random tones, news in Spanish, news in English, news in French, and Earth, Wind, and Fire. Awesome.

Speaking of creepy carnival music, have you ever had a really scary dream involving a carnival? Well, I basically lived that really scary dream last weekend. During the patron saint festival, Santa Teresa received four carnival ¨rides¨ for the kids (and adults) to enjoy. My host sister and I took her younger sister and cousin to check out the ¨rides.¨ Basically, these machines were probably used in the United States about twenty years ago, and they no longer run on electricity. There were 17 year old chavalos physically pushing the rides (most had garfield or mickey mouse painted on them.. but something about their facial features was way off...) to make them move. I also saw a guy dressed up as a clown ( and I dont think he was actually part of the carnival... but he was trying to sell balloons....), and there were popcorn machines everywhere with the face of Jesus plastered right next to the popper. It was quite the experience, and it took me back to the ¨Are You Afraid of the Dark¨ carnival episode that scared me so much when I was in third grade. Very interesting.

I really love my eleven-year-old host sister. Shes great and does an awesome job of explaining things to me and answering all of my questions. Her sense of humor is awesome, and shes always in such a good mood.

Last night, I talked to my mom on the phone for the first time since I arrived. I also tried texting a few people, so if you got a test from some random, long number, it was probably me. (Thanks for the replies, B!). If you ever have the urge to call me, please do it! My number is 001-505-8711-0477. Calling from skype is super cheap, and I think you can call from gmail for free. Im going to try to put regara on my phone soon (its prepay) so I can make some calls.

I really miss all of you!! Larry, I hope youre still enjoying your evening wine at Cafe B. Angie, I hope Alaska is keeping you warm. Amber, give Meeko my love post-op. Amy, I hope you and Bella are doing well! Stu, how is the Ranger? Dan, Im looking forward to some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches when I get back. Matt, have you built that meatball-cutting laser yet? Jim, tell Sharky I miss him. Anmol, I still hope to receive Hindi lessons from you! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PAUL!!

Love you all!

NoPuedoBailar

2011-01-25T13:51:00.000-08:00

Im still struggling with spanish. Everyone who knows me knows that I am a people person who loves to talk, so not being able to express myself with the right words is very difficult. However, I have realized that its a process. I am learning. Immersion is the most important aspect, and I finally have more confidence to talk to the people of Santa Teresa.

Lots of things happened last week. I experienced my first earthquake. It lasted for about ten seconds, and there wasnt any damage. My spanish professor kind of freaked out and made us run out of the house, but for good reason.

My familys dog is now a madre and has four perritos... todos son chavalos. That was pretty exciting.

During the weekend, I went with my host sister to Diriamba, a nearby city. There was an ipica taking place with lots of music, dancing, and cerveza (nunca para mi). During the ipica, vaqueros rode their horses down the street (most of them drunk) and showed off their horses. THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE. It was a lot of fun, but also overwhelming. Oh, and my host sister and her friends thought itd be fun to try to teach the gringa how to dance. No success with that one.

Machismo runs rampant here, and its frustrating at times. Although its part of the culture, its a huge change for me, and I still feel uncomfortable at times.

My professor informed me today that the cute chickens in the street are actually used for fighting, and most of them die a painful, bloody death. That kind of killed my mood this morning.

One of the things I love most about Santa Teresa are the stars. They are so bright here!!! Its beautiful.

Above is a picture of el patio de mi familia con la ropa limpia y la otra foto es un hombre con su caballo.

I apologize for this update being so scattered and brief, but my one hour of internet access for the week is quickly coming to an end! I MISS ALL OF YOU!

2011-01-25T13:38:00.000-08:00

How To Make A Beautiful Life

Love yourself.
Make peace with who you are
and where you are
at this moment in time.

Listen to your heart.
If you can't hear what it's saying
in this noisy world,
make time for yourself.
Enjoy your own company.
Let your mind wander among the stars.

Try.
Take chances.
Make mistakes.
Life can be messy
and confusing at times,
but it's also full of surprises.
The next rock in your path
might be a stepping stone.

Be happy.
When you dont have what you want,
want what you have.
Make do.
Thats a well kept secret of contentment.

There aren't any shortcuts to tomorrow.
You have to make your own way.
To know where you're going
is only part of it.
You need to know where you've been, too.
And if you ever get lost, dont worry.
The people who love you will find you.
Count on it.

Life isnt days and years.
It's what you do with time
and with all the goodness and grace
that's inside of you.
Make a beautiful life...
The kind of life you deserve.

2011-01-20T14:00:00.000-08:00

well, nothing could really prepare me for what im going through right now. sorry for the lack of capital letters and punctaution, pero i dont know how the keys on this español keyboard work!

today was the first day ive spoken english since ive been in santa teresa. i arrived on monday, but it seems like its been a lot longer. imagine being placed in a pueblo where you barely know the language. i knew what i signed up for, but there is no way i could have actually been ready to make the move. literally, no one here speaks english, and the people are very poor.

my host family is very, very generous and kind, and i couldnt have been paired with a better host mother. the very first day, she told me i was one of her hijas, and she speaks very slowly so that i can better understand her spanish. she gives me fresh fruit in the morning for breakfast (piña y sandia y banana!), and lunch and dinner is gallo pinto (rice and beans) con platanos maduros. my room is very small and made out of stone. i have a tin roof, and the rain at night makes a really pretty sound! none of the rooms in the house (o afuera) are completely closed. the walls to the rooms and the house dont extend all the way up to the roof, so i can hear everything going on in the house while im in my room. in the morning, i am awoken either by roosters and chickens or by the vaqueros riding their horses or driving their oxen in the street.

in all honesty, i dont feel safe walking anywhere by myself. whenever i go somewhere (like to use a computer today), i am either with my language facilitator, the other two volunteers, or my host family. i get A LOT of stares from the people in the street because nobody is used to seeing a gringa out and about. the unwanted attention makes me feel really uncomfortable, but i just keep my head down and dont make eye contact. ive been wanting to take pictures of the pueblo, but im too nervous to use my camera outside of my house and dont want to draw even more attention to myself.

even with all of the poverty, and a strong feeling of uneasiness, i really feel as though most of the people here have life figured out with regards to personal relationships (which i feel is the most important aspect of life). a lot of people who have professional jobs work in managua, and many other people have their own pulperrias in their homes. after work, everyone goes back to their home and has dinner and sits and talks with their family. typically, the family doesnt only consist of a mom, dad, brothers, and sisters.. there is the mom, dad, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and neighbors. its pretty funny, because when my family gets together at night, i cant really communicate very well with them. but theyre so animated and always with smiles, its hard to not have a good time while listening to them talk. i just laugh when i think im supposed to and nod my head when i think its necessary.. hahaha.

ive made a point to get to know one of the directors at the police department, jose, and every time he sees me, he makes a point to say hola. i also had a short meeting today (todo en español.. yikes) with the secretaria politica about health topics that im going to be working with in santa teresa during my three month stay. after talking with him, i realized that although the people here are very poor, they have big hearts. its hard to explain, but it seems like everyone wants to help those in need. in order for a pregnant woman, or anyone with health needs for that matter, to receive medical attention, all they have to do is fill out some paperwork and show up to el centro de salud. the healthcare provided to these people is completely free, and the gobierno also assists with helping families start small, internal businesses (like raising chickens) in order to help them live a sustainable life.

i still feel uneasy with the language barrier, and i now realize what many of my international friends have gone through when moving to the united states knowing little english. ITS HARD. so many times, i open my mouth to say something, and nothing comes out. its so frustrating not being able to express my ideas and feelings, but im learning. i have confidence that after these three months, ill be ready to live on my own in nicaragua.

i miss everyone back home, and i cant wait to talk to all of you and see all of you! please dont think im weird, but i did save some random notes that you guys wrote to me, and i have them hanging on the wall in my room. i read them every morning, and they give me the strength to start my day with COMO AMANECIO instead of GOOD MORNING. haha i love you guys so much. miss you!!

besos.

Cambio

2011-01-16T19:24:00.000-08:00

A big thanks to Teva, as well as Osprey, for providing me with some amazing gear for great prices before I left the United States...

Well, it's finally time to jump out of the "hotel bubble" and move on to "real" Peace Corps life. For the past week, Nica55 has been holed up in hotel rooms in Washington DC and Managua due to weather keeping us grounded in the United States for a lot longer than expected. We all received our vaccinations and malaria pills (which really do give weird dreams!), and we're ready to leave for training sites early tomorrow morning.

My training site is in Santa Teresa, Carazo, and I'll be living with a doña who has two daughters-- one is nineteen and the other is eleven. I'm so excited, and luckily, one of the Peace Corps volunteers who assisted with orientation had the same host family when she arrived in country almost two years ago. She informed me that the family is "muy tranquilo" and will do a great job with helping me with my Spanish. I'm hoping to improve quite a bit, and I think the daily six-hour lessons, as well as living with a host family, will do a great job of preparing me for my job with regards to communicating in Spanish. I also learned that the father of the family works in Managua and is only home during the weekends. I find this very interesting, especially with there being only seven male volunteers in our forty-four person training class (and ZERO male volunteers in my Child and Maternal Health group)! I'm surrounded by women, and it's awesome! ;) No offense, guys! Hahaha.

Yesterday, I learned a little bit more about what my job will entail. Because of high infant mortality and morbidity in Nicaragua, there are many "casa maternas" in the rural parts of the country. These homes allow women who are pregnant to come and stay for a few weeks or couple months until they give birth. This helps ensure a safe place for labor, and the casa maternas help to plan activities for these women while they're staying in the home. Furthermore, the casa maternas track progress of newborns all the way up to age five, which helps greatly with reducing the infant mortality rate and helps to ensure the children receive proper nutrition and health care. As volunteers, we could be assigned to do a variety of things, including planning activities for the women, assisting with check-ups of the children, and presenting "charlas" on proper health care. One volunteer who has been in country for almost a year has even initiated the start-up of a new casa materna near her job site. It's all very exciting.

Other aspects of my work will include assisting with community nutrition. One potential project that I'm really excited to work on is creating a community garden. Many volunteers from varying groups will team up to assist with certain projects, and my group of twenty Child and Maternal Health volunteers will probably have the opportunity to team up with agricultural and environmental Peace Corps volunteers in nearby job sites to make these types of projects actually happen.

Before coming to Nicaragua, I had a very vague sense of what I was going to actually be doing and providing. I'm so glad to be involved with this particular job, and I feel as though educating the women of a country, especially an underdeveloped country, is vital to sustainability and creating a healthy living environment for everyone.

2011-01-15T19:28:00.000-08:00

Today I received an Emergency Diarrhea Kit in a brown bag (hahaha.. yeah, I'm laughing now...) along with a mosquito net for my bed, an H1N1 vaccine, and a typhoid vaccine. Tomorrow I'll begin life with the family who will be hosting me for the next three months. I think I'm ready.

Finalmente!

2011-01-14T18:35:00.000-08:00

Queridos mi familia y mis amigos,

Finalmente... no hay nieve y hace calor porque estoy en Nicaragua!! Sabes que esta en Nicaragua cuando la pagina de "blogspot" es en espanol...

I wanted to write a quick entry and let everyone know that I made it safely to Managua. After being stuck in Washington DC for a few days because of uncooperative weather, Nica55 was finally able to board flights at Washington Reagan at 6am this morning.

We've been receiving lots of information with regards to the mission of the Peace Corps (which is referred to as "El Cuerpo de Paz" in Latin America), as well as safety instructions and language lessons. The one thing that I've absorbed as being most important is INTEGRATION, and integration is what the Peace Corps believes is one of the most important aspects of being a successful volunteer. Living with a host family and working side-by-side with Nicaraguan counterparts for two years will definitely aid with the integration aspect of service.

Another important part of el Cuerpo de Paz is the cross-cultural experience. Not only are volunteers expected to teach and aid with projects in their designated site, they are also expected help promote a better understanding of Americans to the peoples that are being served. Along those same lines, learning about the Nicaraguan culture is going to be very important, and I can't wait to learn more about la gente.

Going off these same ideas, I think it would be absolutely wonderful if ALL OF YOU could come visit!! No broma. We aren't allowed to have visitors during the first six months or last three months of service, but it's encouraged at any other time. All you would have to pay for is a plane ticket, and they're really not that expensive. Des Moines to Nicaragua can easily be done in $500 or less.

Ok, enough of me trying to sell Nicaragua :)

... but really, you should come. All of you know that I absolutely love being with my friends and family, and if you start saving now, we could make it happen!

Ok, ok, ahora, estoy in a resort that is right across the street from the aeropuerto de Managua. We were supposed to be spending three days in Granada for a retreat, but with the cancellation of all the flights, we are now staying in Managua. Tomorrow, I will be receiving many vaccines as well as having a language interview to determine what level I will be in training. More orientation will take place, and on Sunday we meet our host families.

During training, about three to four volunteers will live in the same, small ciudad con sus familias, y those volunteers will atender clase together throughout la semana. After training is over, we are given another language assessment and evaluated on all of our skills with regards to our job description. If we are found fit enough to serve as a volunteer, we are sworn in on April 1st.

Now, it's really early to be trying to decide where I want to be placed as a volunteer once I officially start working; however, after researching Nicaragua, yo creo que quiero estar en las montanas en el norte del pais. I wouldn't mind being in a rural, secluded area, and I absolutely love being in the mountains. We'll see if that changes in the next few weeks, and I know I'll be happy with wherever my placement ends up being.

Please know that I miss all of you! It sounds a bit lame, but I'm already homesick after less than a week of being out of the United States. The other Cuerpo de Paz volunteers, as well as the staff, are completely wonderful and amazing; I've made some awesome friends here in the short amount of time that I've been away. But, it's still hard to know that I'm going to be away from all of you...

...until you come to visit me! :) A lot of current volunteers also say that taking a trip back to the United States during the middle of service is a pretty good idea. Although I was pretty opposed to coming back to America during my service for a "break," I'm already starting to reconsider and will probably start saving some of my pay for a plane ticket.

So, I know this post is very random and disorganized, but I just wanted to let you all know that I'm here and safe and loving everything already. ALSO KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU ALL!

Con mucho amor,
Natalie

PS I had an amazing salad tonight with fresh tomatoes, and they were absolutely wonderful. When you come to visit, we will eat all of the freshest produce we can get our hands on.

PSS Nobody else in my training group is from Iowa (almost everyone is from a coast), and there are only a couple from the Midwest. I'm doing my best to represent ;)

Stuck

2011-01-12T20:22:00.000-08:00

Before taking off for Florida in December, I watched the documentary 180 Degrees South. This movie showed the story of a man retracing a journey taken in 1968 by Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia. The climax of the story discussed the devastating construction of dams in Chile that would not only destroy much of Patagonia's natural environment but also put a lot of local farmers and fishermen who had been practicing their work for hundreds of years out of business. International energy companies have contracted out the building of the dams (and on a slight tangent, everyone should read Confessions of an Economic Hit Man), and these "corporations" are doing everything in their power to start construction. The Chilean people are fighting to protect their land and rivers (¡Sin Represas!) but, sadly, with little effect on the governmental decision.

Jeff Johnson is the young man who sets out on this journey. After encountering rough seas, the boat crew has to stop at Easter Island for a few weeks to reconstruct a mast and make major repairs. The documentary talks about the history of Easter Island and the downfall of the civilization that first inhabited the land. Essentially, the original Polynesians began inhabiting the land sometime between 400 and 700 ad, and they began building moai. These massive stone statues (like the one pictured above, which is a replica at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington DC) were thought to possess the ability to ward off evil and protect the land. With the building of more and more moai began the deforestation of the land. Soon, the trees and topsoil were gone, and plants and animals became extinct. Because of the destruction of the natural resources, the society began to break out into civil war and soon completely collapsed.

In 180 Degrees South, Jeff Johnson was able to directly relate the events that took place on Easter Island to the events that are about to take place in Patagonia.

History tends to repeat itself, and this is the type of circumstance I find this fact most unnerving. When will mankind realize that we cannot "conquer" our planet? We do not own natural resources; we are servants to our land. I understand that every day we are told to "save the planet," but it's at the point where this phrase is no longer a do-gooder notion; it's a must-do action.

We can all make suggestions on how to conserve energy and water and help save our planet. Take shorter showers. Turn off the lights. Etc. All of these small things do help. Not only is being proactive important; we also need to educate ourselves. Know what's going on in the world. Maybe if the people of Easter Island knew that they couldn't live without trees and plants and animals, even with hundreds of statues protecting them, their fate would have been determined differently. Our statues, in the forms of dams, massive buildings, and oil pipes may make life easier for the time being, but they're definitely not going to ward off our evil spirits. At this rate, the destruction of our species is inevitable, and we need to make a mental shift with regards to our environment.

DC

2011-01-10T21:14:00.000-08:00

I have the habit of instantly falling in love with new places. Having never been to DC, I almost cried in amazement when my taxi driver took me past the Washington Monument and Capitol Building. Although I've done quite a bit of traveling in the United States, today was the first time I've seen these important monuments in person.

Following six hours of traveling (and still no sleep...), I checked into my hotel and met some of my Peace Corps cohorts. After talking to a few other volunteers very briefly, I felt a sense of relief; it's apparent that we're all sharing the same worries, but the sense of excitement is definitely present. It's almost like a high-frequency pitch-- you can barely hear it while other sounds are more obvious; however, it's there.

After the hotel mingling, I called a friend of mine who I hadn't seen for several years (!!), and he was kind enough to take me to Old Town Alexandria. We ate some amazing Thai food, and then we walked around the cobblestone streets and peered into old shop windows. The heirloom vibe that Old Town exudes is breathtaking, and walking around an area that was a colonial port during the Revolutionary War is indescribable. Yes, I'm in love with this area.

Following my very short jaunt through a small part of DC, my roommate finally arrived. After telling me she's from Seattle, I felt an instant sense of homesickness. Although Seattle's never been my home, I fell in love with that area of the country after visiting in May.

It's a habit.

The United States is a unique country in that there are so many distinct areas with such varying traits. The landscapes and demographics change drastically while still being contained in one nation. I'm grateful for having the opportunity to fall in love with so many locales in the US of A, and I'm a firm believer that you don't have to travel internationally to see amazing sights, feel different parts of nature, and meet people of varying cultures.

Hmm anyone want to plan a backpacking trip through the Olympic Peninsula for 2013? :)

Grazie

2011-01-09T09:28:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much, Jim. I don't think you can know how grateful I am for your graciousness! I miss you already, and I can't wait to Skype and talk about travels!

PS I took the rest of the post-its and am going to put them in my new place in Nica; that way, I can pretend like I'm still nearby (but for some reason, I don't think the food channel will still be 68).

87lbs

2011-01-08T12:04:00.000-08:00

The past week has been filled with packing and repacking and repeating. The Peace Corps allows volunteers serving in warm climates to check 80 pounds of luggage. Right now, I'm at 87 pounds, and I can't decide what I should take out.

Since returning to Ames, I've slept for about a total of ten hours (spanning three days). That might be a slight exaggeration, but I've been really busy with working, seeing friends, and running last minute errands. Honestly, the fact that I'm leaving on Monday has just hit me. I've never been so nervous for anything in my life.

I did see on the news today that the Northeast is supposed to be slammed by a winter storm on Sunday night. Hopefully this doesn't affect my travel plans (I'm flying to Washington DC to meet up with other volunteers in Nica55). It never fails!

ET

2011-01-04T16:35:00.001-08:00

This was taken at a secret location. The situation involved getting lost in the woods with my sister and an alien. Ames tomorrow; Nicaragua in one week!

Java

2010-12-29T00:17:00.000-08:00

A good cup of coffee can be notorious for sparking great conversation, and after this evening, I can once again attest to this fact. I made my way to The Drowsy Poet in Pensacola after hearing raves over their home-roasted beans, and their Honduran brew did not disappoint. I was able to enjoy the java and atmosphere while conversing with a fellow coffee sipper sitting across from me. It was nice to get out of the house this afternoon and partake in fresh conversation with someone who was fun and easy to talk to; it turns out that we have a lot of common interests and were able to discuss traveling and backpacking and the likes.

Run-ins like this help to reinforce the idea that our paths in life are formed based on the relationships we make with other people. Although this was a light, one-time conversation with a complete stranger, I walked away with a different perspective on certain topics and left that coffee shop knowing more in general than when I entered. A big thanks to my new Pensacola friend for the two hour chat. I hope our paths cross again in the future.

Nica55

2010-12-22T15:16:00.000-08:00

The cloudy skies outside my window this morning did not deter the seventy-degree weather from greeting Pensacola. I knew I had to take advantage of the warmer weather, so I decided to head to the beach. For most of the time, no one else was in my view. I sat and read a book, which made for a very relaxing afternoon.

My email inbox this morning was full of new information from the Peace Corps. The logistics of orientation and training have been revealed to my training class (which is referred to as Nica 55), and I couldn't be more elated, although nervous, about the upcoming move. Orientation for Nica 55 will take place in Granada, Nicaragua, which is an amazing, colonial town (do a Google image search) and will last for three days. After orientation, we begin our eleven-week training course, which will involve living with a host family and partaking in intense language classes. The Spanish classes will run from Mondays-Thursdays, all day, and we will be required to complete out-of-classroom exercises on the other days. After our eleven weeks of training, we will be sworn into as official volunteers and be sent to our job sites.

Hmmm.. I really don't think it's hit me yet that I'm leaving. I still have so much to do beforehand!

My two biggest fears:

Language. I've studied Spanish for quite awhile, but I'm not fluent. It worries me.
Living with a host family. I know it will most likely be an amazing cross-cultural exchange, but I've lived alone for the past two years. It will take some adaptation.

StoryTime!

2010-12-21T10:06:00.000-08:00

While I was browsing through some old things, I found a story I had written in seventh grade. This was around the time that I wanted to "grow up and be an author." HAHA it made me laugh. I wish I still had this imagination. Click "read more" if you're interested...

Trapped In Another World

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

A WOODRUM BOOK Original
Copyright (c) 2000

(YES, that really did appear in my book....)

   One bright and sunny day, Caroline and her family decided to go to the lake about one hour from their house and have a picnic. It was also very hot, so Caroline wanted to go swimming. She called her friend Aliesa and asked her if she wanted to go with her. Aliesa had chores to do, so she was going to meet Caroline at the lake when she was done because her family was planning on going anyway.
   Caroline went to her room and gathered her things, including a book she had been reading, a camera, her towel, and some candy for later on.
    The rest of the family was still packing when Caroline was ready to go, so she waited impatiently on the deck of the house. Finally they were all ready to leave.
   On the way to the lake, Caroline and her sister, Lisa, fought as usual. They decided to make an invisible wall to help their fighting stop.
   Caroline was reading her book when the family arrived at Lake Hatpic.
   When Caroline and her family were done unpacking all their stuff for the picnic, Caroline decided to swim until Aliesa arrived.
   As Caroline was wading in the water, she stumbled over something that felt like a big tunnel. It led beneath the ground and down. Being the curious person she was, Caroline wanted to know what was inside the tunnel. She decided she would wait until Aliesa came to explore.
   Caroline made sure she stayed close to the spot where the tunnel was so she would find it easily when Aliesa came.
   Finally, Aliesa came. Caroline motioned her to come in the water. Aliesa hesitated, but went ahead.
   "Hi," Caroline said. "I've been wading around the lake and I found a tunnel. It looks like it leads to somewhere underground. I've waited for you to come so that I would have someone to explore with."
   "Well, I don't know. Are you thinking of going in the tunnel? It seems kind of scary. I don't think we should," Aliesa replied. Caroline didn't want to give up.
   After many minutes of begging, Caroline finally convinced Aliesa it would be all right.
   Caroline and Aliesa went out to the tunnel. Caroline told Aliesa she was going to swim inside of it to see where it would lead to and if she wasn't back in five minutes, to go get help. Aliesa still tried to talk Caroline out of it, but she wouldn't listen.
   "Be careful!" Aliesa demanded.
   "I will, don't worry," Caroline said.
   Before Aliesa could say anything else, Caroline was underwater swimming towards the tunnel.
   Caroline swam into the tunnel. There was a current going with Caroline as she swam, so it was like she was being sucked into the tunnel.
   Surprisingly the tunnel ended soon. At the end of the tunnel there was an elevator. Caroline stepped inside and the door closed. All the water drained out of the elevator and oxygen was released. Caroline was able to breathe again.
   The elevator went down, down, and even deeper. Caroline was a little frightened because she didn't want to see what would happen when the door opened.
   When the door did open, there was a sign that read "Welcome To The Opposite World." Caroline walked out of the elevator.
   To Caroline's amazement, she saw Aliesa standing in a desert looking up into a tunnel. Caroline thought this was very weird.
   Caroline kept on walking. She noticed that everything was opposite than what it really was in her world.
   Caroline went up to Aliesa and tried to talk to her, but it seemed as though Aliesa didn't know who she was. Caroline realized she was unknown by the people in this world.
   As Caroline kept on walking, she saw many weird things. She saw dogs walking humans, children going to work, adults going to school, umbrellas when it wasn't raining, heavy jackets when it was warm, and many other peculiar things.
   After a while, Caroline remembered Aliesa was still waiting for her. She thought she'd better leave.
   Caroline walked to the tunnel Aliesa was standing at. She tried to jump up into it, but was unsuccessful. She couldn't get back to her world. She was trapped.
   Caroline tried over and over, but her attempts failed.
   Caroline had to find a way back and she was determined to do just that. She walked around expecting something to just pop up at her and tell her what to do. She decided to keep looking.
   Caroline went to a place that had newspapers. She decided to get one because it might give her an idea on something to do. Caroline picked it up. The cashier told her it cost fifty cents. Caroline walked up to the cashier and he surprisingly gave her fifty cents.
   "I guess I forgot this is Opposite World," Caroline mumbled to herself.
   Caroline walked away and opened the newspaper. Finally, she came across something that would be useful. It was an article about a man that had been to the Other World. His name was Mr. Billy.
   Caroline decided she had to find that man and explain everything that had happened. There was an address. She asked someone nearby.
   "Is this very far from here?"
   "Oh yes, very, very far. It takes a long time to get there. It's about two blocks from here. Just look at the street names and you'll figure it out."
   "Thank you," Caroline said, unsure of herself.
   "No, thank you," the lady replied. Caroline had to remind herself that this was Opposite World.
   Caroline walked on thinking of how she was going to explain herself.
   Caroline arrived shortly. She stood outside the door and knocked.
   "Hello," said Mr. Billy.
   "Hi. My name is Caroline and I wanted to question you on your trip to the Other World."
   "What about my trip to the Other World?" Mr. Billy asked.
   "Well, I kind of have a problem," Caroline replied.
   "I don't know that I can help you, but I'll give it a shot."
   "I am from the Other World," Caroline revealed.
   "You are? Are you pulling a prank?"
   "No, I'm serious. I'll tell what the Other World is like. It is opposite of this world. I'm trapped here and I don't know how to get back. Please help me!" Caroline pleaded.
   "All right. I'll tell you, but you mustn't tell anyone about this world. Do you promise?" Mr. Billy said.
   "Yes."
   "Follow me."
   Mr. Billy lead Caroline down a long hall, then into another room. There was a big mirror in the room.
   "You must stand back here and run and jump into the mirror. That is the only way of getting back. The mirror reverses everything," Billy told Caroline.
   Caroline was afraid, but followed the instructions anyway. A weird feeling came over Caroline as she jumped through the mirror, but the feeling was soon gone.
   Caroline woke up. Had she been dreaming? Or did it really happen?
   Caroline went to school that day. Aliesa didn't remember anything about the tunnel or Opposite World.
   When Caroline went home, there was a note on her dresser that read:

I hope you liked your trip to our world!

-Mr. Billy

Eclipse

2010-12-20T16:41:00.000-08:00

Tonight is a lunar eclipse; in fact, it's the first full lunar eclipse in two years, and it marks the first day of winter (oh joy)! My dad and I hung out in the backyard for a while and looked at the moon. I want to track progress, so I'll probably be out there during different intervals of the night taking pictures. In the first picture, the moon kind of looks like the sun.... It was a hard to get a good picture, because whenever I slowed the shutter speed, the moon glowed way too much. Anyways, here are two shots. Hope to get some more good ones!

Pluckin

2010-12-20T13:21:00.000-08:00

This is my new baby. She's so little and perfect in every way :)

Haha, in all reality, I was pretty upset to have to sell my keyboard and guitar while downsizing all of my possessions. Lately, I've been listening to a lot of mandolin music, and I've always wanted to learn how to play the instrument. I was able to get in contact with a guy through CraigsList that had a really nice one for sale at an excellent price. I'm pretty excited that I'll be able to fit this little gem in my luggage for the next few years and have a nice travel buddy (and I think it's so cool that the open string notes form a perfect circle of fifths!!!)

Sunnnn!

2010-12-19T10:21:00.000-08:00

Finally, some sunshine! Since I arrived in Florida, it's been rainy and cloudy, but today I woke up to the beautiful blue sky. A trip to the beach may be in the works. Even though it'll be too cold to venture into the water, I can always hang out in the sand with a sweatshirt and blanket :)

This is a picture of the shed in our backyard. It kind of looks like a little piece of Iowa transported to Florida (I still miss Iowa..).

Address

2010-12-18T23:00:00.000-08:00

If you feel inclined to send me a letter or two or six, my address from January 12th until April 1, 2011 will be:

Natalie Woodrum, PCT
Voluntario del Cuerpo de Paz
Apartado Postal 3256
Managua, Nicaragua
Central America

After the first of April, I will be sent to my official job site, and my address will change. I won't know what that site will be until a week before I move, but I'll be sure to update this info whenever it changes.

2010-12-18T22:55:00.000-08:00

Well, I've been in Florida for almost a week. Honestly, the warm(er) weather has been a great escape from the chill of Iowa. Although fifty degrees feels warm to me, everyone here is bundled up in their winter coats. They all look at me as if I'm crazy in my short sleeves.

I've been running since I got here, and one thing I noticed is that sidewalks are really rare. I never noticed it before, but it's a bit strange. Just a random thought.

Well, I really don't have much to write about-- I've been doing a lot of reading for the past week (on my Kindle!!.. thanks again, friends!!), and it's relaxing to not have to worry about going anywhere. I do miss all of my friends back in Ames, and I'm excited to be back for a few days in January before leaving! My upcoming departure with the Peace Corps still feels like it's a long ways away; I don't think it's hit me yet. In less than a month, I'll be in my training program in Nica. My bags aren't completely packed, but everyday I add a little more.

OH, and that kind soul up there is my family's dog, Honey Bear. Yes, she is wearing a sweater; she's so little that she needs something to give her some extra warmth :)

MISS YOU, FRIENDS!!

2010-12-13T20:02:00.000-08:00

My little cousin, Brianna.

2010-12-12T21:44:00.000-08:00

I now realize that I simply need to accept the fact that Iowans are used to blizzards, and blizzards make us strong!

Case in point: Although there were sixty mile-per-hour winds last night and shards of ice whipping around like minuscule daggers, friends of mine were still determined to congregate and enjoy each others company while staring at the impending storm through icy covered windows. I definitely put myself in a predicament when I assumed that my flight would be delayed, which brings me to my...

Next case in point: Yes, as I arrived at the airport this morning, many flights were delayed or canceled. Most of these flights, however, were to Chicago; the main reason they were delayed was because Chicago was simply unable to keep up with inbound and outbound traffic. They were not delayed because of the weather in Iowa. My flight still took off at its scheduled time, and I was still able to enjoy my complimentary cup of orange juice (notice how they always put ice in your orange juice when flying?) and the company of the nice man next to me on my first flight (shout-out to Travis). I keep realizing how small of a world we live in. This guy and I got to talking about life and what not, and it just so happens he has a friend in Nicaragua who works with an NGO; he gave me his friend’s email address so I could get in contact with him and potentially assist with some of his projects. After arriving in Atlanta, I came across my...

Third case in point: People here are bundled up and in a tizzy over the slight dusting of snow on the ground. It seems as though everyone and everything is on hold—the weather is too horrible to do anything! Ironically, I’m typing this blog entry as I sit on the plane awaiting takeoff. The pilot just came over the intercom and informed all of us that the wings on the planes need to be deiced, and it’s going to take ten minutes to deice a wing. I’m thinking.. bummer, another ten minutes of waiting? He continued on and informed us that the Atlanta airport is the busiest airport in the world. There are currently FIFTY PLANES IN LINE to get deiced. We have to sit and wait in line. If the time of waiting exceeds three hours, we must deboard, and the flight will probably be canceled. I’m so confused! I flew out of Des Moines this morning in half a blizzard. Now I’m stuck in a grounded plane.

Conclusion: Although the Iowa winters are miserable and terrible and bone chilling, we are stronger because of them! If you can survive multiple winters in Iowa, you’re a badass.

Update: After sitting on a plane at the gate for two hours, my flight finally took off. I arrived in Pensacola safe and sound.

nevasca

2010-12-11T19:20:00.000-08:00

Noun (Spanish)

nevasca f. (plural nevascas)

blizzard

Be careful what you wish for. During the past week, I've been complaining about the boring winter scenery and bare trees; I figure that if it's going to be zero degrees, there should at least be some pretty snow to watch. Today, ironically, my wish was granted...tenfold. For the past five or six years, Iowa has been bombarded with a snow storm during the night or day before I'm supposed to board a flight to Florida to visit my family. Seriously, it happens without fail. As I sit on the floor of my now empty apartment, I can hear the wind howling its vengeance outside my creaky windows. This picture doesn't do any justice, but it's the view that I have right now-- trees are bending, snow is blowing, and cars are stopping.

I'm contemplating heading out one last time before heading south, but I may just lay on my floor and listen to some music instead. My fingers are crossed that I'm able to make my flight tomorrow, but judging by years past, I'm doubtful. Be careful what you wish for!

Staging

2010-12-10T11:59:00.000-08:00

After waking up bright and early to see my Dad off (he was in town to pick up the mini-van), I checked my email and was quite delighted to realize that my Staging Kit had arrived in my inbox. The Peace Corps sends out information about a month before departure that outlines specific details about where groups will be meeting before departing to their assigned country. Turns out that I, along with forty or so other volunteers, will be attending staging in Arlington, Virginia. I will be taking a flight from Ames to Arlington, and my staging begins at 12:30pm on the 11th of January. Staging will end at 7pm that same day, and at 1:30am on January 12th, we are to check out of our hotel and board the shuttle to Washington Reagan Airport. The flight to Nicaragua departs at 6:05am on January 12th. It seems surreal!

The past few weeks have been a blur with trying to see all of my friends before I leave. I'm going to be leaving for Pensacola, Florida this Sunday to spend about three weeks with my family. My sister and I, along with her boyfriend, will be going to Orlando for New Years to fulfill a lifelong dream of visiting the Harry Potter theme park (!!!). I also plan on making a short trip to New Orleans to visit one of my best friends who is traveling in the area. Following my trip to Florida, I will be returning to Ames for five days.

Today marks my last day at Beaudelaire, and I'm quite sad to be leaving the place that I've spent more time at than anywhere else in the past couple years. I've been connected to some amazing people through Beaudelaire, including my coworkers and customers. A shout-out to some of my regulars (Table 16 {you guys were a legacy.. I have the twenty dollar bill framed.. no joke}, Paul, Larry, Chema y Carlos, Laurens, Chris, guy from Russia who always ordered a latte and a spanish burger {I never got your name, but you always made me smile}, Mike and Rahul, Mr. Bishop and Ed, Wednesday night Convivium crew, Stu and his arguments, Brazilinos!, Laura and Ann and your roommate stories, JIM, Nikki and Sarah {and your amazing cupcakes}, traveler from Kansas who would just randomly show up without telling me and cause the best surprise of my week {...you know who you are}, all of my Indian friends who slowly taught me Hindi phrases {namaste!}, and everyone else...). Working at Cafe Beaudleiare taught me a lot about myself and gave me the opportunity to open up to people that I probably wouldn't have met anywhere else. The international infusion and cultural diversity that is present in Beaudelaire is unmatched anywhere in the area, and I'll never forget going from table to table and hearing four or five different languages being spoken within a twenty-foot radius.

RIP

2010-12-08T14:07:00.000-08:00

According to BBC, the Nixon Administration tried to have John Lennon and Yoko Ono deported following the release of "Give Peace A Chance" and "Happy X-Mas (War Is Over)." It was feared that Lennon's involvement with a concert in San Diego during the same time as the Republican National Convention would cost Nixon the presidential election. The deportation proceeding went forward; however, after the Watergate Scandal, Gerald Ford didn't have much of an interest in deporting the pair, and the deportation was overturned in 1975. Lennon received his green card, and interestingly attended the inaugural ball with Yoko Ono during the inauguration of Jimmy Carter in 1977.

Wheeee!

2010-12-07T09:08:00.000-08:00

Before today, I've had two blogs running at one time. One of my blogs I kept private and used to outline the process of my Peace Corps application, and my other blog was the one you are reading right now. I've decided to merge forces, and some new entries have popped up in this blog (in chronological order.. new entries are under August 27th, November 2nd, and November 8th). I will keep updating as I continue my adventure to Nicaragua and onward. I'm getting very excited to finally be living my dream of working internationally, and I'm marking all the places on my world map of where I'll be going in the next ten years. You should consider visiting :)

Also, most of my previous posts have been encrypted. If you wish to read the entries, the password is "whiteclouds" without the quotations.

ClinkClink(it's2am)

2010-12-07T08:52:00.000-08:00

According to the U.S. National Fire Protection Association, candles are one of the leading sources of residential fires in the U.S. with almost 10% of civilian injuries and 6% of civilian fatalities from fire attributed to candles. Luckily, I haven't had any run ins, but I certainly do like my candles. Fun fact: back in the day (during the 18th century, mainly in China), candles were made to be clocks. Weights were set into the sides of the candle, and after a certain time, the wax would burn off and the weights would fall into the bowl holding the candle. The clinking of the weights falling into the bowl would be an indicator of time. COOL! I want one.

Whoosh

2010-12-07T08:33:00.000-08:00

I live in a very old apartment, but for me, old is usually endearing. I enjoy the creaks in my hardwood floor and the large windows. There are, however, a couple downsides of living in an old place (obviously). Take this fan, for example. It's the fan in my kitchen, and the other day, the ball chain decided to snap, causing it to run constantly. I had to remove the cover of the fan to unplug it so it would stop running. Removing the cover revealed a dusty and rusty contraption of blades, and although it was actually pretty disgusting, I thought it made a nice looking pic. I'm going to miss my apartment. It's all empty right now except for a couch for me to sleep on--I've been trying to give away everything that I can, and I've been taking the rest to the thrift stores (thanks Beaudelaire ladies for coming and collecting all of my old clothes)

Finished

2010-11-20T11:38:00.000-08:00

I posted a picture of a crossword puzzle a couple months ago-- one that I had almost completed. This one, however, WAS finished. With the help of Paul, we were able to get the Daily's crossword done over a couple cups of coffee. It's strange, but the feeling of finishing a crossword is so significant; it can even turn my whole day around. Truly, the highlight of my week was working on this puzzle with Paul :)

SURPRISE!

2010-11-20T10:16:00.000-08:00

My dad arrived in Ames for an afternoon in all of his mustache and flannel glory. He came to see if he could figure out was wrong with the minivan I've been using for the past year. No luck; he took it to a mechanic who will hopefully be able to fix it.

Golden

2010-11-14T21:29:00.000-08:00

I was quite surprised to find out that the main factor in determining when the leaves of a tree change color during fall is the length of the night. According to the US Forest Service, three factors influence the changing of leaves: leaf pigments, length of night, and weather. When daylight hours begin to shrink, leaves start to undergo biochemical processes. A major process is the ceasing of chlorophyll production. See, there are three types of pigments that are present in leaves: chlorophyll, cartenoids, and anthocyanins. Cartenoids have a golden color and anthocyanins are red. Chlorophyll gives off a green hue. As night length increases and chlorophyll is destroyed, the cartenoids and anthocyanins have a chance to show off. Anyways, I'm pretty amazed at how blessed Ames has been with the mild fall season. I took this picture on November 11. Usually by November 11th, we're dealing with below freezing temperatures and dustings of snow. I'll continue to keep my fingers crossed that this beautiful weather will continue to last; however, I have my doubts. A white holiday season would be nice, I guess.

Gaffer

2010-11-14T21:16:00.000-08:00

A gaffer is someone who blows glass. They can also be referred to as a glassblower or glassmith. Now, I'm quite aware that there is a glassblowing studio on the ISU campus; I have a couple friends that have taken part in the festivities of heating and blowing glass. The pieces of work that they've produced are beautiful, and the practice seems like it's very detail oriented with perfectionism being important. At the same time, each piece comes out different and typically not exactly as the gaffer envisions, which adds an element of surprise. After doing some research, I found out that glassblowing began at about 50 bc along the coast of Syria and Palestine (the people were called Phoenicians). Interestingly, evidence in the form of glass tube parts and and blown bottles was found in the ruins of an old workshop in Jerusalem, which, amazingly, dated back to about 37 bc. The practice of glassblowing was a large trade during the Roman empire and medieval period in Europe. In 1962, the studio glass movement began with a ceramics professor and a chemist who held workshops at the Toledo Museum of Art. These two professors (Harvey Littleton and Dominick Labino) are the known to have been the first providers of molten glass to artists working in private studios, and their initiative turned into a worldwide movement of glassblowing as an art. (credit to: Stern, E.M. & B. Schlick-Nolte 1994. Early Glass of the Ancient World 1600 BC – AD 50. Ernesto Wolf Collection. Verlag Gerd Hatje: Ostfildern.)

2010-11-14T01:49:00.000-08:00

A video for today!
Best with sound ON :)

Facts!

2010-11-09T11:12:00.000-08:00

A big thanks to LARRY for bringing me some fact sheets on Nicaragua! Upon hearing that I'd be traveling to the country for service with the Peace Corps, Larry dug up these sheets that were published in 1982. Many topics are discussed, including politics, economy, human rights, and women. Some of the passages I found most interesting included,

"The Nicaraguans rose up against Somoza not only to get rid of a hated dictator, but to change a system that required the exploitation of the poor majority. Without the Somoza family hoarding the wealth, there was now the potential to utilize the nation's resources for the benefit of all."

This referred to, obviously, the overthrow of the Somoza family. The Somozas ruled Nicaragua during a hereditary dictatorship with 43 years in de facto presidency. Another interesting passage was presented in the readings as a quote from Carlos Escorcia of Managua (the capitol city). He was a pastor for the Assemblies of God and said,

"It was faith that motivated Moses to abandon the Pharoah's palace and lead his people out of Egypt. It was faith that led the slaves away from the land of oppressors. We in Nicaragua have crossed the Red Sea, which was our war of national liberation. Now we are crossing the desert, marching toward a promised land flowing with milk and honey for all. There are those of little faith that want to turn back, because crossing the desert is not easy. But the Church in Nicaragua has decided that we would rather be the voice of the hopes of the poor, than the voice of the fears of the rich. And we will never, ever go back to being slaves."

After reading through this booklet, I found it very interesting how much the church played a role in the government in Nicaragua. A section of the writings even talks about how many government leaders were also priests. I always knew that there was a revolution that took place in the 70's with US intervention in the 80's, but these fact sheets really gave me a better understanding of what was going on during that time. To me, it seemed as if there was tons of exploitation of the poor people, and unfortunately, their voice was too small to be heard. The last section of the fact sheets discusses women in Nicaragua. Like much of the world, and especially developing nations, women didn't have rights. These women, however, did play a vital role in heading households and performing jobs. In fact, after demanding more rights and going through a women's movement,

"In June 1981, Nicaragua's first all-women battalion set out from Leon to defend Nicaragua's northern border from counterrevolutionary attacks."

I find all of this very interesting, and I'm so grateful to be able to read up on this before leaving!! Thanks again, Larry :)

Preparation

2010-11-08T08:54:00.000-08:00

Well, fall is in the air. Ames is lucky to still be in the midst of beautiful weather. The temperatures have been in the sixties and seventies, which is rare for November! The leaves have fallen off the trees, and the crisp, fall air can be chilly in the morning and at night. It's a beautiful season, and I'm grateful to be experiencing awesome Iowa weather for my last couple months in the United States.

Since receiving my invitation, I have formally accepted my job with the Peace Corps and have sent an aspiration statement and updated resume to my placement officer. I'm working on a packing list and trying to decide what type of luggage to take. I know that the bags and luggage I currently own are not going to hold up for two years in the Peace Corps, so after doing some researching and communication, I have convinced a couple companies to sell me their products at "pro-deal" price (which is usually half-off retail prices). It's awesome to see that people are willing to help out Peace Corps volunteers, and after calling and telling them what I'll be doing during my tour in Nicaragua, they're so excited and willing to help. So, it looks like that I'm going to invest in a really nice backpacking bag (75 liters.. it's huge) and a wheeled duffel bag, both at a really great price. I'm going to take my Eddie Bauer messenger bag as a my day pack.

I've started compiling a packing list. There are quite a few forums and threads on the internet of things that Peace Corps volunteers have packed, but I'm so nervous about forgetting some essentials. I can't believe I'll be leaving in two months!! Last week, my friend and former PC recruiter (he interviewed me during my first application) got me in contact with a guy who is currently in Nicaragua and graduated from Iowa State. This is a great resource, and I'm hoping that he'll be able to assist me with remembering some necessities to take.

Facebook has also been able to help me get in touch with about ten people that I'll be staging and training with during the tour. Where would we be without Facebook these days? We're all messaging each other with questions, concerns, and plain excitement about the journey we're about to take.

Well, my departure date is January 11th, and I found a subleaser for my apartment. The man that is going to rent my apartment is from China and really needs a place beginning December 18th. I wanted to be able to help him out, so I told him that he can move in on the 18th, and I would still be willing to pay all of December's rent. With that being said, it looks like I'm going to be in Pensacola, Florida with my parents and sister from the 18th of December until I leave in January. It will be great to be able to spend three weeks with my family and relax before I leave. It'll be strange to not be working during those three weeks, but I think I can handle it ;)

Speaking of work, I am quite sad to be leaving Cafe Beaudelaire. I knew when I started working there that it was going to be temporary. My job there, however, has taught me how to deal with people. It's amazing how working in a restaurant and bar can teach you so much about forming relationships and dealing with social settings. Although the job has had its ups and downs, the ups definitely outweigh the downs, and I'm going to miss my coworkers and regular customers so much. Also, I have worked so many hours there that I'm going to have my student debt paid off before I leave the country, which is a great feeling. It's also pretty cool to know that most of my student loans were paid off from the tips I received from waiting on ISU students and staff. Thank you ISU community! :)

Wheels

2010-11-08T08:40:00.000-08:00

If bikes were people, I'm pretty sure that these two would be in love. When I'm too lazy to take Old Blue up three floors and know it's not going to rain, I park her out on the railing in the back of my apartment. Today I walked outside and saw an old, yellow Schwinn parked next to her. Adorable! I didn't even have my camera with me, but I ran up to my apartment to grab it in order to take this picture. I'm really going to miss my bike when I leave!! Old Blue is my prized possession; hopefully I can find someone who will take care of her while I'm away.

Aventura

2010-11-04T20:30:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting almost two years to begin my dream of serving in the Peace Corps. After two applications and a lot of waiting and stressing, I finally received my nomination to serve in Nicaragua as a community health promoter. I am beyond elated and so ready to arrive in Nicaragua. Surprisingly, my departure date is January 11th, which is right around the corner. It seems as though my second time through the application process flew by! Currently, I'm trying to find a sub leaser for my apartment and make arrangements to spend time with my family before I leave. I've even been making a packing list. It's hard to believe that I'll be getting on a plane in two months!

*knock knock!

2010-11-02T00:02:00.000-07:00

Wow, it has been a long time since I've updated. I know that once things start to unfold for me with the Peace Corps, I'm going to want to get a lot more of my thoughts and actions down in words.

The past couple months have been filled with anticipation of getting everything turned in with my Peace Corps application. Because I was cleared medically last year with my previous nomination, I didn't have to do such a grueling medical procedure. I was still required to get a tuberculosis test and an AIDS test; luckily, I was able to get these done for free at the free health clinic. Not having health insurance hasn't really been an issue yet since graduation, and I was a bit worried with having to get some tests done. However, the doctors and volunteers at the free clinic were more than helpful and so nice about helping me get the requirements done at no cost.

I signed up for dental insurance right after receiving my nomination, because I knew that it would be beneficial in the long run. Dental clearance is only good for one year; therefore, my dental clearance from my previous nomination was, in a sense, expired. I made an appointment to have my teeth x-rayed and checked, and I did end up having to get a filling. To be honest, I wish I would have gone to this dentist previously. He was such a nice guy and very honest and informative; plus, his brother served in the Peace Corps in the seventies in Brazil! We had a lot to talk about, although he did most of the talking (my mouth was full of dental gear! haha).

After getting everything mailed in to the medical, dental, and legal offices (I had to fill out some questionnaires relating to the legal incident that caused my last invitation to be rescinded), it was all a waiting game. That's the hardest part. Waiting. Everyday, I would go to work, and all of my regular customers would ask me if I knew where I was going. My response was always, "Any day now!" The first thing I would do when getting up in the morning was check my mail in hopes that there would be some information.

FINALLY, one brisk morning, I checked my email and noticed that my Peace Corps toolkit had been updated. When I checked my toolkit, it said that I had been sent an invitation. WAHOO! I was so excited! Now, more waiting. I had to wait for my UPS package to arrive in the mail that would tell me my country, job assignment, and departure date.

A couple days later, I got home from work to find a notice on my door that the UPS delivery person had been to my place but couldn't leave my package with a signature. It just so happened to be Friday, so I had to wait until Monday to receive the invite kit. That weekend seemed to take FOREVER (even though it was Halloween weekend)! Finally, on Monday, my invite showed up at my door. I ripped it open and learned I'd be going to Nicaragua. I tried to take a few moments to let it soak in-- Central America was going to be my home for 27 months beginning in January. That's only a couple months away! It still hasn't really hit me.

The Peace Corps has been my dream for so long. I've faced so many hurdles with regards to becoming a volunteer, but I haven't given up. I'm so elated to finally be taking further steps of reaching my goal to serve, and I can't wait to embark on my journey. My job assignment involves working in the community health sector on the Maternal and Child Health Promotion project. It just feels right.

Concentration

2010-10-31T13:37:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Iowa State for winning their homecoming game against the Jayhawks. This was the first football game I've been to in a couple years, and a good friend of mine was super nice to invite me to sit third-row with him. A huge thanks to Mr. Mahoney, kicker for Iowa State, for being a nice eyesight during the three-hour game. Keep it up! :)

Saudade

2010-10-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

The Portuguese language contains a word, "saudade," that doesn't have a direct English translation. Saudade refers to an extremely intense longing and missing of a person, place, or time. Now, this is not a recent picture, but every time I look at pictures from my trip to Olympic National Park, I have an extreme sense of "saudade." I can't wait to go back! I've decided that IF I ever decide to settle down and find a place to live for an extended period of time, it will be in the Pacific Northwest. The landscape there is absolutely amazing. Ocean on one side and temperate rain forests on the other make for great hiking and camping. This is one of the few places where I felt completely at-ease and happy and comfortable. The forests were nothing short of magical. This photo was taken in May when I traveled to the Seattle area for a week of hiking and outdoorsy-ness. Breathtaking.

Sticky

2010-10-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

Maybe I should have a "food-only" blog. It seems like most of my posts are devoted to deliciousness, but hey, that's ok with me. I have a basket in my kitchen that holds most of my produce-- tomatoes, onions, apples, zucchini, plums, peaches, and the occasional purple eggplant. I have a habit of peeling off the stickers that come affixed to these goodies and placing them throughout my apartment. Most of the time, I don't even realize I'm doing it. The other day I found a plum sticker in my shower. I immediately remembered that I was in a hurry to get ready for work, so I decided to snack while showering in order to save time. Haha.

Well, today I reached into the basket and pulled out a plump, red Hot-House tomato. Then I realized that there is a small collection of produce stickers accumulating along the brim of my wicker basket, and it got me thinking. What do these number codes mean? After doing some Googling, I came to find out (from seriouseats.com) that conventional produce gets a four-digit number, organic produce is denoted with a five-digit number beginning with 9, and GMO's are five-digits that start with 8. Interesting, eh? There are even websites where you can search codes and find out exactly where your produce came from. Also, you need to check out this website that contains wild art people have made from produce stickers.

BeesKnees

2010-10-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

This honey really is the bees knees. I read somewhere that honey makes a great moisturizer. I wasn't really sure why, but with the air becoming dry with the cooler weather, I was willing to give it a shot. I went to the local co-op on a mission to find some all-natural, organic honey. I came across Ebert's honey, and the minute I got home, I tried some right off a spoon. DELICIOUS! Not only is this honey made close-by in Lynville, Iowa, and sold a really cheap price (3.99 a jar!), it tasted absolutely delicious.

Buying local always makes me feel better about my purchasing habits, and I'm glad I decided to go with this brand. Ebert Honey began production in 1980 with only about ten colonies. Since then, the company has expanded to about 600 hives and produces more than 90,000 pounds (!!!) of honey a year. The product is left completely unchanged and is sold in the exact same condition that it was made by the bees. I did some research on the effect of honey on the skin, and I learned that honey is actually a humectant, which means that it attracts and retains water, making it an excellent, natural moisturizer. I also found that it's great for your hair. If you mix a teaspoon of honey with four cups of water, you can make a great hair conditioner. Honey is also good for chapped lips. Oh, and don't forget, it tastes excellent too. Perfect in some green or black tea! So, if you need to buy some honey, I highly recommend the Ebert brand. I found the jar at Wheatsfield in Ames, and I'm sure it could be purchased at Hy-Vee too.

Mooned

2010-10-26T13:41:00.000-07:00

The crisp autumn air was perfect for enjoying some time next to Lake Laverne. Sadly, winter is creeping up on us, and I had to make sure to layer up today in order to stay warm. I literally have nothing to do in Ames when I'm not working, so this is one of the ways in which I spend my free time--hanging out on a bench with a good book and Sir Lancelot and Elaine (the swans). Holy cow, I feel like I need a new hobby. Anyways, I'm not sure if the swans were looking for food or what, but they decided to repeatedly moon me for the forty-five minutes I was on the bench.

On a slight tangent, I've always wondered how many times these swans get "replaced." I did a little research and found out that there was a contest held in 1935 during VEISHEA to name the swans. Some student by the name of John Nesinwancer came up with the names (Lancelot and Elaine) and walked away with a hefty ten-dollar prize. There was also a contest held in during VEISHEA in 1958 to name two geese on the lake. Not quite as popular as the swans, the geese are named Ruben and Rachel. Also interesting-- the swans and geese cannot fly south during Ames' brutal winter because the cord in the wing joint is clipped so they can't straighten their wings (how pleasant). They are taken off the lake right after homecoming and kept on the college poultry farm, and they are reintroduced right before Easter.

Sprouts

2010-10-19T22:22:00.001-07:00

During this blissful afternoon, I decided to roast up a batch of some of my favorite veggies--brussel sprouts. A drizzle of olive oil, some sea salt, and a sprinkle of peppercorn before popping these in the oven for twenty minutes produced some crunchy and savory eats. The roasted taste complemented the chilly cool weather, and today felt like the first day of fall. I even decided to get out my electric blanket this evening. The hardwood floors and age of my apartment contribute to the leaky cracks that let cool air flow in with effortlessly. Hopefully winter doesn't sprint at us in the next couple weeks because this fall weather would be lovely to live with for a while.

Desculpa

2010-10-18T12:30:00.000-07:00

I apologize greatly for not updating my blog for the past three weeks. I really need a new camera! Luckily, my oatmeal jar is getting full of loose change, so I'm hoping to have enough cashed in by the end of October to make a purchase :) Peace and love.

Glove

2010-10-18T12:27:00.001-07:00

I was in tremendous pain for an entire week after my first attempt at barefoot running. I think I went to long for my first time, and the 2.5 miles without shoes put my calves on fire. The fire didn't go away until seven days later. Luckily, I received my new pair of running shoes in the mail today. The Vibram Five Finger Classic shoes offer protection but simulate being barefoot. See, when I was running in typical running shoes, I was experiencing a lot of pain in my shins and feet, and I believe that was caused by heel striking. A lot of new and upcoming research is being conducted on the benefits of running in minimalistic shoes, and I thought I'd give it a shot. I will not, however, be running long distances for a good while!

Carousel

2010-10-18T12:20:00.000-07:00

I told myself I would never return to Iowa City after experiencing the wrath of hateful Hawkeye fans during an Iowa vs. Iowa State game a couple years ago. When I was invited by my friend, Laura, to go to an Iron and Wine concert, I immediately changed my mind and decided that I was willing to take the risk for Mr. Sam Beam. I have always been a huge fan of the amazing, bearded serenader, and he did not disappoint.

The show opened with him singing a completely a capella version of Flightless Bird, American Mouth. I had goosebumps. Those goosebumps did not go away during the entire show. I told Laura after the show that live music is the ultimate natural high, and that always seems to hold true for me. Following the show, I decided to support one of my favorite musicians by purchasing one his cds. I wasn't sure which one to get, so I just randomly chose one. When I opened it up, I was so happy to see the image of a ginormous oak tree. That might sound cheesy, but I love trees! It's a sign that I chose the right cd :) Laura and I jammed out to Iron and Wine on the way back to Ames while philosophizing about life and gazing at stars out the window. Romantic.

Woof

2010-10-18T12:17:00.000-07:00

This 120 pound giant is in actuality one of the most loving dogs I have ever met. Meeko belongs to my good friend, Amber, and every time I spend time with Amber, Meeko becomes a part of my day as well. He's such a fun guy to be around! Man, if only I could find a strong, playful, protective, smooth-eared boyfriend, I'd be set.

Funky

2010-10-18T12:07:00.000-07:00

This eery, football-sized clump of yellow sponginess is actually a type of fungi. After doing some internet research, I have come to believe that the fungi is called tremella mesenterica. Common names include "yellow brain" and "witches' butter." I have never seen anything like this growing on a tree. Apparently this stuff is edible, but I'm not brave enough to try it. For anyone that knows where I live, you're more than welcome to stop by and saute some in a pan. Hopefully the fungus and the tree can learn to live in unity, because they are both beautiful specimens. I guess time will tell!

Bindi

2010-09-29T23:28:00.000-07:00

A magnet on my refrigerator depicts the image of an Indian woman. I've always wondered what the decoration between the eyebrows was supposed to represent, so I did some research. In some religions, including Hinduism, the spot between the eyebrows is known as the sixth "chakra," and it's said to be the seat of concealed wisdom. Hinduism also states that this chakra is an exit point for energy, so bindis are worn to retain the energy and concentration as well as protect against bad luck. A common misconception is that bindis represent married women. In India, however, a mark of a married woman is a red part in her hair directly above the bindi. In fact, during the wedding ceremony, the groom will apply a red powder called sindoor to his bride's part. In today's world, bindis are more worn for decoration, but it's interesting to learn about their original purpose.

Love

2010-09-29T23:22:00.001-07:00

I posted a picture of the band called Crooked Still a few weeks ago. I saw their show at the MShop. After their show, I was able to meet the lead singer and the fiddle player, and I haven't stopped listening to their CD ever since. It's rare that I find a compilation that I can listen to on repeat from beginning to end, but this album is an exception. I never get sick of the music. Honestly. It may sound cheesy, but bluegrass reminds me of the great outdoors. I grew up listening to Nickel Creek and Chris Thile, and Crooked Still has been a great group to add to the collection. I highly recommend!

Dumbo

2010-09-29T23:14:00.000-07:00

My apartment always has a musty smell to it, so I'm constantly burning incense and lighting candles to make it a bit more pleasant. I bought this incense holder from Grandma's Attic in Ames, and I love the elephants. Apparently ornamental elephants are supposed to be good luck. Also interesting is the fact that the Hindu god of wisdom and success (Ganesha) is depicted by an elephant's head. I recommend Google-image searching "Ganesha;" you'll see some interesting portraits!

2010-09-20T00:11:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts! I've been slacking on my photographic endeavor. It's been a stressful week, but luckily my momma is in town visiting from Florida. She is the most amazing and adorable human being I know, and I'm so glad she's here. Anyways.. I'll post some pics by mid-week for sure.

In the mean time, click here to see some pretty amazing images and absorb the fact that our home is a tiny speck in our universe.

Peace and granola.

Surprise

2010-09-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

I've always wondered what bay leaves were used for in cooking. So, after Larry pulled one out his meal tonight at Beaudelaire, I decided to do some research. According to the Spice Trade marketplace, "Bay leaf (plural bay leaves) refers to the aromatic leaf of the Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis, Lauraceae). Fresh or dried bay leaves are used in cooking for their distinctive flavor and fragrance. The leaves are often used to flavor soups, stews, braises and pâtés in Mediterranean cuisine. The fresh leaves are very mild and do not develop their full flavor until several weeks after picking and drying."

Apparently, there is also a Pokemon character named Bayleef, and according to Nintendo, the character "has a pale yellow body supported by four legs and a rather long neck and tail. On top of its head is a single large leaf. Its most defining trait is the "necklace" of seven tubular leaves that is located around its neck. Each of these curled up leaves contains inside it a tree shoot. From these leaves wafts a spicy scent that has stimulating properties. It can cheer people up, restore their health, make them more energetic and even heighten their drive for competition." Interesting. I'm going to go ahead and say that finding a bay leaf in your food is good luck and a symbol of health. Yeah, I totally just made that up. But it's more fun that way.

Dessert

2010-09-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

I went to lunch with my good friend, Laurens, and he insisted on getting bloody mary's, a main meal, and dessert. Everything was absolutely delicious! The bloody mary's had the perfect amount of spice and were garnished with pickled vegetables (green beans, asparagus, tomatoes) that had been marinated on-site. The dulce de leche cheesecake was out of this world, and I made myself only eat half. Later in the day, I had the other half for dinner. I feel like one of my favorite hobbies is having a good meal with good friends. Nothing beats delicious food and good conversation. A lot of my posts have something to do with food, and I think it's because I really, really enjoy eating. On a slight tangent, once I finish the book I'm reading, I want to start working on Anthony Bourdain's books. I hear they're awesome.

2010-09-14T08:07:00.000-07:00

Every time I leave my apartment, I walk by these plants. I never really stopped to notice them before, but ever since fall time hit, they've got a really cool design on the leaves. They almost look like butterflies. Butterfly leaves! Yayyy

Pickin'

2010-09-14T07:33:00.000-07:00

I didn't have full intentions of going to this show, but I'm certainly glad I did. Crooked Still put on one of the best shows I've ever seen at the MShop. Not only was their music absolutely wonderful, they were such a nice group of people. All of the musicians have gone through extensive schooling (a lot of them have masters degrees, and I know for a fact that the banjo player received his phD from MIT), but at the same time, they realized that music is what they wanted to be doing in life. I look up to their decision to take the road less traveled. Not to get all philosophical, but I'm sure a lot of us can relate to wanting to pursue our dreams rather than our degrees. Make sure you check out their music-- perfect for fall weather!

HonkHonk

2010-09-08T20:12:00.000-07:00

Lincoln Way was filled with honks coming from drivers who agreed with these protesters. Every Wednesday evening, these fine folks stand along the road outside of Friley and protest our ongoing war(s). If I'm lucky, they decide to come into Beaudelaire afterward for dinner, and they are quite the charming individuals. We didn't get the whole crew tonight, but Larry did come in and hang out for a bit. I've seen these guys stand outside in 110 degree heat and in rainy weather, and I admire their tenacity and anti-war messages.

Glider

2010-09-08T20:07:00.000-07:00

This little guy belongs to my friend, Marco, and his name is Rosco. He didn't seem to like his picture taken, and maybe it had to do with the flash. Roscoe is a nocturnal, flying squirrel. The thing was absolutely adorable and soft, but I never did get a good look at him. He seemed to like burying into Marco's pocket more than anything. On another note, I think it's time for a new camera. Almost every picture I take ends up blurry. I've been saving up loose change for a couple months and think I might have enough to cash in for a sweet new picture-taker.

MIA

2010-09-06T20:47:00.000-07:00

This brave action hero became a great friend of both Angie and myself. In fact, Angie rescued her after finding her underneath Table 8. The last week, however, has been filled with sadness-- she hasn't been hanging out in her usual Tip Jar! The presence of this womanly hero hanging out in our plastic cups always made me feel better about my day. What happened to her? Did she attempt to make this overwhelming swim again and end up, dare I say, drowning? Did she dive back into the ketchup bottle and not find her way back out? Did Claud-dawg through her away?! If anyone has any information about the whereabouts of this woman, please contact me. She's about three inches tall, and she's wearing long gloves and a white helmet.

MmmmHealth

2010-09-06T20:42:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to save money, I tried desperately for the past couple months to live off of food from Beaudelaire. It worked out really well!!!... until I started to feel sickly all the time. I'm guessing that my diet of "Brazilian" fries, jalapeno poppers, ice cream, and Andes mints wasn't providing me with all of my essential nutrients (ya think?!). At the grocery store today, I bought mostly raw foods and have decided to start a detox for the next week or so. This delicious salad was made of zucchini, avocado, red bell peppers, mushrooms, and black olives. I drizzled it with dill and some wasabi paste, which added a nice kick. After eating this, I already started to feel better.

Teeth

2010-09-06T20:39:00.001-07:00

I finally received some more information from the Peace Corps! I need to complete a dental checkup within the next couple weeks and have any work done that needs to be done. I'm terrified of the dentist. Getting a cavity filled is one of the worst feelings in the world. The last dentist I went to had panels over the lights of clouds and blue skies, and as I lay in the chair and had a drill going into my tooth, I wondered if these fake clouds were supposed to be relaxing. Because they weren't. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly!

Sweet

2010-09-06T20:32:00.001-07:00

I was having a pretty down day until a couple of fine ladies showed up at Beaudelaire with a box of cupcakes! We have some pretty awesome regulars that come into the restaurant, and Sarah and Nikki are no exception. They are two of the sweetest girls you will ever meet, and I'm always overjoyed to see their smiling faces! These delectable treats consisted of red velvet with cream cheese frosting (my favorite), chocolate "infused", and chocolate with white frosting. I ate one and was going to take home another to have later, but I ended up eating the second one within ten minutes. They were delicious! It's the little things in life that really make me smile, and this kind action was no exception! Thanks, ladies!

EllaElla

2010-09-01T13:36:00.000-07:00

This is the second night that I've stayed at Beaudelaire after getting off work and have dreadfully watched as water crept its way under our door. Tonight was the first time it had rained since the flood. Looking around the room, it seemed as though everyone was crossing their fingers and sitting on the edge of their seat when it began to downpour. And rightfully so. I tried to get a snapshot of the rain pelting down on Lincoln Way, and this fine gentleman walked by at the perfect moment. He apologized for "ruining" my picture, but in fact, he ended up making it a great photograph. So, a big "Thank You" to the man who walked by me last night.

Frustration

2010-09-01T13:27:00.000-07:00

I'm getting really annoyed with the number of times I've had to replace my back tube in the past month. It's not like I'm doing a lot of "off-roading," but I can't seem to be careful enough to keep my back tube intact for more than a couple weeks. Not only is it a pain to have to spend five dollars to replace it, but it's an even bigger pain to take off the back wheel and get the tube in the wheel properly. You have to have some serious muscle to wrestle the tire back on the rim. Good thing my biceps are massive (..right). Unfortunately, my mini-van is out of commission as well. After spending over five-hundred dollars to get it "fixed," my lovely mechanic told me that he couldn't figure out what was wrong with it. I'm just going to leave it parked in my lot and hope that time will heal. Hahaha. A girl can hope!

Yummmmmm

2010-08-29T17:34:00.000-07:00

I picked up these little guys from the local co-op, and man where they delicious! So tasty, in fact, that I ate all five of them in one day (two of them were already full digested during this photo). These precious gems were itty-bitty, but full of flavor. Honestly, I can really tell the difference when I buy organic fruits and vegetables. They aren't of monstrous and monotonous size like the GMOs at most grocery stores; they all look unique and as if they were picked right outside (they probably were). Buy local, buy organic! :)

Empty

2010-08-29T17:27:00.000-07:00

Today was the first time in a long time that I've ridden my bike over these tracks while they've been empty. It seems like every time I take my usual route to the Main Street area of Ames, there is a loud locomotive frantically chugging along to its next location. The bridge felt strange without the rumbling sound below, but it turned out to be a pretty good photo op. Another beautiful day in Ames; if only my allergies would leave me alone! On this particular ride, I stopped at Wheatsfield and picked up some butterbur extract. Fun fact for the day: Butterbur was used by Native Americans to reduce inflammation and relieve headaches. The plant root has also been found to reduce the symptoms of hay fever without causing drowsiness. I've been taking antihistamines to help with my itchy and watery eyes and constant sneezes, but I can't stand the numbing side effects. I'm hoping this all-natural remedy will help me!!!! Plus, it was expensive. So it better work.

Jam

2010-08-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

While serving green tea at work I met these wonderful people. Every now and again, a musical group will wander into the Cafe while waiting to play at the Ames Progressive. These folks immediately warmed up to me, and I had a great conversation with all of them. Currently, they are heading west on their tour. One of the guys, Jeremy, had just returned from a trip to Africa and gave me some amazing photographs that he had taken. Jeremy is funding his musical endeavors by selling photographs-- he's wonderfully talented in both visual and musical art. Once I got off work, I was able to watch Dum Spiro Spero perform live, and they did not disappoint. Their sound was a folk/bluegrass/rock infusion, and even though I wasn't wearing my dancing shoes, I couldn't help but stand and get my groove on. Live music is quite the treat, and it seems like it always puts everyone in a good mood.