LFP and week 6

Hello! What a week its been. An easy way to put the PC life is the days go slow but the weeks and months go fast. I had a hard time understanding this until now. I am approaching 2 months in country and I really cannot believe how fast it is going. This week especially, where do I begin... 

Saturday we had a little fiesta with our families and it was really fun. We are starting to enter into the winter season and its been getting chilly here. Saturday night was a chilly night, I was unprepared.. Non the less we had a good time. Sunday was a funny day. I guess you can say we celebrated St. Patricks day... On Sundays the Paraguayans start their party early. My family had a bunch of family over and we eat lots of food, had some beers and danced all day. I am starting to really communicate with my family and starting to really feel a home being built here. Sunday was a family day and I had such a great time! I am looking forward to this Sunday! 

This week I went on my Long Field Practice (LFP) another requirement for PC trainees. I went with 5 other trainees and my professor to visit another Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV). We went to the department of Misiones and stayed in a small community called San Pablo. It was a very beautiful place, lost of trees and mountains. I stayed with a new host family and they were so sweet and welcoming. They didn’t have much but had a lot of love! It was defiantly a humbling experience staying with them and seeing another way people live in this country. They only had 4 lights in the house, a dirt floor, running water outside only with an roofless outdoor latrine. It was a whole new experience for me. I shared a room with a 17 year old girl, frogs, spiders and lots of other bugs. I embraced it and learned a lot, I was thankful to experience what I did and learned a lot. Who knows...my future site could be very similar ( check out photo below of my house).Each family, community and house is different here you never know what you will have or wont have. 

Some of the trainees with our PCV, Spencer. Check out the beautiful landscape in the background! 

We spent the week working in the school and health post. We taught about nutrition and  communication. We also cooked with families and dug a compost pile. It was a good week, we worked a lot and got to hang out with a PCV, Spencer who was awesome! It was great to hear from her and learn about her personal experiences as a PCV. She was a great host and cook! She has her own house and we hung out there a lot, I hope to have a house similar when I am a PCV. 

This is the house I stayed in this past week, reminded me of the secret garden! 

On our ride home we stopped at another PCV site and had a big cook out for lunch and it was delicious. We also stopped in other towns to do some shopping. I love seeing other places in Paraguay, they are so beautiful and unique!! When I got home I was so happy to see my family, my host mom made a big and delicious dinner. I love my family here, they are wonderful and keep getting better! 

Right now I am really enjoying myself and have adjusted really well. I am getting nervous  for my future site. It is scary to think that in 4 weeks I will be an official PCV and moving to my future site for 2 years. AHH! Scary! I have no clue what kind of site I will get. We have 1 more interview with our placement coordinators ( who are amazing!) to discuss site placements... we receive our placements on April 3th.. the BIG reveal! I will keep you updated! As for now we have some more training and technical exams next week. This weekend I get to skype with my sister while she try’s on wedding dresses, technology is crazy! I can’t wait to see everyone!! Next week is Holy Week/ Easter here and well all over. Its a big big deal for Paraguay and we will be cooking all week, starting with the slaying of our pet pig...how exciting!!!! 

High Lights of the Week:

• Learning and speaking more Spanish by the day! 
• Spencer made cinnamon rolls for use this past week and they were THE BOMB 
• Bought my first Paraguayan craft and now have my own beautiful side purse. The perfect size for change and my phone! 
• In PY you can buy mixed cd’s with 175+ songs on them and one of my paraguayn friends just bought 7 so now I have lots of new Paraguayan tunes!! ( I love the music here!) 
• The mornings are beautiful here and I am now enjoying my coffee and it makes my mornings that much better! I say this now, but I really don’t mind the rooster wake up call! 
• Falling in love with this land 
• My mom made chicken with Old Bay last night and it was a little taste of heaven! 
• Also we had fresh pine apple juice last night and it was divine! 
• This weekend we turn our clocks back witch makes us be on the same time zone as all of you East Coasters!! Should make life a lit easier with phone calls!!! Ring Ring! 
• I am starting to train for a half marathon for May! 

Chau, 

Te Amo!