I Have a House!

Last week I went on my future site visit. I was super nervous, it was scary and overwhelming as expected. I cried the first few days, I have learned that with any change and transition in my life I will at some point cry! Any ways... my set up is pretty spectacular! I don’t know where to begin with my amenities, there are so many! I am following up other volunteers so I was left with most everything I would need, including a fully stocked kitchen. Which if you’ve ever lived in Paraguay, you know how special that is! Here is a list of what I will be living with for the next 2 years- 

• I have a 2 bedroom house with an indoor bathroom and huge kitchen! 
• In my lovely modern bathroom.... I have HOT water! Talk about fancy! 
• I am being left with a real mattress (x2) and bed frame! 
• I have a refrigerator, electric oven and 2 hot plates..To make cooking so much easier! 
• I also have a blender!! Perfect for smoothies from all my fruit trees...
• In my yard alone I have a banana, avocado, palmello (Paraguayan grape fruit) , lime, mango, clementine and guava fruit trees! Its a serious fruit paradise! 
• My house has a front patio, where I plan to spend 90% of my time, it over looks some beautiful palm trees and my future garden! 
• I will also have 2 house mates, my cats! Yes I may be turning into a cat lady, but I couldn’t say no, they will provide so much company! ( Molly I know you understand!!) 
• I have space for a garden and lots of trees to hang my hammock
• A bus passes by my house every 30 minutes so I have easy access to nearby cities
• I am 20 minutes from a medium size city and 1hour from Asuncion, the capital city! 
• I am renting my house from a family that I share a yard with and they are so sweet, I will be eating some of my meals with them. They also are there for any needs I might have or questions, I will be very safe there!! 

All of this might sound pretty standard to your living conditions but for a peace corps volunteer in Paraguay this is rare and very special! I am excited to make this house a home and have plenty of space for all you visitors itching to travel! You can have your very own bed room!! So come on down we can sit on my patio and drink fresh juice!!!! Check out the pictures below! 

I will not be living in the community I am working in, it is about a 10 minute walk from my house. At first this was a weird concept and I didn’t like it, but my community isn’t safe for me to live in, so I am totally content with my own house!  The school I will be working in is huge and beautiful! That is also a 10 minute walk in the other direction. I have 3 very large super markets in my closest city, where I will do my grocery shopping. I am again lucky because I can find a lot of american food there and will be able to cook some really great things. I am still thinking about what my first dinner will be in my house... any suggestions? I really just want some mac and cheese! 

So thats my house/ site info. I swear in as a volunteer on Thursday! I am going out in Asuncion Thursday night with my training group to celebrate! Then Friday I travel and “move into” my house!! These next 4 days are going to be so busy! I’ve been trying to fight off a fever the past 2 days so I am trying to rest as much as I can. My host family is having a going away party on Tuesday night with all the trainees and their families, it should be a fun time! Over all everything is great, just overwhelming. The mosquitos are getting really bad and its getting colder, which is a weird combination. The mosquitos somehow bit through my clothes.. like when I have jeans on I still get bites all over my legs... no bueno! 

This is the view of the front of my house! 

This is part of my kitchen and one of my future cats! 

This is one view of my yard and my fruit tress! 

Here is a inspiring quote I will leave you with- 

“ We find by losing. We hold fast by letting go. We become something new by ceasing to be something old...Out of each old self that dies some precious essence is preserved for the new self that is born; and within the child- self that is part of us all, there is perhaps nothing more precious then the fathomless capacity to trust.” - Fredrick Buechner