A thought

This blog holds many purposes and right now it is simply to savor this quote... so heres to all you storytellers out there!

People

A college professor once told me that "the places we go or the places we live don't matter as much as the people, the people make the experience." At first I was confused but once I figured it out, it made complete sense. It's the people that you make the memories with, the people you spend your time with and the people who's company you enjoy most. Yes I love places and they leave impressions on my heart...but I have no desire to go back to Lynchburg and spend 4 more years going to class and taking exams but I would love nothing more then to be surrounded by those people for another 4 years....its why when I go back to visit something is always missing, the people. Also when I think about home yeah I miss the place but I really miss the people....and I would never consider spending another moment in Wall Drug, South Dakota but if it meant being with Lauren and Gav for a bit, then sure why the hell not, again the people.

So today I was thinking a lot about my people here, how they greet me, how they make me feel and how I want more of them...I can now understand all the pre- cautious and anxiety I had in my first few months here...I didn't have people, almost the exact same feelings I had my first semester of college. I just needed people, but don't we all? We were created for community, and how sweet is it when we find it.

And I've found it. People are all around me and I want you to meet all of them but today I will tell you about one lady who I have been spending lots of time with recently-

Mrs. Julia is 52 years old. She has lived on the same street her whole life. She is married to Mr. Salvador. Together they have 5 kids- Myain who is 36 with a precious 5 year old, Carlos who is 32, Ceasar who is 29, David who is 25 who has a 1 year daughter and Julio who is 15. All but David live in the same house, there is not an open bed. David and his girlfriend Carol live in a house next door along with their daughter Pauli and Carol's 2 nieces. In the other house on the property is an Uncle and his wife, there is also a chapel on the property and we are building another house for Ceasar next month.

On the property Mrs. Julia has 6 dogs, 3 cows, 3 pigs, a parrot, a horse, a goat, ducks and chickens. Mrs. Julia runs the house, everyone calls her Momma and every listens to her. She is almost always in the kitchen cooking... on average 13 people eat lunch there each day and when I would like I am included, usually a big pot of stew, pasta or rice with really delicious pork.

Mrs. Julia and I set on her porch often and talk about cooking, she teaches me how to cook Paraguayan dishes and I teach her about American food. I sometimes help her feed the pigs, dogs, parrot and goat in the evenings. She never stops. She is a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a daughter, a sister, a friend and a rock star! I am very thankful for her. She and her family are the type of people I think about when I think about why I like this place...when I'm not at her house, I'm usually thinking about going. I want to be around them all the time. There is energy, people, laugher and I am included in that always.

So who are your people? Are they giving you energy? Are you living in a community? If your not I would encourage you to seek that out. I can defiantly say my life is enriched by the people I place around me...both in America and in precious Paraguay.

This is Mrs. Julia and her family. From the left-
Mr. Salvador, Carol, Mrs. Julia, David, Ceasar, Carlos, Julio, Myrian, Pauli ( baby)
Missing a few but still a great family picture! 

For the fun of it- A picture of Lauren, Gav and I in Wall Drug, South Dakota...
or the middle of no where of the west, fun times had by all! 

Bebé'e

In Guarani when something is tiny you put an "e" at the end of it... and last week I got to help welcome a little tiny new born or bebe'e in spanish/ guarani or BABY in english into the world! He is precious and so stinking cute... I find myself starring at him often.

Being a health volunteer in rural Paraguay has been such an experience thus far and up until last week I had thankfully not experienced a Paraguayan hospital. Well when my friend went into labor last week I went along with her to the hospital. There are many factors in this story that would blow your mind in the health care world...but I would be writing a book so I will do my best sum up.

We take a taxi to the hospital, barely anyone has cars. We get the the hospital which is also accompanied by a few straw cats, shocking. There is no check in, no beep in, no locked doors, no separate rooms, just open rooms of beds with people and a tiny hallway for labor and delivery. "OK I think to myself, I'm not in America thats for sure." My friend goes back and her mom and I wait, and wait and wait some more. She is told she is not ready and to walk around to induce labor ( mind you this is what I gather, keep in mind that they are speaking a mix of Guarani and Spanish and there is a huge language barrier) So we wait some more...

Then we are informed there is no doctor and no bed for her and we have to transfer hospitals... in an ambulance. So we go... its a nice ambulance...miniature as most things are here. But the new hospital was far from miniature...it was MASSIVE, like biggest building I've ever seen in Paraguay. At this point she is ready, it is 10pm and we are in for the long haul. We hop on an elevator, only the second one I've been on in Paraguay....get to the a labor delivery center...my friend goes back and we wait. The nurse brings out a list of medicine she needs and we go to the closest pharmacy to buy it, then we return and wait some more.

Between the first 5 hours of waiting I am thinking...hmm poor girl she is in labor for so long....I wonder when we will get to go back there for the delivery...because after all...when I go into labor you better believe I will have some family member, husband, sister or mom holding my hands...she must want that too, so I ask.  I am informed that no one is aloud in the room until 4.5 hours after the birth, but why? "THATS CRAZY" I think, am I translating this right in my head? Yes I was. So around 3am a nurse informs us of the birth of a baby boy, 3 kilos...but nothing else, no time...no nothing.

So I try and sleep, along with everyone else camping out, but I can't. It is cold, smelly, dirty and I start to internal freak out. 1. for my friend who just delivered her first baby and cannot have her husband or mother by her side. 2. because I am in a foreign hospital un able to fully understand what all is happening and feel completely alone.

That all passes, since no one else seems to be freaking out I calm down...leave in search of some type of food that might make me feel better. Naturally I find chipa and empanadas, because really what other food can you find at 6am ( which is the time by now...still have not seen baby). We eat, talk...I practice my Guarani....walk up and down the 7 flights of steps to keep my body warm and finally at 10am I am welcomed back to meet the baby, but only for 15 minutes. He is wonderful, my friend is wonderful and there are lots of smiles!

Overall it was a wild 20 hours or so in hospitals, I was shocked. But then humbled. These people work with what they have and yes to us their health care system and structures seem outdated and ineffective but its what they have and they make it work. I will say that I was thankful to be apart of such an experience but wish never to find myself in a hospital in Paraguay. I am enjoying being back at my house and holding little Eder Enrique when ever I please!

my first glimpse!

Fun fact- I gave him that outfit! Now we call him Monkey'e 

Waiting all day for him to come! 

Im an Aunt!!! 

6 Months!

Just as quickly as the 6 month marker came last week and has quickly passed and I am well on my way to 7 months in country! As I reflect on these first 6 months I have a lot of thoughts... In the Peace Corps world 6 months is nothing...a little sliver of time and I guess its that way with life. Although I did give myself a big pat on the back and made myself a big bowl of popcorn to celebrate! It is still very exciting and note worthy. I still have a ways to go and haven't really started projects, just laying ground work....but I have been here for 6 months and not in America and that is exciting!

I have been keeping a list of things I've been without for 6 months that to you my audience stateside might cringe to think of going without for 6 months....but for me it has become completely natural, and have sort of forgotten what life was like before..


1. hot running water that is shock free, consistent and flowing from all faucets in my house

on the city bus, what I have traded my car for! 

2. a microwave
3. driving and using a car as a main form of transportation
4. a washing machine
5. a dryer ( crucial for winter months like now)
6. central heating or let alone any kind of heating system
7. air conditioning

My washing machine and dryer 

8. a t.v

9. the ability to run to the store in less then 2 hours to get cheese or toilet paper
10.control over the amount of dirt on my body and everywhere around me






But with that I have had 6 months of greater things in return that I could never begin to list out....an attempt would be that I am more relaxed here without all of those things above, I am developing a deep passion for cooking, baking and all things domestic.

Meet Valentina, her laugh is contagious and she is beautiful!

     





I am finally in a place where I rely on public transit and not worry about a car, I am developing a greater passion for doing the little things we let machines do everyday in America. Also the friends, people, kids and family I have made here are constantly touching my heart and have made these 6 months beautiful....

the beautiful red dirt that is own or in everything I own

I am dirty most of the time and right now cold and wish nothing more to stick it out and welcome in this time because it is all about of this experience, because at the end of the day I am doing what I want to do and I am happy and all of those things will be at home after this.





So here is to another 6 months hopefully a little warmer, wiser and wilder! Viva Paraguay!  

Reconnect and a 50th Birthday party!

Peace Corps requires different training sessions through out a volunteers service. When I first arrived in country I was in pre-service training for 2 months... or prison...either way I got out of it alive and doing just fine now! For any future PCV's be warned that training will spin your head in every direction, preserver because service is a.b.s.o.l.u.t.e.l.y nothing like training! And thank the Lord for that truth! 

During one of out training sessions, as you can
see I needed to have my mate close by to keep my eyes open! 

So after 3 months in service/ site we had a training reconnect or also known as an in- service training. So last week I traveled back to my first host families house where I lived during training. I had language class and technical sessions all week. We had class Monday- Friday and it was exhausting, but rejuvenating at the same time if thats possible. I love my language professors and had a very successful time practicing my spanish more and actually being able to speak to them. During pre service training I could barely communicate in spanish...so it was fun going back and talking their ear off! We had some debriefing and reflection time on that last 3 months which was very helpful. We had some technical sessions on how to build fogones, how to request money for a grant and write a proposal, trash management in PY and a session on nutrition. It was a nice time and we all felt recharged and ready to start projects! It was weird being back in the class room setting but with some mate, coffee and snack breaks it was doable! We will have out next training in October on a more specific project. 

This is at my house host families house for the Friendship
party with some of my volunteer friends!

On Tuesday of last week it was Dia de Amistad or Friendship Day in Paraguay... so we celebrated! During the day in class we made a fruit salad and I made a squash cake ( thought it was pumpkin, common mistake in PY....but still delicious) and there was not a piece left. Friendship day is very big here in Paraguay... I had no idea but my host family has a big party every year for it. So after class I went home to find my host dad grilling, people cooking sopa paraguay, beer being delivered and massive speakers being set up and then we celebrated....again. It was really fun and I have come to love Paraguayan fiestas! It amazes me how everything comes together and how much fun I have!  

Me with my host mom( the Birthday girl) and the desert table! 

This is a long post- and its about to get longer! Be warned, but I will try and use pictures... they tell the story better anyways! Training ended on Friday but I stayed at my host families because..... Saturday was my host moms 50th birthday and we were having...yes another party! The party never stops in Paraguay! Or at least at my host families house! I told my host mom at the end of the weekend "when ever I need a party or a good meal I'll just come back here" She smile and agreed!

The preparation started Friday night we pealed 30 kilos of mandioca and started making jello and cake! Saturday morning we woke up and worked all the way up till the party.. tables and chairs were delivered with plates, knives, forks and glasses as well... then wine 

and beer arrived. We had 4 grills cooking pork and 

other meats, we made 13 pans of sopa paraguay   

( basically cornbread) people were 

everywhere helping.. cleaning and 

setting up, it was a mad house 

and I loved every minute of it. 

My whole host family

Later the DJ arrived and set up as well as the band... yes we had a DJ and band.. and in-between all of that we had a massive lunch with a chicken that we killed that morning, and a fish stew..everyone helping.. it was amazing!

My host mom with her 3 daughters! 

Then around 8 the guest arrived.. all 150 of them. It got cold, like really cold but we kept going like it was nothing..Paraguayans are tough! We served food by the plate, soda by the bottle and beer by the liter and then danced....till late or till I wasn't cold anymore... and it was so much fun! One of the high lights of my time in Paraguay! 

Dancing the night away! 

The next morning more people arrived to clean up the party.. we cleaned had some more drinks then made another lunch, I ate so much but was so happy. Paraguayans really know how to celebrate and I was so happy to be apart of that celebration! 

Me with my 2 cousin and my 2 host sisters 

I feel home.

Maybe its the contrast of the lush green trees with the thick red dirt roads or the wind in my hair or maybe the fact that I am forgetting what my life was like before Paraguay and fully engaging in my life here but I feel wonderful and happy and at home. Paraguay is becoming my home. I think I had been scared to say that and think that but mostly scared to feel that. Sure I've traveled and I even "lived" in Lynchburg for 4 years during college but always knew home was a townhouse off of College Parkway. But now I am making my home here many miles away from little Arnold Maryland. Yeah, maybe its only two years and I'll make it back to Maryland eventually. But right now I am living in Paraguay and how could I ever settle here and really enjoy myself if I couldn't make this place a home and really feel that. I think that when you plant a garden, invest in a community, declare a futbol team, have a pet cat or 4 and walk down the street calling everyone by name you can call that place your home.

I've done all those things and in the process have made my home here in Paraguay. This is my space for 2 years. I am working, living and growing in this space and happy to call it my home. My first few months here I felt like I was in outer space, farthest from any feelings of home or even comfort. I was a stranger to these streets and an alien to these people. But by the wisest words I've ever claimed to be true "it just takes time." And the time took and now this streets are familiar and these people are my family...and I have developed all shorts of new comfortable levels.

These are just some thoughts I had one my way back to my house today. I was gone for the past week at a training event and it was on the drive back to my house that I realized how at home I feel and how right my life is right now. I also had an incredible week at my host families house, there is much more to be blogged from that. For now I am safely tucked into my house enjoying the calmness that can only come from a full heart a quiet evening and a tired body.

More to come later but check out this photo from my host mom's 50th birthday party last night, probably one of my favorite nights in Paraguay thus far-

My two host sisters, my host mom and myself