Where to start, it has only been 11 days, but each one is so packed with its own amount of craziness and odd happenings. For one thing, before we even arrived in Nicaragua we ran into our fair share of problems. We had to wake up at the god awful hour of 2 in the morning to catch our flight from DC to Miami. Well, we did wake up and got to the airport before it even opened. We ended up waiting 3 hours to catch our 630 flight. To make matters even worse, we were all pumped to be meeting the new Peace Corps director, Aaron Williams, but instead we were treated with a 4 hour delay at the Miami airport. So finally we touched down in Managua about 5 hours behind schedule, but we were met by the country director and a sworm of current volunteers. It felt like I was being welcomed into a brotherhood where we all care and look out for each other. We were shuttled out to our compound, but without one vital detail... our luggage.
What trip is complete without a dose of trouble. Not only were we stuck in an airport for hours, but the airline lost our luggage. I immediately had flashbacks to Barcelona, but we were all in high spirits and didnt seem to matter.
For the next few days we were locked down in a compound outside of Managua. It was a smooth tranisition and we were put through our share of government hoops. We were tested in our Spanish, given shots, interviewed, filled out paperwork, sat through lectures, and did group activities. It however was not without its rewards, we eventually did get to meet Aaron Williams and it was an hour. He was very nice and supportive towards the Peace Corps. He promised that President Obama was aware of our service and commitment and that we were doing something great for the country. I was proud to be in his company and it helped me feel more secure of what I was embarking on.
I know that I am skipping over many crucial parts, but I have already written several emails and in my journal and it is difficult to keep repeating all that is happening. Even harder is that I am doing so much in each day I cant keep track of it.
One thing I wont forget was leaving the compound on Friday. The environment group all left in a small caravan of 3 Range Rovers. We were cruising south towards Masatepe and dropping off other volunteers along the way. The simple task that was supposed to take about 2 hours quickly turned into an all day ordeal and I finally got to my town around 8pm. I was nervous to meet my family, but right as I stepped out of the truck my mom was outside to greet me. -she was very warm and friendly and I got to meet my new 6year old brother, Andres, my older sister Hilda and my little puppy Nena. My house is right on the corner near the entrance to town and my other sister has a clothing shop right in our front room. Another interesting fact is that Hilda is a teacher at the high school but also works at the bakery across the street with her brother Gonzalo.
So my normal schedule during the week is that I wake up around 6 and meet up with my two other trainees to go for a morning run. We have time to shower and get ready for our 8 oclock class at one of their houses and we are there each day until noon. I have an hour to eat lunch back at my familys house and then I head back to either the school or around town for technical training from 1 to 3. It is a busy day and current volunteers say that training is the most difficult part of their service. I definitely feel stressed trying to assimilate to the culture here and meanwhile trying to organize a youth group, build a garden, teach a class, and improve my Spanish.
Some fun things that I have already done here is that I went to the circus with my family on Tuesday night. It was exciting because it was a big attraction for the circus to come to town and i have never been to one before. The tent was packed with a large line waiting outside. Somehow we were able to force our way inside and not only avoid being cramped with everyone else, but be able to sit in the inner circle for the show. The only problem was the circus was kind of sad. It was pretty boring with some lame clowns, sad looking animals, and a boring host. It was big for its experience, but I know I wouldnt go again.
What else? I joined a gym and I am going each evening with my cousin down the street. It really isnt much of gym but it is cheap, about 2 dollars a week. Imagine someones front room stripped of all the furniture and some old rusty weights put in its place. Now, imagine the walls painted crazy neon colors with some poorly drawn pictures to boot. Okay, to compliment all that there are holes in the wall where weights were obviously thrown and the tiled floors are broken from dropped weights. It really is a funny setting but a great way to meet new people. Also I am determined to not put on weight like most volunteers do.
Now I know that this is getting long, but there has been so much happening here in my life. I will try and update this a little more frequently so they are not this drawn out but who knwos how much I will be able to get to a computer. I hope all is well in the states and I know these next two years will fly by.
As I have now gone through the process I would recommend observing the packing limit. I definitely had the most stuff out of the guys and a lot of it isnt necessary. All you really need are about a week or two worth of clothes and a flashlight. I am glad I have most of my things, but you really can get whatever you want here in Nicaragua. As for traveling around the country, it is going to take a while and isnt what I imagined. The Peace Corps especially during training is a lot of work and I doubt I will be going anywhere anytime soon.
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