Primera Semana

June 15^th, 2011

Well today is Wednesday and though it has only been 7 days since I left Nebraska it feels like it has been a year. I can’t believe that I have only been here for a week, I think that is because we have done so much stuff in that little amount of time that I can’t believe it has all fit in 7 days. Lets start with Monday. We started our Monday off with a 6:37 wake up call aka my phone, I changed in my room and then opened to the door to breakfast being place on the table by my host mother. Her host daughters were both in their uniforms for school and sitting down to eat. It was interesting to see what they eat for breakfast, which happens to be more carbs! I had pan y queso (bread and cheese) tea (because she thinks I am sick) and yogurt that you drink. It was all very good, and at 7:30 Sabrina my next door neighbor I mentioned in my previous post, came to my door so we could walk to school together. We ventured out and up the hill and after walking about two minutes a car came up slowly to us and stopped, I yelled “No!” to Sabrina until I realize it was Keren and her host mom and dad! So we jumped in and received a ride to school. Classes all day aka 8-5pm, were mostly comprised of what I like to call “Syllabus Day,” or at least that is what they are called in school. Essentially you learn all the rules, what is expected of you and the overlay of your time, and that is definitely what happened :) After school a huge group of us walked back towards our houses together, but Chris, Sabrina, and myself decided to head out on the town to find a bodega for me to buy a water at, and for Sabrina to get some chocolate. We ended up going on a wild goose chase for the chocolate but were finally able to find some, and when we did, we all said our goodbyes and retreated into our homes. (Besides Chris who had a 30 minute walk back to his house!) I tried my best to speak Spanish with my host family again, I would say I already was getting better than the day before, but still far from where I need to be. We had soup for dinner, which was right up my alley and I was so happy to not have any more rice! I also experienced my first shower in my new home, which was probably colder than jumping into a lake in Alaska in January. I don’t know how people shave here, I envy those with the bucket bath (and I can’t believe I just said that). I later retreated to my room and bed time was shortly after.

I woke up on Tuesday morning a little disoriented because I had to take a Nyquil to stop my coughing in the middle of the night. However I managed to pull myself together and prepare for school. For breakfast I had pan con juevos (a spinach and egg patty on bread) with an oatmeal drink. It is a sticky oatmeal, coffee, and water based “liquid” that you drink, the taste is good, the texture is something one will have to adapt to. I also again had tea because I must sound sick ha…Again Sabrina and myself walked to school, meeting up with many others like Katy, Brittany, Amanda, Zack…a lot of people actually…Tuesday was comprised more of splitting into our language classes and splitting into our specific youth development groups. It is interesting to see how close we have all gotten already, it will be sad to leave each other after these ten weeks. We walked home yesterday again in a big group and then Sabrina and I kind of wandered from our neighborhood up to Buenos Aires neighborhood, it was pretty cool. We then went back to our houses, where I sat down and talked with my host family for like 2 hours, there was a point where I stopped thinking in English which was a major accomplishment. In school earlier that day we had received a cookbook made by current/past volunteers, so I started translating that into Spanish so my host mom could read the recipes…I did only the ones I liked J I told my host sisters I would braid their hair whenever they wanted and that if they ever wanted to play volleyball I would be very happy to join!

Today is Wednesday and I feel like this week will never be over, it is weird to think that I won’t be able to sleep in for like 2 years ha,  but such is life. Today we started off the day with four hours of a language class and for my group we got to be outside J Afterwards we again ate lunch and traveled down the road to the bodega we typically visit at lunch time. Afterwards back for more classes and group work, and then a big group of us walked home, but stopped at a bodega to sit and talk seeing as it is hard to really do so at school because it is so jammed packed. Now I am at my house and writing this because I am planning on going to an internet café or asking to use my families internet so I am able to post some updates for everyone, hopefully I can do this otherwise there may be more to come!
Here are some pictures of my new home :)

Habla Espanol?

 June 12th

Habla Espanol?

I have been in Peru now since Friday June 10^th, so approximately 48 hours. We flew into Lima around 10pm, and after going through immigration we sorted through what seemed like millions of bags to get all of our stuff together to head to our retreat center. After loading up on the bus all 52 of us arrived safe and sound at the retreat center about 2 hours outside of Lima. Granted by the time we arrived it was pitch black because it was past midnight. We were told to choose a roommate, I immediately yelled for Amanda Rodgers and then we all headed to our rooms with all of our bags (reminder: we were told we would not have access to our luggage the entire weekend.) After lugging all of our bags to our room, (down two flights of stairs) we opened our massive bottles of water and tried to settle in. A lady came around, after she had heard complaints of hunger from several volunteers, with sandwiches (a piece of cheese between two slices of white bread). Everyone dug in before heading to bed. 

Waking up bright and early on Saturday, to have our first Peruvian meal, which consisted of bread (pan) juice (jugo) and coffee (café), was the perfect time to talk to more of our group members. We all congregated in this huge room after breakfast where we introduced ourselves and then were briefed on safety and security. We then split up between business volunteers and youth volunteers and continued to do ice breaker activities and were given a brief overview “PowerPoint” of our program. We of course then broke out into arts and crafts, because that is what youth volunteers do best.  Everyone joined together again to be introduced to our language trainers, who will be my saving grace! We all headed to lunch where we were served Avocado topped with a mayo topping that consisted of mayo, peas, tomato chunks, and green beans. Following the starter we were served steak, vegetables, and potatoes!

After lunch we moved on to a more free form afternoon, attending a survival Spanish, speaking with the doctor, getting our picture taken, and receiving our first stipend or “walk around allowance.” We had a final “wrap up” activity before we were allowed to separate. Afterwards, a few volunteers (Hallee and Nicole) joined me for what I like to call a “mini-bootcamp” where I wrote down circuits of exercises I used to do at boot camp at home. After 50 minutes, we were covered from head to toe in black, Hallee has a picture and it is ridiculous! We all had to take super quick (ice cold) showers, before heading down to dinner. Dinner consisted of a “chicken noodle” soup to start, a beef/egg/rice dish, and finished with the Peruvian version of flan. After dinner I utilized the Internet they had available to Skype my parents and also check up on some Facebook. I was then invited to play Yhatzee, which I obviously did! I sat around and talked to several of my fellow volunteers before heading to my room to pack and go away. It was a jammed pack day but it was fun and informative.

This morning when I woke up I realized it was my last day being roomies with Amanda, who is amazing by the way. We headed to breakfast of eggs and hotdog chunks, before heading to our final session of the pre-training training. We got to ask current volunteers questions, before we headed back to our rooms to grab all of our stuff. We lugged all our stuff down to the five separate buses that had come to pick us up to take us to where we will be staying for the next three months, which is with host families from the community. This is also when we had to say goodbye to the business volunteers, who we are separated from, it was muy triste (very sad!).

            I was extremely nervous to meet my host family. Not speaking much Spanish at all is a little bit nerve racking especially when you are moving into a family that speaks almost no English. I met my mom Betrice, and found I would be staying next to another volunteer, my friend, Sabrina. We both lugged our bags with our host mothers to a taxi and headed to our homes. I arrived to my host family’shouse, which is on the side of a mountain, and as I walked in, I was blown away. Their home is beautiful, and very nice! I was greeted by Beatrice’s three daughters (all of whose name start with a K.), and we talked for two hours before eating lunch. (When I say talked I use that term loosely, I stumbled over words and tried not to confuse my host mother and her daughters, while they politely listened to me butcher their language.)

For lunch we had chicken with rice and vegetables, and afterwards Sabrina (my friend and current next door neighbor) came over with her host mother who offered us to join along for a shopping trip they were about to embark on, so we did! We took our first rid in a bus, which is like a little bus/van/car thing. We went to the market where we purchased beans and then headed to the center of city and were told to wait by a fountain while the mothers were in the chicken shop. Little did we know a moto-taxi was going to pull up with dead gutted pig inside, and park right in front of us, (see picture below). We sat and waited patiently for our host mothers, I was given a bag of chicken, which did have some blood on the handles, which I have a feeling I will have to get used to, we lugged the bags to the corner, and Sabrina’s host mother ended up heading back to her house, leaving Sabrina, my host mom, and myself to walk to the city center. In the city center on Sundays (domingos) there is a huge market (Mercado) with food carts, crafts, and pastries. We purchased a huge peace of cake with flavored leche layers, and we shared it while sitting in the grass in the park. We ventured to another market after that, which seems to be a lot like a smaller Wal-Mart, my host mom explained what different fruits and vegetables were there, before we finally took a taxi back to our home. I just finished unpacking, and took some pictures of my new home. I am so happy with my host family placement, they are so kind and understanding of my lack of Spanish knowledge, but also have provided me with a wonderful place to call home for the next few months.

I hope you enjoyed the update, pictures, and I hope that the pig picture offended no one!

 Life in Peru is different, but I will be learning poco a poco (little by little).

Staging

I arrived in DC on Wednesday night and was transported to the hotel. It was relieving to finally arrive and I was given a room key to room 349, and I was told I would be sharing with Tina, who was a member of our facebook Peru 17 group. I unloaded all my stuff in the room, and saw that my roommate’s stuff was already there, but she was not. I went down to the lobby again, and saw other random people sitting in the lobby, I immediately assumed they were Peace Corps volunteers, and so I initiated conversation, and was warmly welcomed! It was then where the fun began, Keren, Zach, and I decided to go to dinner and as we walked out of the hotel I noticed a cab pulling up, I was 99% sure it was Amanda, who was also a member of our Facebook group. So I proceeded to yell through the cab window, “Are you Amanda?” she seemed shocked yet relieved to be greeted by a fellow Peace Corps volunteer. She ended up joining us on our excursion for food at Café Roma in Georgetown. 

After stuffing our faces we returned to the hotel and proceeded to get to know each other, and the new volunteers that had arrived. After a long and emotional day it was nice to be greeted by such amazing people, who were in the same situation as me. I returned to my room, which was still empty of any roommate. I left Tina a little note, and hopped into bed, preparing for our staging the next day. Tina snuck in the room around sunrise, and immediately was asleep! I woke up a little later around 8:30, and as I walked to the bathroom to brush my teeth, Tina sat up and said, “KATHERINE!!” and jumped out of bed all cheery and gave me a big hug. It was the perfect start to the day. 

We talked about our lives prior to the Peace Corp, and talked about how excited we were both in the youth special education program. We were joined by Zach and Amanda, who were ready to wander and find breakfast, little did we know that we would be joined by another 6 volunteers, with whom we ended up eating breakfast with. After we returned to the hotel, everyone got ready; I put one of my many dresses on for our staging event and headed down with some of my new friends to registration, which was actually a very quick process. So quick when I walked into the icebreakers room I had over an hour of time to kill. I immediately found my Facebook buddy Chris and joined his table. 

This was the beginning of our staging; I got to know almost everyone in our group, even if it was just a first name. Everyone was so open and willing to talk, seeing as we were all in the same position, so no need to be shy. It was a long day of classes, and activities, but as it ended at 7, I felt more prepared for our departure the next day. A few of us (Chris, Amanda, Zack, Lucas, Sabrina, Kimberly, Mary Kate, Tina, and myself.) All ventured out into Georgetown to find some food, we walked forever, almost 30 minutes, to M street where we found a French bistro, where we racked up a 600 dollar bill! After dinner most of us proceeded to the bar down the street to watch the Heat vs. Mavs game, and celebrate our last night in America right! Dancing, German Soldiers, Bleeding fingers, and creepy old men with phone clips on their belts, we headed back to the hotel around 2am. It was so much fun and a great way to spend our last night! 

Upon return Tina and I finished packing, and devised a plan for our morning coffee and check out, and scheduled a wake up call. OF course when the wake up call arrived, both of us were a little sluggish and decided coffee would be better at the airport, we packed up our final things, and proceeded to check out and get ready for all of us to go to the airport! All 52 of us volunteers loaded up on the buses provided for us, headed to the airport! I checked my bags, weighing in at 40 and 50 exactly, and headed to the gate. All the volunteers grabbed some food and prepared for our first flight to Miami. 

The flight was fun, and we were able to talk to each other, however we did arrive in Miami late, 3:45…our flight started boarding at 3:30. So an announcement over the intercom on the plane was made, “For those of the 52 of you headed to Lima on American Airlines flight, they are holding the plane for you!” Ha, we all proceeded to head to our next gate, where we boarded the plane, and where I am as I type this. Take off was a little crazy a few of us were like, holy crap say good-bye to the US. But this is an exciting journey, that I am glad to have such wonderful people to share it with. I have a feeling this is going to be a life changing experience, and I know I will be making friends that will last a lifetime. My next post will be made from Peru, where I will be living for the next two years (ahhhh crazy) and I can’t wait to keep all of you followers updated!!

Departure Day

The last few weeks have flown by, full of “to-do” lists, parties, and goodbyes. Though it felt like it was never going to arrive, the day has finally come, departure day. Last night I said goodbye to some of my closest friends, people I have known since 2^nd grade, and people who have joined our group along the way. All of whom I truly love. It is so ridiculous to think that I won’t be seeing these people today, tomorrow, or even in a week, heck years. They have all been apart of my everyday life for years, and for this to change seems unreal. Goodbyes are difficult, but it helps to be comforted by Red Mango frozen yogurt.

Though we tried to stretch time with our hugs and small talk, the moment had to come where “goodbye” was in order. As Tone said, I never knew there were so many ways to say goodbye, all of which are so sad. Seeing as he watched one by one as friends said their last thoughts,…Erin proceed to tell me mom things like, “Be safe” and Lindsay ran away saying “don’t look at me” or Kayla and I hugged, approximately 17 times (Shocker Kayla hugging people). Until finally the time came for Tone and I to have our classic hug, with his classic laugh, and our classic banter. 

The hardest part however was yet to come, which brings us to today. Departure day started off with my last shower in my house, which I am sure I have taken forgranted, and moved on to running to the store with my parents to get a last few things. Picked up some ice coffee, which I also know will be hard to come by before heading home to sit on the front porch and ensure everything was in order. About an hour of shifting weight around and making one final edit, my bags were 100% ready. Weighing in at 48.7 lbs and 37.6 lbs, plus my back pack and Roo which total 35 lb as well,

We decided with an hour left until I needed to check in at the airport, we would run one final time to the oven, where I ate my last bowl of Muligatani soup before we headed to the airport. My brother joined us and at 2:20 I said my goodbyes to my family. Though I know the next two years will fly by, and that my parents will be visiting, and that with technology today I will get to communicate with them back home via ichat/email/facebook/and this blog, it was still the hardest thing I have had to do in my whole life. My parents have truly supported me in all my decisions. They have been an inspiration and guide as to how to live my life and treat those who I’m lucky enough to have in it. Saying goodbye to them was heartbreaking, but it is because of them that I have had the strength to make this journey.

I sit on a plane right now on my way to Chicago, where I will then catch my flight to Washington DC. Once in D.C. I will be checking into my hotel, and for the first time I will be meeting other volunteers who have also decided to go on this crazy adventure to Peru. I hope for the best, and would again like to thank everyone for their support and encouragement, but most of all love.

Departure day is well on its way and there is no turning back now....

Katherine 

"I need to schedule a wake up call, for 7:30am" "So like in an hour?"

Well today marked my first real goodbye. I had to say goodbye to Karen who i will not see again, in person that is, before i leave. We got to spend a great week together though and that is where this blog will start.

My last blog was from the Denver airport, and that night i was reunited with Tone, and it was epic. San Diego is very nice but it was even more amazing to see Tone, even though i arrived so late that we ended up pretty much going to bed after catching up. Monday morning Karen joined us and we had a great lunch at Urbane Cafe, which i would highly recommend. Unfortunately Tone had to study for his Law School finals, but Karen and i utilized this free time for some shopping! New swimsuit was purchased after hours of walking around the outdoor mall :) Finally finished the day with some Joe's Crab Shack and Golden Spoon frozen yogurt before staying our final night in San Diego. The next day we left and headed on what was a perfect day.

Driving north from San Diego Karen and i set off for Malibu. We made our way up the coast and stopped for food in Malibu at Cafe Marmalade, where we had to to die for veggies sandwiches and black bean soup, i still dream of that meal :), we went to the beach, drove up through the hills and made some shopping stops, and ended the day by stopping at the grocery for some hummus and veggies, and turned in at Karen's in Santa Barbara.

The next day we woke up again bright and early to get some sight seeing done in Santa Barbara, we spent the day shopping on state street and ended up both purchasing a dress for vegas, both of which were amazing, and i'll add pictures later :) We ate some dinner and went to the movies, seeing Something Borrowed, before heading back to Karen's to shower and pack for Vegas, which is where the true craziness begins.

Starting the morning off bright and early with some Starbucks, the journey to Las Vegas began, and oh what a journey it was. We made the drive in 5 and half hours, and lugged all the crap into the hotel room, we were shortly after joined by Kirsten, Kayla, Kraft, and Lindsay and we all headed to the pool! It was so much fun! My friend Jess from college also came, she now lives in Vegas. We went out to Pure, which is the club at Cesar's palace where we had a VIP table and private service! It was seriously so amazing, and a great way to kick off our trip. The next day the pool at the Tropicana was calling our name, considering we had a private cabana, and after spending the entire day in the sun we made our way back to the Mirage where we ate at BLT Burger our Vegas tradition, before showering and heading out on the town, Haze at Aria is where we found ourselves on Friday night, and finally turned in as we watched the sunrise. The next day was full of slot machines, and other Vegas fun, before we found ourselves all over throughout the Mirage including a penthouse suite :) where we raided the mini fridge before heading to blackjack, ending the weekend on a "WINNING!" note! Finally getting back to the room well after the sun had risen i called down to the front desk to set our wake up call, seeing as we had to be at the airport at 8:45. I quote, Me: "Hi, i need to set up a wake up call for 7:30." Front desk lady, "So like in an hour?" hahaha, after short cat nap we packed up the room and i had to say goodbye to one of my best friends, seeing as i had to catch a flight to Maui, and Karen was driving back to California. This trip was the best yet, i couldn't have asked for more crazy and amazing times, and it is so sad to think that these trips that i have been looking forward to are starting to end.
It is bittersweet because i am very excited about my move, but i really wish time wasn't flying so fast! This last week has been one of the best of my life, and i couldn't ask to have spent it with better people. I am so sad to end such a great week, and say goodbye to Karen even though we have talked mucho since i landed in Hawaii.
Which brings me back to my present situation, i am sitting on my massive balcony in Maui, listening to the ocean waves, looking over the pool and off into the ocean, and can't believe i am so lucky. I get to spend the next seven days with my amazing family, thinking about how amazing my last week was with my friends....

I can't believe that i get to live this life, and this is exactly why i am going to the Peace Corps, i want to be able to help others, because i am truly blessed.
Until next time, creep on my facebook because i have been uploading some amazing photos of my journey :)

"May Madness"

So this weekend has been somewhat hectic. Waking up in a hotel room in Mason City Iowa Saturday morning marked the beginning of a great weekend. In Mason City to celebrate my grandparents 60^th wedding anniversary and both of their 80^th birthdays, Saturday was jammed packed with talking to distant relatives and family friends. It was fun to explain and discuss my Peace Corps assignment with all of them, not…well for some it was, for some they didn’t understand what would drive me to do such a thing. Many gave me long hugs as it would be the last time I see them before I depart, so it was a bit awkward. It made me realize how little time I have left. It is weird to think that you won’t see someone for over two years, but it is something I will have to get used to. Overall the weekend was great though, we played some croquette, ate way too much, and celebrated lasting love, I don’t think you can ask for much more in Mason City.

Like my family, my friends are starting to get sentimental, as am I. I find myself doing something, and thinking “this will be the last time I do this..” Kind of crazy.

Right now I sit 30,000 feet in the air on a flight to Denver

Out of my window :) :)

My flight with a 4 year old boy kicking my seat relentlessly. A joyous experience let me tell you. However I just keep thinking that soon I will be on my connecting flight to San Diego and that much closer to seeing Tone, and that is getting me through…oh did I mention about every 10 minutes he yells “choo choooooooooo” I don’t know if he thinks we are on a train or whats up, I just want to be like, “kid, this is not a train, this is a plane…” The grandparents don’t seem to realize that he is bugging everyone. I may slip him a sedative here soon…

I’ll update more on the next flight, for now I will flip through the sky mall, picking which Item I would want most on the page…actually extremely entertaining.

LANDED AND ALIVE J

Sitting in the Denver International Airport waiting for my next flight…so close! Flight departs at 9:55pm, which is almost exactly an hour away…

Love sitting in airports trying to figure out where everyone is heading, making up stories about the adventures they are going on…a lot of couples traveling this Mothers Day…boo, the people who sat next to me on my last flight were about to go on their honeymoon!

Now I’m sitting with my black mango iced tea eating an apple, and this blog is helping me to pass the time.

I’ve started being even more of a creeper with all this spare time I have had waiting in airports and riding in cars from destination to destination, the Peace Corps Peru 17 wall and all of those who are members have officially been stalked! I am not wishing away my days left in the US, but I feel like I want to get to know everyone, there is so much time for me to over analyze everything, so much excitement building. However that is also the boredom of car rides and airports….this weekend was great and I cannot wait to get to San Diego and smother Tone, who I haven’t seen since January. California here I come J

Going Once, Going Twice, Sold!!!

It hasn't been that long since i last posted but so much has happened. Where to begin?

Friday April 29th, was my last day of working at US Property and with Eric. It was a sad but great day. There were some tears, the US property office gave me so many cool little presents like itunes giftcards, a pocket knife, a hat and a nice donation to my "Peru Fund." It was so kind of everyone, and it was a sad day when i drove away from the Grand Manse (my home for almost two years and then working their since October.) It made me realize that my departure for Peru is coming quick. Only 37 days until i'll be heading off on this crazy adventure. I'm starting to freak out a little bit, but i have a feeling i am not the only one, some others have expressed the same feelings on the PC 17 wall, so i'll have some others who will understand what i'm going through.
This weekend also marked a big step for me, my clothing auction. Sunday May 1st started bright and early around 6:30am all my friends and family got dressed up in our "Peace, Love, Run" shirts and went out to support my dad, cousin, and uncle in the half marathon.

We followed them throughout the race and cheered them on! It was the perfect start to the day. After a quick lunch we all went back to my house where the "fun" began. I had prepared a clothing extravaganza.

The clothing auction was fun and depressing at the same time. All my friends were able to go through all of the clothes i wasn't taking to Peru. Though some may think this isn't a big deal, they obviously don't know me, and my closet. I rubbermaid containers, clothing baskets, closets, and dressers full of clothes. At one time over 80 dresses, now 1/4 of that remains. It was fun to see my friends looking through  my clothes, with things they knew they wanted. I quote, "i will murder someones ass if they get that..." or "there will be blood" (not the movie!) It was funny, and it felt good to know that my friends were going to be taking the things i would not be using, all my beloved things got a good home. The cutest thing was when a few of my friends, asked specifically about my ASU sweat pants, which have been worn relentlessly and are covered in dye, from camp tie-dye. "Are the ASU sweatpants going to be in the auction?" I responded, "No! They are covered in tie-dye!" Friends "So i want to keep them while you are gone!" I had three people say that they just wanted the sweatpants as like a little piece of me while i was away in Peru...it was comforting and really made me feel loved.

Monday morning i woke up and walked through all the rooms on the second floor, and the left overs from the auction, were scattered...it was sad to see so many things i loved gone, but it is just another step i had to take to get this journey started. Probably one of the most difficult in the sense that fashion is a huge part of my life, but at the same time i know that my friends love the things they got, and i can't wait to see pictures on facebook and think to myself, yessssss that is my dress and it looks oh soooo good :) ha ha

This week is also completely different because i am no longer working, so i am getting myself ready for my "May Madness" which starts on Friday. I leave for iowa then off to cali then off to vegas then off to hawaii. I wanted to get my "workout on" all week however my foot injury has inhibited me from doing so, i guess i'll be looking sub par in my swimsuit for the next two weeks ha ha.

I also just finished my clothing inventory for what i am packing to take with me to Peru. We laid it all out on the dining room table, and are going to attempt, "pre-pack #2" tomorrow. I am hoping it will all fit and weigh under!! I guess we will see :)

That is all for now, have to go hang out with Karen because our days together are dwindling down :( but we will make the ones we have left count!