beginnings.

I lay here currently preparing this post. It’s 5:20am and I am surrounded by the sounds of roosters, the barking of dogs, and passing of trucks on the highway outside of my village. The chickens are clucking. The roosters are crowing. The on and off rain has finally stopped falling. My mosquito net is draped over my bed like a majestic canopy and I feel protected. Protected in a sense that a mosquito net cannot provide. I feel safe. Safe from judgement. I feel welcomed. I feel at peace. I finally feel like I have time to think and live in the moment- something I struggled to find with life in America. All I can think of is how much I am appreciating this adjustment and embracing it wholeheartedly.

When I began to prepare for Peace Corps service, I was well aware of many of the changes that would come. However, there is more truth in knowing that one could never fully prepare for this type of adjustment, and that it is one that must be experienced and adapted to on a day by day basis. 

I met my host family last week Wednesday during an event planned by the Peace Corps staff. We were told to create a large circle and each person- a rep from every host family and each member of my cohort- was handed an envelope. Inside, each trainee found the name of an animal that they were supposed to mimic in the middle of the circle. The host family representative would match our antics with the picture of the the animal in their own envelope, then come to meet us in the middle of the circle.

My host mother is a very calm and contented young woman. She is about in her mid-30s and was instantly very easy to talk to. I appreciated the sense of calm I immediately received from her- as it quickly calmed my nerves and made me feel comfortable. We began talking to one another in Spanish, and she expressed that she was happy that I knew quiet a bit of Spanish because she doesn’t know much English. I told her I still have a lot to learn in Spanish, but when she assured me that I was doing really well, I felt good and kept at it.

I gathered my things and we walked to her house. Technically, she has two casas (homes). One holds the kitchen and dining room area along with 2 rooms- on of which was mine and very well put together. The other houses two more rooms and a living room with a large old-school big screen TV that works well, playing mostly Spanish channels only. I asked about laundry and to my surprise, was shown a washing machine that I can use anytime.

My host sisters are 22, 5, and 16. All very calm and contented like their mother. My host father, my mom explained, is off working in the U.S. and has been for 9 months now. She says they talk on the phone on weekends. We relaxed outside on the porch and as I lay in the hammock I feel at ease and comfortable. I thank God internally for this blessing and for exposing me to more in life than all that I thought I knew.

I’m continuing to eat delicious food every day for dinner, including empandas de pollo (chicken empanadas), tortillas con beans y queso (tortillas with beans and cheese), sopa de venduras (vegetable soup), and much much more. 

I am more than grateful for this experience, even with the challenges I am immediately facing, such as the bugs in my room, or the mosquito bites. The stuffy air between the walls of mi cuarto (room) can be really hot, but I know these things will subside (my host mom bought me a fan yesterday!) and I will begin adjusting accordingly. I pray that only happiness ensues with this experience, even through the hard times. 

Until next time.

-S

Snapshot of early morning in Armenia Village, our Community Based Training site.

The front yard of mi casa (my house).