Well, it’s the end of November and I’ll be officially making 3 months outside of the land of amazing next week. Isn’t that pretty darn crazy?! Fuck yeah it is!
Well, I can say I’ve only been about a week in my community and it’s already been intense. I’m still not too sure of my exact role but I’ m slowly working on establishing one. Since I have time today, I’ll give you a mental picture of my location exactly. I’ve probably said something about this but it doesn’t get old. I LITERALLY live on the mountain. So, it takes about 30 minutes from the bottom of my “town” to get to my house. I walk because there is no road that goes up there; there is barely even a path for me to walk on. I’ve surrendered to my situation and it doesn’t feel like defeat. I’m living with a family of 5, a grandma, her son and his wife with 2 kiddos (9month and 3 years). It’s a good family; they are slowly getting accustomed to me and vice versa. I am technically supposed to figure out a rent and food situation but I won’t be doing that for a while. I do not want them to see me as a money sign but instead to treat me as a part of their family; I think my plan is working.
Side note: I’m sitting in a room at my house and a cock fight is pretty much happening in front of me. Unofficial, of course. It’s quite funny. I would like to attend a real one soon…and it WILL happen. Haha.
What else can I blog about? Oh, maybe about what I’m actually doing or going to be doing? Yea, well I am health promoter. Now, I kinda have a better idea of what I’ll be doing and who I’ll be working with but now it’s becoming more overwhelming. Fo’ realz! I pretty much have the freedom to work on anything that will make my community a better place to live. My program is Community Health and that’s what I’ll try to focus on but no promises. While I’ve been here, there is a huge need to place attention on the Environment. Burning trash, throwing trash in rivers, or anywhere for that sake is super common and it KILLS ME. I remember when I was younger I never used to be so conscious about the environment but now I understand the importance. I want all the people I encounter to understand because I do believe it’s everyone’s responsibility. I think it’s great how the campo life really fosters this idea to actually work. By this I mean, the people here all have animals and live off the food that they plant and therefore use organics for compost and don’t produce much garbage. The problem is the little they do is not disposed of properly and it’s simply because of a lack of knowledge. We’ll see if I can aid in bringing more knowledge to at least some people. Should be fun.
Well, I guess environment work is related to health but there are more focused areas I would also like to work with like child stimulation, washing your hands campaigns, boiling water, and simply emphasizing on healthy practices. For the beginning months I have to conduct a community diagnostic which pretty much means I have to make surveys and gather lots of information about my town. I’ve looked through what my diagnostic is supposed to be and it is definitely intimidating. It’s like a college senior thesis assignment. Intimidating but I guess it could be fun. I can compile different studies on any health issues I want to address including domestic violence, teenage pregnancy and malnutrition. Isn’t that kinda cool? There is a lot of work ahead of me and I think I can do it.
Work hard, play harder! That’s pretty much how I’m going to be thinking about my PC experience. I think in order to work as hard as I’m thinking about working; I will definitely be having just as much fun. I can’t wait for the few that want to and will visit as well as simply going to visit all my fellow volunteers. Our experiences are all going to be so different and I’m excited to get a glimpse of everyone’s journey. Two years will be interestingly challenging in so many ways that I could never even have imagined.
I miss home a bunch but I know this is for the betterment of all parties involved.
Just before I end this super long blog, there are a few things that are happening that I need to share (more like two things). First of all, my English is suffering greatly. I think the only thing that will save it is to read and read – which I plan on doing! I can’t spell for shit anymore. UGH! Secondly, I’m walking a shit load. Just the other day, I walked oh about 6 fucking hours. It’s painful but I think I got it. Just saying…
Internet isn’t too accessible but I can’t live without it so I’ll find the way to keep it in my life!
Hasta luego amores!!! <3
Monday, November 30, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
Shit, Who am I?
Sooooo much has happened and I have been horrible at capturing it through my blog. Sorry, Megan..my loyal reader. I heart you.
Anyways, so I´ve been to other departments in Peru and it has been amazing.
Where to start?
For my FBT (field based training) I visited Ancash, home of the glacier mountains, and Cajamarca, home of the cows on mountains. haha. Well, it has been stressful and amazing sometimes at the same time. We did things like build cocinas mejoradas (bettered kitchens since people in the mountains cook with firedwood), latrines, talked with youth groups, talked with teachers about HIV-AIDS...you know wonderful health stuff!!!!!!!!!!
As far as how I´m feeling...
I´m doing super duper better...well, in comparison to how I felt just last week. Training ended last week and I was a wreck. I fell in love with so many people here...it was an awesome time while we were all together BUT there are many more to come and I know it. So what we are all in different departments of Peru and some of us don´t have cell phone reception (I do!!)...I know ít´ll happen. Besides all this emotional craziness, things are steady now.
Where am I?
I am finally at the place I will have to call home for 2 years. It´s a small little village just outside of Chota in Cajamarca, LOOK IT UP!!!!!! It is mountaineous indeed...my house is a 30 min hike up from a main ¨road¨. It´s beautiful tho and I have a baby host bro and a 3 year old host bro...in case you forgot, I love monsters. It´s going to be a while until I feel super comfortable here but I know it´s possible and I don´t feel bad so that´s good at least.
So, this is a short short version of how things are going but I wanted to at least do this. This blog was my idea and I will be keeping it updated now that I am once again settled. I just want to say that I miss a lot of things but that only makes me more grateful. Please continue to keep me updated with your lives.
Lots of love and kisses. MMM...haha.
p.s. Who am I? was the response I had for when I found where I was going....I had absolutely no idea and I was completely disoriented to the point where I didn´t even know who I was...lol.
Anyways, so I´ve been to other departments in Peru and it has been amazing.
Where to start?
For my FBT (field based training) I visited Ancash, home of the glacier mountains, and Cajamarca, home of the cows on mountains. haha. Well, it has been stressful and amazing sometimes at the same time. We did things like build cocinas mejoradas (bettered kitchens since people in the mountains cook with firedwood), latrines, talked with youth groups, talked with teachers about HIV-AIDS...you know wonderful health stuff!!!!!!!!!!
As far as how I´m feeling...
I´m doing super duper better...well, in comparison to how I felt just last week. Training ended last week and I was a wreck. I fell in love with so many people here...it was an awesome time while we were all together BUT there are many more to come and I know it. So what we are all in different departments of Peru and some of us don´t have cell phone reception (I do!!)...I know ít´ll happen. Besides all this emotional craziness, things are steady now.
Where am I?
I am finally at the place I will have to call home for 2 years. It´s a small little village just outside of Chota in Cajamarca, LOOK IT UP!!!!!! It is mountaineous indeed...my house is a 30 min hike up from a main ¨road¨. It´s beautiful tho and I have a baby host bro and a 3 year old host bro...in case you forgot, I love monsters. It´s going to be a while until I feel super comfortable here but I know it´s possible and I don´t feel bad so that´s good at least.
So, this is a short short version of how things are going but I wanted to at least do this. This blog was my idea and I will be keeping it updated now that I am once again settled. I just want to say that I miss a lot of things but that only makes me more grateful. Please continue to keep me updated with your lives.
Lots of love and kisses. MMM...haha.
p.s. Who am I? was the response I had for when I found where I was going....I had absolutely no idea and I was completely disoriented to the point where I didn´t even know who I was...lol.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Teleport me there...and there! ::sigh::
Why not?
Well, here I go. So it seemed like everything was all fun and games here in Peru, until now. Homesickness is a terrible, terrible thing and here I am feeling this way. I can’t really pin point my reason for feeling this way. I figured that I must have one but maybe not. I’m pulling through but I miss my home and most importantly, my comfort. I’m trying so hard to find a happy place here and today I just can’t.
So yea, that’s how I’m feeling but what I’m doing keeps me going.
I came back from Ancash at 6am this morning; it was a 7 hour bus ride. Yup, I left at 11pm. Ancash is soo amazing. The scenery is to die for…mountains, green, yesss! That was nice. I’ve definitely missed the mountains. There is just something about la sierra that makes me smile. Besides enjoying the scenery, we actually did some work; manual labor included. Digging holes for latrines and mixing mud for cocinas mejoradas. It’s all so cool and surreal…always. We also got to work with a youth group which was nice. The volunteers we met were ending their 2 year service and it’s weird to see myself in the beginning of this adventure and them at the end. Craaazy indeed.
Training is almost over and this is yet another bittersweet moment for me. I’m excited to find out where I’ll be for the next 2 years but definitely a little sad that Salud will be scattered across Peru. I am so thankful for an amazing group of people.
Close in proximity should not be the reason people are close. Make sense? Eh. I’ll stop blabbing.
Trying to stay sane and using music to comfort me greatly.
Stay tuned: On Friday, November 6th, my 2 year location will be revealed.
Breathe. <3
Well, here I go. So it seemed like everything was all fun and games here in Peru, until now. Homesickness is a terrible, terrible thing and here I am feeling this way. I can’t really pin point my reason for feeling this way. I figured that I must have one but maybe not. I’m pulling through but I miss my home and most importantly, my comfort. I’m trying so hard to find a happy place here and today I just can’t.
So yea, that’s how I’m feeling but what I’m doing keeps me going.
I came back from Ancash at 6am this morning; it was a 7 hour bus ride. Yup, I left at 11pm. Ancash is soo amazing. The scenery is to die for…mountains, green, yesss! That was nice. I’ve definitely missed the mountains. There is just something about la sierra that makes me smile. Besides enjoying the scenery, we actually did some work; manual labor included. Digging holes for latrines and mixing mud for cocinas mejoradas. It’s all so cool and surreal…always. We also got to work with a youth group which was nice. The volunteers we met were ending their 2 year service and it’s weird to see myself in the beginning of this adventure and them at the end. Craaazy indeed.
Training is almost over and this is yet another bittersweet moment for me. I’m excited to find out where I’ll be for the next 2 years but definitely a little sad that Salud will be scattered across Peru. I am so thankful for an amazing group of people.
Close in proximity should not be the reason people are close. Make sense? Eh. I’ll stop blabbing.
Trying to stay sane and using music to comfort me greatly.
Stay tuned: On Friday, November 6th, my 2 year location will be revealed.
Breathe. <3
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
