That’s a (Lettuce) Wrap

As we reached the end of November we also reached the end of my first year of service and wow what a year it has been! I cannot say the last 12 months went anything like I thought they would in most ways, but I’m cautiously optimistic that I know what’s to come in the next 12. About a year ago, when I was feeling extra introspective one day at training, I made a memo on my phone of “My Personal Peace Corps Goals.” I forgot all about this note until I sat down to write this blog and started to reflect on the first half of my two year service. There are a lot of ways I feel like I have failed myself and my community throughout my time here so far, but reading back through these (very cheesy and cliché) goals that I wrote way back when, I cannot help but be proud of myself. I’m not sure I’m ready to share those goals publicly, maybe once I’m closer to being done and can actually say I achieved them all, but the point is – this year has had many ups and many many more downs, and yet I can still look back on it with a sense of pride. Even though I’m not the best teacher (and some days I’d say I’m one of the worst teachers), and I don’t speak the best Portuguese, or have the most friends, at least on some level I’ve done what I came here to do and I’ve got a whole other year to keep on improving.

I don’t have a whole lot to update you all on as far as my life right now is concerned. I finished up the school year with a hodge podge of a third trimester that was riddled with holidays and various events that made us miss class, and now I’m sitting back and twiddling my thumbs (and eating a ton of lettuce) until my travels start. For the most part our students are done with classes until the new year starts in February so the town will get quiet as people go to visit family for the holidays. I too will be visiting family. With my passport (and valid 1 year visa!) finally in tow, I will be heading to Tanzania to meet my parents before attempting to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro with some friends. I’m expecting the next couple months of travel and free time to fly by as most of my time here has so far. By the time the next school year starts I will only have about 10 months left and will only experience everything one more time in this country. For a period of time that sounded so daunting at the beginning, 27 Months, it certainly hasn’t felt that way.

Before I conclude, I just want to give a special shoutout to my 27er sitemate, who just finished her service and is heading home after 2 wonderful years here in Marrupa. If you follow me on social media, you’ve seen how many times Cailee has gone out of her way to make my life easier and I am so so grateful. Having someone move into the house next door to you and join you at school for the last fourth of your service is not easy but Cailee did it with not so much as a complaint (to me at least). Thank you for everything mana, go drink all the craft beer for me in the States.

I don’t know how much I’ll be posting over the next couple months but I’m sure I’ll have a ton of pictures and stories to share from my travels when I get back. Remember to send me any questions you have for my guest bloggers to compare and contrast service in different countries and sectors!

Much Love,

A

P.S. Here are some pictures from the last couple weeks, hover over them to read the captions

Thanksgiving:

Got 5 superstars to do a Turkey Trot Thursday morning!

Thanksgiving isn’t complete without Turkey Hats

Everyone pitched in for this incredible meal

Goat Stew, Grilled Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Mac and Cheese Salad, Stuffing, Cinnamon Apples

22 of my favorite people

Pumpkin Pie tarts, Apple Pie, Pecan Pie, Snickerdoodles, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Pumpkin Bars for dessert all cooked in 2 tiny ovens!

We started to cook and immediately all the women were wearing capulanas

No trip is complete without a chapa selfie

A quick visit to my friend Morgan’s site:

A Prince and the flowers he brought us

Morgan’s new puppy, Koda

Giraffes!

Zebras!

73 hours spent on buses/chapas plus another 28 hours waiting for said buses/chapas to leave just to get to the Thanksgiving festivities and back. Most of which was with these 2 warriors:

And Finally, I spent this last week moving from my rat infested house into Cailee’s less (but still slightly) rat infested house. To celebrate my third (and hopefully last) house of service, I made this world map out of capulana scraps that I’m pretty proud of: