So the time has arrived in which I have made the decision to end this blog. I am happy & healthy in rural Colorado but far from "readjusted."
Simplicity has urged me to limit the amount of personal information that is available on me through the internet, With that being said, I will be making this blog private making it a nice personal souvenir of where I have been though not who I am.
I
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*The free meditation sanctuary down the road from my house.*“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened to us.”~Helen Keller
When I read this the other morning, I thought about my Peace Corps experience. The truth is, Peace Corps is not an experience you easily move on from.
During my 27 month
Quetzaltenango, Guatemala 2010
I sat on the lonesome iron bench outside of Pizza Hut Guatemala and the cold winter air painted my breath white with every exhale. It was a few days before Christmas and Yuna would be flying to the United States to spend the holidays with her family. She was a cheerful Peace Corps Volunteer who loved to salsa dance and her eyes lite up when I told her about my
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It's official. I have finished my season as a traveling Naturalist in California. The season is not very long, only two months to be exact, but I can see why people are unable to do this year round. The days are long (7:30 AM-10:30 PM) and when you are not hiking, climbing, teaching and debriefing, you are trying your best to get from one end of California to the other in time for another life
I cannot believe that the last week has gone by so quickly. I had the week off and decided to visit my family in So. Cal and Baja. I was feeling very stressed about the end of the season, just one more trip till the end of my first season working as a Naturalist in California!
I got all caught up worrying about money, fearing that I wouldn't find work in this "bad economy" and as a result be
Pinnacles National Monument…my office last week.<!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>
I have been back in the United States for a little over five weeks now and I will admit that I am far from being "readjusted." Though I am working for an amazing outdoor education company that sends me around California to work as a Naturalist, I find myself unable to enjoy the present moment and this amazing opportunity I have been given.
Despite the many blessings in my life, my mind continues
*Fellow homeless naturalists playing in Malibu Creek during their freetime.
It's the same question every week.
Where do you live?
It is a difficult question to answer as an RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer) and a traveling naturalist (my new job in the states).
The truth is, I live nowhere.
Readjustment has its unique challenges for every RPCV. The things that I thought I would find
It blows my mind how you can spend an afternoon hanging out with a Sandinista in Leon, Nicaragua on Monday, find yourself saying goodbye to someone very special in Guatemala on Wednesday, and start a new job in beautiful California all in the same week.
That's right. I am back in California for the next two months, earning some money as a traveling outdoor educator. Its been great so far. I get
I arrirved to San Juan de Sur hungy and was pleased to find that this $2.00 breakfast feed my soul and body.
Then I had to find a place to rest my tired head and once again was delighted that a private hotel room with a beach view only set me back $10.00.
Then after a short nap I took a walk along the beach.
And I sat and read some Jack Kerouac.
And when the sun got too hot, I walked
Alright, I admit it. I´ve got the bug...the volcano climbing bug. I left a sweet Hostel in Granda (that had the best pool ever and the yummiest breakfast-both adding up to less than $10.00 USD) to take a bus, taxi and ferrie ride to Isla Ometepe to climb yet another volcano.
I traveled there with a Korean girl I met at the sweet hostel to split another sweet hotel room on the beach in the
Of course she was drawn to the volcano that eagerly perched itself outside of the small town she stayed for a night.
She had made a friend. Another Latina who was also traveling alone. The two travelers hired a car to get them to the nearby volcano.
The taxi drops you right off at the top. Something that dissapointed her, but she was happy nonetheless. It was early, and they were the first to
And just like that she was out of Mexico, back in Guate and out again.
Eventually he had to return to his music, family, training...life.
And she returned with him...briefly.
There were two more Guatemalan volcano climbs she wanted to do before she hoped on a bus to Nicaragua.
After all,
She enjoyed their morning runs and she felt herself growing healthier the more time they spent together.
They left the sounds of the lively colonial town of San Cristobal de las Casas to listen to the sounds of wild animals in the Jungle.
She had spent too much time in the city and he could sense that she needed to get back to the outdoors ASAP. So they hastily packed their bags and hoped on the next Mexican combi (public mini-bus) heading out of town.
They did not research their journey or
She decided to cash in her peace corps plane ticket granting her $498.00 USD! Her 27-month tour was over but she was not ready to leave just yet…
There was something she needed to discover in Latin America. She wasn’t sure what but she knew with a little more time she would find out.
So they woke up before the sun had a chance to rise and they hit the road.
She buzzed with excitement and he
It's official, I am all done with my 27 month Peace Corps Service!
Many people have asked me over the last few days,"How does it feel to be a RPCV- Returned Peace Corps Volunteer?"
The truth is, although I have not returned to the United States (I will spend another five weeks here in Guatemala and Chiapas, Mexico) I do feel a significant shift in energy and I know that great things are ahead
*Be the change you wish to see in the world -- Ghandi
I have officially entered into the single digits till I COS (Close of Service).
As I complete my final reports, I reflect on what I have accomplished thus far. Peace Corps Washington wants numbers. They want to know that the thousands of dollars they have invested into me over the years have produced tangible results, but as a minimalist who
Leveling the ground in preparation of the foundation.
Spreading the foundation.
The children are always watching. I wonder what this one thinks about his mother mixing cement.
Give a Mayan woman a machete and you won't be dissapointed. Cutting concrete blocks.
Preparing the chambers where poop will be turned into rich organic compost.
Dual chambers so that the composting process is always in
My Internet connection has been slow which is why I have not updated in a while.
As of today, we are officially done with 16 improved wood burning stoves and 14 cement floors. For a total of 30 projects!!
We are currently putting the finishing touches on 8 composting latrines two of which are made from eco-ladrillos (plastic bottles filled with inorganic trash).
It has been a good experience;
She bared her hands. They were bloody, dried and caloused.
"I look at my hands and though they are ugly I am proud."
She came to visit me on a Sunday morning and spoke to me as I washed my cloths in the pilla (Guatemalan sink).
"I know that some of the women are mad at you because you made them work, but I want you to know that this project has been very bonito (beautiful) for me. My husband
"I have something to tell you." She timidly said. My heart sank. By the tears in her eyes I knew something was wrong.
In a sad voice she continued. "The truth is, we did not build the stove. I got here at 7:30 AM and the base was already built. She hired a man to do it for us and she told us to lie to you."
The disappointment began to sink in. Nothing hurts me more than when a person lies to
It is always interesting how much a project like this can teach us about ourselves and the people we work with...
I learned its time to step back and delegate. I picked some women to lead specific duties while I am away tomorrow giving a presentation on the stove, latrine and cement floor project.
I gave them a good talking to today as they became tired, negative and began to gossip of the
I am happy to report that day one of stove construction went very well. We had everything we needed and we finished the bases in record time- two hours flat! These women are ninjas when it comes to stove building.
Two stove bases were completed and the women are bit more united and confident. Tomorrow we will put the finishing touches on the stoves and then we will focus our efforts on
It is getting late and I have been working the Sunday evening away...
Tomorrow the construction begins.
The first thing I think about as my eyes flutter awake at 5:00 AM is the stove project. I am filled with excitement along with feelings of nervousness and anxiety. My counterpart and I have never done anything like this before. In fact this construction methodology is something very new for
We have been working on the composting latrines, cement floors and improved wood-burning stoves project since October 2010. We have patiently waited seven months, we should have expected to do some more waiting today. As with most things in Guatemala, our delivery was delayed for five hours. So we waited and waited and finally it arrived!!!
(The women entertain themselves by discussing my love
Tomorrow is the big day!
About 80% of our building materials will arrive. So much planning and organizing has gone into this project and tomorrow we will see the beginning of tangable results.
The women are so excited and it makes me even more excited and nervous.
Stay tuned for pictures and stories!
Hasta la proxima,
judy
Shortly after arriving in Guatemala as a Peace Corps Trainee, I learned that on approaching the end of one`s 27 month service, Peace Corps Guatemala hosts its volunteers in a nice Antigua hotel for a three-day Close of Service Conference. All expenses are paid for and there is a pool to boot!
From the start, I looked forward to my Close-of-Service Conference if only for the free food and
Volcano climb 9, Zunil
Siete Cruces
The crew.
up up up
LUNCH SPOT!
Before getting to the volcano we had to hike through the mountains (not the easiest volcano to get to).
I cannot imagine feeling happier.
Melon break time!
Volcàn Santa Thomas (Itching to climb him, though a bit more challenging to get to).
Gosh, I am so lucky to wake up to another day!
Volcàn Santa Maria (climbed
Next week I attend my Close of Service Conference. This is a three-day conference that prepares us for our final two months of service.
As my room becomes emptier and my work and social calendar become more full, I look back at the start of it all.
Below are photos from the start of my Peace Corps Journey.
April 2009
"Staging" in Washington, DC
Travis and Drea sharing some of their concerns
I mentioned a while back that a part of my minimalist journey involves digitizing my favorite journal entries and photos and uploading it onto the "cloud" so that I am no longer carrying the heaviness (emotionally and physically) into the next phase of my life. It has been a slow but amazing process. I try to write on a daily basis and I would highly recommend it to anyone, especially if you are
A new group of Peace Corps volunteers arrived yesterday and in three months one of those overwhelmed souls will be taking my place here in Aldea Barraneché.
I cannot believe that it was a little over two years ago that I was enjoying a pint of Sam Adams beer while listening to Blink 182 on my iPod during a layover in Atlanta, Georgia. I was on my way to Washington DC to begin my Peace Corps
The small blue building is the health post I work at. The buildings that surround it are the elementary and middle schools.
I realized that I tend to mainly focus on my monthly adventures in this blog. Believe it or not, I do actually work with indigenous families in combating deadly illnesses through education, community organizing and construction of infrastructure projects such as cement
*Editor's note: I am trying to improve my photography skills (I have never taken a class before but practice with my basic point-and-shoot camera couldn't hurt). I post a photo-edition on my blog to share some of my favorite pictures. This is one such photo-edition. Enjoy!
As mentioned in the last photo edition, I decided to break my birthday adventure photo edition into two parts.
Overall
I'm slowly but surely returning to my Peace Corps routine after my birthday adventure trip to Tijuana and Los Angeles.
As has been mentioned many times throughout this blog, I am a planner...and I will admit for the first time on a public forum a bit of a control freak.
Maybe that is the most beneficial thing about the peace corps experience, you have absolutely no control over anything (your
*Editor's note: I am trying to improve my photography skills (I have never taken a class before but practice with my basic point-and-shoot camera couldn't hurt). I post a photo-edition on my blog to share some of my favorite pictures. This is one such photo-edition. Enjoy!
They say that cats have nine lives. If such a tiny creature can have so many lives then how many does that leave us with? My
I sit here writing to you from a hostel in Guatemala City. My bags are packed and ready to go…
Where to? You ask. Why on this month’s adventure.
March is a special month for me. Besides marking the end of winter, March is also my birth month. A few years ago, I began an annual birthday tradition, which entails taking an entire week to do amazing things with amazing people. There’s nothing like
* Can you find me among the crowd?
I am in an interesting place in my service, a place that shocks and astounds me. For those of you who knew me when I lived in the United States, know that I easily grow restless. I am the girl who is beaconed by the open road. The girl who actually made a point to have “an adventure
a weekend.” These adventures usually involved looking at a map, discovering a
*Editor's note:I am trying to improve my photography skills (I have never taken a class before but practice with my basic point-and-shoot camera couldn't hurt). I post a photo-edition on my blog to share some of my favorite pictures. This is one such photo-edition. Enjoy!
You remember the bucket list? Well at least one of us does.
My goal was to climb two more volcanos before the end of my
Regular Nixtamal readers, may recall that last week I wrote about some bold moves I plan to tackle very soon.
Bold Move 1: Ditch personal laptop by March 23, 2011
Bold Move 2: Travel Latin America for nine months on $17.00 USD a day upon completing Peace Corps service (July 2011).
I am a girl who likes a little challenge...
So for Bold Move 3...
Simplify
That's right not only am I striving
*Photo taken May 2009 a few days after my arrival in Guatemala.
Before coming to Guatemala I rarely used the Internet and when I did, I mostly used it to check email & facebook. In the United States, the Internet did not offer me much, however, in rural Guatemala the Internet offers me the world! (*Don't worry I don't work for Tigo Internet)
Internet in rural Guatemala offers:
* Online
July 16, 2011 is my Close of Service date. This is the day that I complete my 27-month Peace Corps service.
With 5 months left, I find myself consumed with thoughts, worries and anxieties...but don't worry its a part of the Peace Corps process. Eventually every peace corps volunteer is faced to answer the question, “What will I do after my peace corps service?”
As most of you know, I am a
"We cannot do great things - only small things with great love."
~Mother Teresa
39 projects….
It is not a large number, but with all honesty, it does keep me up at times.
The number 39 not only signifies the amount of cement floors, improved wood burning stoves and composting latrines I hope to build before I finish my peace corps service in five months, 39 also symbolizes the 39 families I
“Life in the Peace Corps will not be easy. There will be no salary, and allowances will be at a level sufficient only to maintain health and meet basic needs. Men and women will be expected to work and live along side the nationals of the country in which the are stationed-doing the same work, eating the same food, talking the same language.
But if the life will not be easy, it will be rich and
*Editor's note: This week's photo edition will include photography by the lovely and talented Irene Bailey, a new friend I met on the climb. Her photos are the ones that include ** The photo above was taken with my basic point and shoot Fugifilm camera at sunrise on top of volcán Atitlan by the ever inspiring Stewart who you will meet soon. The other photos are my own.On with the story...
Today marks exactly six months until I am officially done with my peace corps service.This day also marks seventeen years since I held him in my arms. It was the day that the 1994 Northridge Earthquake took place and my nephew was born into a rattled, shaken and broken Los Angeles.It was 1994, I was ten years old and an aunt for the first time. As I proudly held him in my arms, I envisioned great
In a loud and obnoxious voice the Belize immigration officer bellowed, “I would take that Guatemalan flag off of your backpack if I were you.” I was caught off guard, by both his ridiculous suggestion and the surging feeling of anger that swelled in my chest.With an obvious attitude, I narrowed my eyes and sternly looked him up and down and responded, “Why??!!”“We don’t like Guatemala here. You
Taking the ferry to Placencia, BelizeArriving to a beautiful sunset at our beachside hotel.Waking up to a beautiful white sand beach.Drinking my morning coffee accompanied by a wonderful novel.Eating Fry Jacks, a local breakfast food. Oh so delicious!Deciding on a Gelato (ice cream) flavor. I settled on half a scoop of chocolate chip and peanut butter!Relaxing with friends.Sharing the Hammock.
As 2011 draws near, I sit here looking back on 2010. Someone once said, “You will always be the same person with the exception of the books you read and the people you meet.” If that is the case then I have changed so much this year. In 2010, I read 22 books. With all honesty, I was not very interested in reading until the tropical storms hit Guatemala last June. The traumatic events moved me to
"You know, when you are up here, don't your problems seem so far away?" -"Positive Jesse" This Christmas, I decided to give myself the ultimate gift- an epic climb up one of Guatemala's tallest volcanos. It wasn’t the lack of money or time that kept me from embarking on this adventure. What kept me back was fear. I was a bit nervous about the climb
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