Home!

Happy Thanksgiving! I know I am a few days late, but that's how it goes. Yes, I did get to celebrate with some other volunteers. I went to La Paz, a town a little bigger than Talanga with many more resources. There are 2 PCVs there who share a huge house and were kind enough to host a Thanksgiving celebration. The social interaction was incredible. A food, wine, baseball, watching American football on TV. I also enjoyed getting to know some of the volunteers who have been here for awhile. Although we enjoyed turkey, mashed potatoes, bread and all kinds of other goodies, I missed cranberries, gravy and pecan pie! Even though we gave thanks and ate plenty, it didn't really feel like Thanksgiving without family and the bite of cold weather. It didn't even rain. It was a good time but I still cannot process that it is officially Christmas season. I refuse to accept the coming arrival of Christmas until after Thanksgiving. One holiday at a time please. Apparently, if you head to the mall in Tegus there is a huge tree and it is swimming in the Christmas spirit. I haven't been. I am not sure that I am ready. The whole weather not changing still weirds me out.

Other good news: I officially moved into my own house yesterday and spent my first night alone. It was a little scary. My house if very secure but snuggling up in my sleeping bag on my camping pad wasn't very homely. The house is COMPLETELY unfurnished. Here are pictures of the front door and my bedroom. The shelves built into the wall are the only furniture in the entire place. There are three rooms: a living room, bedroom and "kitchen". The kitchen could easily be the bedroom since there aren't countertops or appliances. Although my host family was very nice and I have to buy EVERYTHING for the house, the thought of my own space is almost too much to deal with. This new house has many luxuries that I am not guaranteed here or have been living with out. My favorite things about my house, besides my selfish desire for solitude (like I don't get enough surrounded by people I don't know): light in the bathroom, water tank giving me a flushing toilet, sink and shower (cold). I had none of these things in my last home. You flushed the toilet by dumping in a bucket of water, bathe with a bucket and do both in the dark. I also have a cozy little front porch and a place where I can hang a few clothes. The negatives are that I share the back "yard" area with my landlord and her family and it will take me awhile to furnish the three rooms, if I ever get around to it. Right now, but focus is on a bed, stovetop, toaster oven and maybe silverware and dishes to eat and cook with.

As far as work goes, this is a slow time of year. Schools are wrapping up (the system is different and it is a slow, drawn out process) so I'm not sure exactly what I will be doing during the next few months besides trying to integrate into my community and make friends.