Spanish and Gardens: My Time in Nicaragua: August 2014

As of August 14^th I’ve been in Nicaragua for a year!!! This post is a bit late, but better late than never I guess. So much has happened in the past year! I’ve learned a new language, sledded down a volcano, adjusted to living with no running water in my house and frequently having ‘farm animals’ in the kitchen, just to name a few things. While it may not be the case all the time, I’d like to think I’ve become more patient, and have learned the consequences of assuming. I’ve learned that my body is never very happy with me after eating mangos, using any type of soap here with detergent, or swimming in the rivers pretty much anywhere downstream from my town. This has been the most difficult year of my life; I’m not going to lie. So far I’ve had 7 parasites, 6 bacterial infections (i.e. salmonella), among other things. Peace Corps is not walk in the park.

That being said, there’s a reason I haven’t left. I am a very firm believer in the moto “Peace Corps is the hardest job you’ll ever love.” Sure, there are hard days. There are days nothing goes as planned and my students are all complete brats. There are days I’m sick and don’t want to do anything at all. But it’s the good days that keep me going and loving my job overall. It’s baking with someone I built an oven for, teaching a really good class that my students actually like, running in the mountains right before sunset, or any number of other things. There’s so much I’ve gotten to experience that I otherwise would never have gotten to if I had not joined the Peace Corps. I’m so happy that I’ve had this opportunity to provide support to those in the communities that I work in that I’ve grown to call friends. I’ve met people in country that I really care for, and that I hope to keep in touch with long after I head back to the States. I’ve made many lifelong Peace Corps Volunteer friends as well!

Anyone who knows me well can attest to the fact that I am not the same person I was a year ago. It’s strange thinking about how far I’ve come and how much I’ve figured out about myself in the past year. I’m excited to see what the next 14 months bring and the person I will be when I leave.

To close, here are 12 pictures, one to capture every month I’ve spent here (it was hard to just pick one for each month)!