So the new chapter has begun. I live in Huaraz and am serving my third year in Peace Corps Peru as the Volunteer Leader of the department of Ancash. Today marks four weeks back in Peru since my return from my special leave to America. My trip home was incredible and reminded me that I am, indeed, the luckiest girl in the world. The weather, the beach, the ocean, the food, my friends and family, the Welcome Home BBQ in CT, Mike, Moi, Maggie and Izzy spending the whole the long weekend with us in CT, reconnecting with my beautiful and AMAZING nieces, the weekend in New York City with Peyton, the visit at my mama's place in Montreal....It was heaven. Consider my proverbial batteries fully recharged.
Entonces, my Peruvian life continues. This month has been action-packed. I went from the US to Lima to Huaraz to Tumpa in 4 days (WOW - culture shock) and then I spent about a week in Lima for a bunch of different PC meetings. Reuniting with my Tumpa host family has been wonderful ~ I've been to visit twice so far and I think they really believe me now that I'll be keeping in touch and visiting them on a regular basis. Six new PCVs have joined our Ancash family and they're doing great! During their first few days in Huaraz, we went market shopping for beds, sheets, gas stoves, pots, pans, food, and other basic site newbie essentials. They're on their third week in site now, and todo tranquilo! They seem like a great group.
Yesterday, I started my work with two different youth groups here in Huaraz. I'll spend Mondays at a center for abandoned and neglected youth with about 25 at-risk teenagers and Saturdays with a group of about 25 student health promoters from a local public high school. I'll work with both groups on the whole spectrum of youth development themes: self-esteem, identifying values, vocational orientation, nutrition, hygiene, sexuality, HIV/AIDS, etc, etc, etc. The center will provide different challenges than the high school youth group, and I'm excited for these kids to keep me on my toes.
I'm totally in love with my new living arrangement ~ a small apartment connected to a modern Peruvian family's house. I have a full kitchen, i have an oven that i baked some chocolate chip oatmeal rasin cookies in last night (yum!), I bought a sweet couch in Lima, my electric shower is working (yay for hot water!), and I have internet! So, I guess it's sort of different from living in the campo in an adobe house...
Life is good.
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Books: Just finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (fabulous), revisited The Great Gatsby, and now on to Howard Zinn's People's History of the United States
Favorite moments this month: Buying my couch with our Safety and Security Officer, Enrique, in couchtown, Lima, and Ryan's visit to Ancash
Up Next: Site visits with Peru 13 Volunteers who just past the one-year mark in country, then back to Lima for med-checks, then site visits with Peru 15 to see how our newbies are doing after a month in site.
2 comments:
Hey Sophie,
Loved reading this! Wishing you an awesome year! Being a PCVL is an awesome gig, probably still my favorite job to date!
PS. Cheridyn and I might come to Peru in December and we've thrown around the idea of stopping in Huaraz for a few days. Si es asi, we'll have to meet up for a beer.
Take care,
Ryan
Boogs: Onward! You're doing great things for the world. xo JD
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