http://www.youvolunteer.org/carfundappeal
Please check out that website, take a look at some of the work that i´m doing, and donate what you can! Out here, even a few dollars makes a huge difference! At the moment, our greatest need is a new car that we can actually rely on to get to the schools each day.
So take a look, and give what you can!!
And make sure to let me know if you donate, so I can thank you properly! :)
http://www.youvolunteer.org/carfundappeal
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Getting close to the End...
I´m sorry that I have been a bit MIA this month...its been busy busy busy, and we havent had internet at the house for a while. But here I am, happy and healthy.
March was a busy month, with a full house and lots of excitement. I dont have too much time right now, so just a few quick notes.
There were lots of 18-20 year old boys at the house, meaning that rum and ¨jungle adventures¨ were back. We had 2 games of capture the flag (at night, in the middle of the jungle...fun and scary). We have a ping pong table, which has been really fun (I totally suck, but hopefully I still have some time to improve!) Our new garden, planted outside of our house, is starting to sprout, and I may even see a home grown tomato before I leave!
There have been lots of critters and creatures in the house...a tarantula named Terry, plus some of his friends and family, and Leroy, the unidentifiable animal who is most likely some sort of rodent, who lives behind the wall where my bed is. And, of course, the usual insects and crawlies. They are like second nature to me now, I am ready for anything when I get home.
There is a ton of work to do, as the reality that I only have about 5 weeks at the house left begins to hit me. I have started lots of projects that will reorganize our office and restructure how we do lesson planning, so I am (and will be) stressed and busy. But in a good way, since its nice to see my ideas get on paper and start to take shape. I do wish that I had more time here, I would love to make some more longer lasting changes--and actually be here to see them work!--but I am also ready to slowly re-enter civilization, and travel and explore more before heading home. It will be really, really sad to leave what has become my home, (and as real of a home as any apartment I have had in Boston...even more so than many). But it will be the right time.
May 6th is the day that I am planning to leave the house, and July 6th is my flight home! So I have 2 months to travel...i´m pretty set on Colombia and then finishing up back in Ecuador...with hopefully a week in the Galapagos thrown in (it will be the most expensive thing I have ever paid for, but I believe and hope that it will be worth it. A once in a lifetime experience that I would hate to give up! And once I take out my first loan for grad school, a trip to the islands will seem like pocket change).
I finished reading War and Peace!! This took me many months, and I read a few pages each day, but I am very proud of this accomplishment! I am also quite adept at changing tires and push-starting our car (we had a horrendous 2 weeks with nothing in the house working, namely our car and generator. Luckily...knock on wood...things are running much smoother now).
Thinking a lot about what comes next for me, while also trying to enjoy the time I have left here. The trimester ends soon and I am organizing the exams for the kids, plus working on all of my own projects, and in any ¨spare time¨ i´m helping to keep the house working and volunteers happy. I sleep when I can, and am actually (probably) able to take one more week off before I leave, which will be great. I know that my last post was about my vacation, so no one is impressed...but I´ll take my time off whenever I can! And as I had saved up all of my vacation time, I´m taking it back now!!
I´m already starting to think back on my time here, how much it changed me and how much I have learned. I know that despite all of the hardships, I am going to look back on the positive side. Its harder to see it on a daily basis, but when I look at my life here, I try to remind myself how lucky I really am. I don´t quite know how I ended up here, in this country, with this job, with these people, but I am grateful that it happened. Not too many people can look out thier kitchen window straight into the Amazon jungle, can they? I feel totally and completely removed from the news, pop culture, etc etc, and coming home really will be a big change for me. But thats a thougt for another day.
I hope that the snow is melting back home and everyone is looking forward to Spring.
March was a busy month, with a full house and lots of excitement. I dont have too much time right now, so just a few quick notes.
There were lots of 18-20 year old boys at the house, meaning that rum and ¨jungle adventures¨ were back. We had 2 games of capture the flag (at night, in the middle of the jungle...fun and scary). We have a ping pong table, which has been really fun (I totally suck, but hopefully I still have some time to improve!) Our new garden, planted outside of our house, is starting to sprout, and I may even see a home grown tomato before I leave!
There have been lots of critters and creatures in the house...a tarantula named Terry, plus some of his friends and family, and Leroy, the unidentifiable animal who is most likely some sort of rodent, who lives behind the wall where my bed is. And, of course, the usual insects and crawlies. They are like second nature to me now, I am ready for anything when I get home.
There is a ton of work to do, as the reality that I only have about 5 weeks at the house left begins to hit me. I have started lots of projects that will reorganize our office and restructure how we do lesson planning, so I am (and will be) stressed and busy. But in a good way, since its nice to see my ideas get on paper and start to take shape. I do wish that I had more time here, I would love to make some more longer lasting changes--and actually be here to see them work!--but I am also ready to slowly re-enter civilization, and travel and explore more before heading home. It will be really, really sad to leave what has become my home, (and as real of a home as any apartment I have had in Boston...even more so than many). But it will be the right time.
May 6th is the day that I am planning to leave the house, and July 6th is my flight home! So I have 2 months to travel...i´m pretty set on Colombia and then finishing up back in Ecuador...with hopefully a week in the Galapagos thrown in (it will be the most expensive thing I have ever paid for, but I believe and hope that it will be worth it. A once in a lifetime experience that I would hate to give up! And once I take out my first loan for grad school, a trip to the islands will seem like pocket change).
I finished reading War and Peace!! This took me many months, and I read a few pages each day, but I am very proud of this accomplishment! I am also quite adept at changing tires and push-starting our car (we had a horrendous 2 weeks with nothing in the house working, namely our car and generator. Luckily...knock on wood...things are running much smoother now).
Thinking a lot about what comes next for me, while also trying to enjoy the time I have left here. The trimester ends soon and I am organizing the exams for the kids, plus working on all of my own projects, and in any ¨spare time¨ i´m helping to keep the house working and volunteers happy. I sleep when I can, and am actually (probably) able to take one more week off before I leave, which will be great. I know that my last post was about my vacation, so no one is impressed...but I´ll take my time off whenever I can! And as I had saved up all of my vacation time, I´m taking it back now!!
I´m already starting to think back on my time here, how much it changed me and how much I have learned. I know that despite all of the hardships, I am going to look back on the positive side. Its harder to see it on a daily basis, but when I look at my life here, I try to remind myself how lucky I really am. I don´t quite know how I ended up here, in this country, with this job, with these people, but I am grateful that it happened. Not too many people can look out thier kitchen window straight into the Amazon jungle, can they? I feel totally and completely removed from the news, pop culture, etc etc, and coming home really will be a big change for me. But thats a thougt for another day.
I hope that the snow is melting back home and everyone is looking forward to Spring.
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