So. Today is Peru 13's official one year anniversary as PC volunteers! Yay. So it's automatically a day of reflection whether you want it or not. :) A year ago was a whirlwind. Leaving Yanacoto, nervous about starting the next two years, leaving friends who I met just three short months before but felt like I'd known them for much longer than that; confusion, excitement, twinge of sadness... gulp. And then now it's been a year. And so many volunteers told our group as we became official volunteers instead of just aspirantes.. the second year will be better and go by faster which means before I know it, it will be August 21, 2011.
For the occasion that is today I decided to just make a short list of the most memorable moments of this year for me as a Shillapina and Ancashina... the good and the bad... and probably the ugly:
Running from an avalanche and thinking I was going to die for a split second
Meeting Raul
Making it to Punto Union with Christie and Oso, after a local boy beat us in sandals to the top
Birthday in Lima with the Peru 11ers as their In Service Training complete with face in the cake
Itzel leaving permanently to Lima with her mom :(
Anca$h Prom
Learning to rock climb (this would be in the "ugly" category)
Hanging out with Rachel and Jenna in Maryknoll's Priest home in Puno, playing with a stuffed bear's glasses and not knowing to whom they belonged.... for awhile.
Making videos on the way up to Machu Picchu with the hermano :)
Seeing my dad try to get through the front door of my house... and in and and out of combis
My confusing "candela" for "candado" (my host mom find this infinitely funny)
Field Trip to Llanganuco with Environmental Club Kids; Yunior made sure I noticed every little plant and animal and insect on our little hike
The 3 Independent Nights of Illness. I do not need to elaborate. It's in the Ugly category
Being a ship for Halloween. (Where's my BOOTY, Lisette?)
A Yanacoto Birthday complete with Lion Cake
Eating just the cookie dough with Baja in Caraz. Memorable for sure.
My combi almost being rammed off the road
Same day as above comment: Hitting the water tube to the school bathroom.... all in order to try and make compost.
15 hour Epic Hike
Carnival!
My first Peruvian wedding
Hot shower after two weeks.. (yup. I still remember it)
And there are many more. Some that I can't or won't even include on such a public space. So I can only imagine the millions of goods, bads, and uglies that will occur over the next year.. which will include maybe even a trip or two back to the States... :)
Abrazos,
Em
