A year ago...TODAY!

One year ago today I got on an airplane headed to Miami for Peace Corps – Paraguay one year ago today. I have had many wild and wonderful things happen in my life! Each and everyone of them was a teachable moment. And while unfortunately I probably have not learned from all of them…I have learned a few things

things i have learned about myself since living in Paraguay:

Ø I have a strong hate of ants.

Ø I love growing my own fruits and veggies (this is still a work in progress…slow to germinate)

Ø I don’t mind picking my nose in public

Ø Siestas are good for me

Ø The girl scouts taught me to leave a place cleaner than I found it – I wish everyone had been a girl scout!

Ø I love having a compost pile

Ø I like company – and I really like alone time

Ø I am still the worlds worst speller

Ø I can learn to like almost any food

Ø I don’t mind hand washing my clothes….but I really love having a washer/dryer!

Ø I actually kind of like PDA

Ø I like being busier (I am a much happier person when I have a full schedule)

Ø It might actually be my life goal to have everyone love me.

Ø I still haven’t figured out how to be in two places at the same time

Ø I feel much better and like my life is under control, after sweeping my porch

Ø I love being with people even if I have no idea what they are saying

Ø I don’t like lazy people

Ø I love getting mail

Ø I love sending mail

Ø I show love in present giving

Ø I am happy as long as I have at least 2 pairs of clean underwear

Ø I don’t have any verguenza (shame) about paying someone to wash my sheets and my jeans

Ø I hate the night bus, but I still take it.

Ø I love taking pictures, but I don’t like showing people I have a nice camera

Ø I love soy meat!

Ø I can eat pancakes every night for dinner for a week and still love them!

Ø I want to do things in my life (like play the violin, row, speak multiple languages) but sometimes get lazy and don’t really like practicing.

Ø I don’t like having my toenails painted (even if its with blue sparkles)

Ø Kraft Mac & Cheese makes me really gassy (the kind you think might burn a hole in your underwear!)

Ø I want to be a good reader, and read a lot – but I get bored easily

Ø Regulating my temperature to be livable is one of my highest priorities

Ø I love popcorn with Lawry’s seasoning salt

Ø I have a low tolerance for people telling me they are going to do something…and then don’t.

Ø I really like physical activity

Ø I hate cat-calls

Ø I often would like to be invisible (being stared at a lot – is tiring)

Ø Art projects and baking have the ability to calm my nerves

Ø I love nailing things to the wall (kitchen utensils, nails for hanging clothes, garage items or desk supplies)

Ø I value hard work

Ø I realize how important parent involvement is in the raising of children

Ø I think I could be a campo volunteer on two conditions: I wouldn’t have to look at the maggots in the latrine and there would always be toilet paper

Ø I have so much respect for Paraguayan women

Ø I hate machismo

Ø I am not really a dog person

Ø I realized that every person gets to choose how lazy he or she wants to be, and the rest of us can’t really do anything about it!

Ø I actually like Minnesota weather, it just took coming to PY to figure it out

Ø I love long-underwear, down sleeping bags and beanies (this isn’t really a recent discovery)

Ø I have a lot of respect for homeowners; it’s a lot of work!

Ø I love making diadactic materials-I don’t want to be a preschool teacher, but I do want to make their teaching supplies.

I have learned I love making my own tortillas - look it looks like a cartoon bubble...what do you think I am thinking?