Lose yourself

Some of you may know that my decision to apply to the Peace Corps was impulsive. I believe it was the day after Halloween, I just had a terrible friend break-up (which is obviously WAY worse than a regular break-up), I went to a party with the same people from high school, which was fun, but I realized that just wasn’t who I was and I needed something more. I woke up on Sunday morning with a killer headache and the travel bug. I ordered a pizza, went down to the basement (the darkest place in the house, lights were the enemy that day) and I spent hours applying to the Peace Corps. Just like that, I had made the first step in changing my life. What none of you know is that after I sent in my application, I became OBSESSED with internet-stalking everything to do with the Peace Corps. I was so obsessed in fact; that I created a secret Peace Corps board on Pinterest. I pinned links to different PC blogs, recipes, remedies for bug bites but mostly I pinned inspirational quotes to keep me motivated on this long journey. Cliché, I know, but it helped. Anyways, one of these fabulous quotes is by this dude Gandhi, maybe you’ve heard of him? He says “the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”. I didn’t really know what that exactly meant when he said “lose yourself” as I felt pretty confident in my identity and the knowledge of who I was. However, over the past couple weeks, I realized that my “identity” or at least my silly concept of the word had been ripped out from underneath me and I felt truly lost.

Colombians are quick to label and I am constantly reminded of my more visible identity components as I am called Gringa, Mona (blondie), Teacher, Blanca (white girl) or, once after a large portion of salchipapas, Gorda (fatty). Up until this point, I have accepted this. The labels are who I am, they will not change (well hopefully the fatty one does) and that is ok. I will always be a heterosexual, Irish-Polish-Czech-German-Catholic, middle class, white girl, but there is so much to me that isn’t as concrete. The other pieces of our identity that aren’t so visible are the ones that are constantly evolving. If we allow them to remain stagnant or if we trap ourselves in one box, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment, failure and a pretty dang boring life.

As volunteers, we come here knowing we are going to have to give up little pieces of ourselves in order to integrate into our new home and culture. I didn’t realize how big of a sacrifice it is to truly lose yourself in a new culture and succumb to all of the labels forced upon you, whether you like it or not. If you aren’t careful, you really do start to forget who you are and who you hope to be and you just accept what you are told and put yourself into that box. I started to see myself as only the blonde, American, sometimes fat, teacher and nothing more. Then, all of a sudden, the teachers went on strike, school was closed and I was no longer a teacher. I was just the fat, blonde American who was sitting around her house with nothing to do. I tried thinking of other things to do to occupy my time and contribute to my community and I came up with nothing. All of my ideas centered around the idea that I am a teacher, that is all I can do, if I can’t teach, I am worthless and I should just stay in my house until this strike business was sorted out and I could go back to being me. Obviously, this is not the greatest place to be, mentally and I started to be big grump.

I believe it was my Dad who told me that just by being here, I am making a difference so I should just give myself a break and know that change is happening, whether or not I see it. I realized that I could be much more than a teacher to my community. I can be a friend, learner, neighbor, explorer, mentor, “aunt”, “daughter” and just a plain ol’ fellow human. With the help of my super awesome site mate, Michael, I started participating in more activities. We visited a farm, picked fruit, went to a dance class, learned to play a drum and made friends with the local police. By allowing these people to share their culture with us, we empowered them to become the teachers which probably makes much more of a difference than directly teaching them English. I just had to realize that my identity is constantly developing and that I am much more than the labels others were placing on me. While I still accept the labels and the names they call me, I try to remind people that first and foremost, I am just Jessi. And that is pretty great.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe identity and truly “finding yourself” is something that every person struggles with throughout their entire life. A lot of people probably never discover themselves and just live their lives going through the motions. I think that Gandhi guy was on to something because even though I am still looking for something within myself, I feel much closer to finding it as each day passes.

Pueblo life is still going, more or less, smoothly. We haven’t had running water for about a week so I have been taking bucket showers with brown water. One day, I hope to feel clean again. Our power is out so this means extra sweat without the fan and a dark bathroom to use for a blind bucket shower. The teachers have been on strike for over two weeks but it looks as though the end is near. I, along with Michael, have begun teaching classes to the local police three nights a week. It is super fun to teach people who actually want to learn and aren’t just forced to be there. Plus, they feed us and let us hang out at the station and we kind of feel like we have friends. I’ve also been travelling about the department (state) and visiting my friends. My neighbor is extremely impressed with my knowledge of the inter-departmental bus system and says I know more than her!

It has been extra hot lately and I’ve been getting even more comments than usual about my excessive sweating. I even considered calling the doctor to see if something is wrong with me. Does anyone know if they have invented a face cream that stops your sweat glands from working? I would pay big money for that.

It’s way past my bedtime but I do believe this writing sesh has cured my insomnia. Thanks for reading, friends!

Michael, our awesome cumbia band and I after dance practice. Michael’s awesome photo editing skills hide how drenched in sweat I am.

There’s no place like home

No, I am not talking about Ralston, Omaha, Fort Collins, Castle Rock or Barranquilla…I am talking about Rotinet. Finally, after two months, this little town is starting to feel like home. I have settled into a nice routine, I’ve made a couple of friends, people know my name and I finally convinced my host mom to let me cook some of my own meals! Not only that, but one of my biggest challenges of my house was not having a ceiling. Remember when I told you that my walls stop and then there is just empty space up until the roof? Well this was starting to have a major effect on my quality of life. I felt like I had no privacy because my host parents could hear everything I was doing, as they didn’t have a ceiling either. Also, the bats were keeping me up at night, when it rained, it rained in my room and everything was just covered in dust. I finally spoke the housing coordinator at the PC and she worked it out with my host family and I paid for my ceiling, but they are giving me a discount on rent. I was so worried about it, I thought it would be such a pain and would cost way too much money. I was so wrong. I went away to Barranquilla, enjoyed the hotel life for two days and when I came back, I paid about $160 USD and BOOM, I now have a ceiling. The only downside is that it traps in all the heat and I now have a sauna. I think a read an article that sauna-sitting is how Britney Spears lost a bunch of weight…here’s hoping!

In addition to teaching secondary students, I began direct teaching primary…K-5. It really isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I don’t really like the younger grades because they can’t do anything and they cry and stuff so that’s annoying. In fact, I am not going to teach Kindergarten anymore because they just aren’t ready. But grades 2-5 are just adorable. For example, a 4^th grade student came up to show me that he had written all of the vocabulary words in his notebook. I told him good job and instead of going to sit down, he gave me a big hug! Get cuter, right?!?! So things like that are adorable but I still prefer secondary.

Outside of school, I have my run club and apparently I am on the girls’ soccer team. I have no idea why all my extracurricular activities are athletic, that’s definitely not what I’m all about in the States. I think the last post I promised to tell you how I got started doing a “run club” so here you go….One day, my host mom asked me to go to mass with her. I said no, because I was planning on going on a run (which is obviously really unusual for me). So I’m running down the big hill in the middle of town and I see a bunch of people in the middle of the street. As I get closer, I realize that the church service is going on right there, in the middle of MY running path (how dare they!) It was too late to turn around so I just kept going, right through the middle of service. People were waving to me and I tried to wave back as inconspicuously as possible. It was so embarrassing. Then, I encountered a herd of cattle on the path I like to take along the basin so I couldn’t go there, but I didn’t want to go back up the hill through the service. I ended up crawling through a pig sty, a chicken coop and climbing a rock wall to get back to my house. Total running time: 4 minutes. Anyways, the next day at school, the third grade teacher came up and said she saw me running, I was like uhhh yea so did half the town. And she scolded me for not inviting her. This woman is about 40 years old and on the first day of school was introduced to me as “La Gorda Bella” (The Fat Beauty). People are constantly making jokes about her weight…which is offensive and terrible in the US but it is part of the costeno culture which I will address in another blog. So I told her, I’m sorry I didn’t think you were interested and she said well I am! So I told her to come by the next day and we would start running. Now, you can find us every Monday, Wednesday and Friday out and about town, usually with a gaggle of children following us. She said she is already starting to feel better about her body and people have come up to me and said they have noticed a weight loss in her ever since she started running with me. So far, this has been my most rewarding experience.

Now, on to my soccer experience: One day, the PE teacher came by my house and said he knows I like to work out (I don’t) and I probably don’t get a great work out with the run club and would I like to work out with him some time (I didn’t). I said yes because I am desperately seeking friends and any sort of social interaction. He said that tomorrow, after he coaches soccer practice for the school girls’ team, we would run hills together (what a punishment). Now, in my attempt for further social interaction, I asked him if he needed help coaching. He asked if I played soccer before and I was like oh yea I played for years when I was little and I played on a team in Barranquilla. LIES LIES LIES! I couldn’t help myself. So the next day, I go to practice and I just hang back to wait and see what he needs me to do. Apparently, my espanol needs a bit of work and instead of helping coach, I agreed to PLAY on the girls’ soccer team. OMG So now it is me and a bunch of 13-15 year old girls running around on a concrete soccer field trying to kick the ball. I obviously look like a giant ogre compared to these dainty little teenagers and I was playing terribly, so of course half the pueblo came out to watch the gringa play soccer. I was trying to act all cool and said I was holding back because “I don’t want to hurt anyone.” I started jogging towards the ball and the next thing I knew, I was laying on the ground with a bruised ass, scraped up elbow and hands and an irrevocably damaged ego. We actually have soccer practice today and I am hiding in my room writing this blog post instead. I just can’t bring myself to go out there again. We all know I am no stranger to making a fool of myself but that had to be one of my top 5 most embarrassing moments of life.

I finally found the super, secret internet connection in school so hopefully my posts will be more frequent. While I currently consider Rotinet my home, they say home is where the heart is and my heart is back in Castle Rock, nestled in my bed at my mommy and daddy’s house, with my puppies laying next to it. My mom and brothers are visiting in May and as excited as I am, I’m already dreading the thought of their leaving. Thank goodness I have fun adventures planned for this summer! I’m sending you all a big, sweaty, virtual hug! ❤

The one about school

Hola amigos! I’ve rewritten this introduction 4 times because I feel awkward that’s it’s been so long since my last post and I don’t know what to say! I kind of forgot how to write a blog in my 5 weeks of being in my new site. I honestly haven’t written because I felt like a loser because I didn’t think I had anything cool to say but now that I’ve started writing, my brain is going crazy with ideas and I’m pretty sure this post is going to be one of my long rambles.

Ok, I’ll start by telling you about my school since it’s my main job. As I think I’ve previously mentioned, my pueblo is an agricultural/fishing village and as such, the school is a technical school that focuses on these two professions. The students were trying to explain it to me one day and apparently upon graduation, they will all be certified “farmers” (for lack of a better word). So that’s pretty cool but many students also plan on going to college after graduation. Colombian schools are very different than schools in the US. For instance, there aren’t really elementary schools and high schools, one institution hosts grades K-11 (most schools don’t have a 12th grade). However, there are usually too many students so the school day is broken up into “jornadas” and half the students attend school from 6:30-12:30 and the other half from 12:30-5:30. At INETAR, my school, the bachillerato, or grades 6-11, go in the morning jornada and K-5 is in the afternoon, however there are some exceptions to this. Because the high school students have more than 6 subjects, they don’t see every teacher every day. Most subjects are taught only three times per week. This is fun for me because that means every day is different. There are no English classes 1st period so I don’t go to school until 7:50, thank goodness. If you think all that’s weird wait until you here the next part….

TEACHERS DON’T HAVE THEIR OWN CLASSROOMS!!!! Instead, each grade has their own classrooms. This means that the students are together all day long and the teachers flit in and out throughout the day. Grades K-9 have two sections each and 10-11 only have one due to drop outs. When I first discovered this fact I was blown away, however now having my own classroom seems absurd. It’s kind of nice moving around and getting to see the two different buildings. However, the building for grades 6 & 7 is honestly the hottest place I’ve ever been in, including tanning beds, hot tubs and saunas. One day I wore khakis and I sweated so much it looked like I peed my pants. TMI???

Right now I am just working with one English teacher and grades 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11 (interesting because 8th grade was my least favorite in the US). I hope to start working with the primary kids soon, partly because they need English but mainly because they think I’m cool. While the set up of schools may be different between countries, the behavior is the same and these high schoolers make just as much fun of me as the kids at Lewis Central did. I really don’t get it because I think I’m essentially the coolest thing since sliced bread, I guess people just fear awesomeness 🙂

Even though I’m mocked in both countries, I will say that the respect that kids here have for adults is literally jaw dropping (I’m not kidding, my jaw dropped at least 3 times in my first week). For example, students passing you in the hallways don’t look away or suddenly become interested in the floor. They stop, look you in the eye and greet you. Some even shake your hand! It’s incredible! Also, if you ask a kid to do something, i.e. erase the board, grab a chair or give you some chips, they don’t scoff in your face. THEY JUST DO WHAT YOU ASK OF THEM! Can you believe it?! Ok, here’s the kicker, if a student sees me standing, whether it be in class or in the hallway during recess, they run away for about 10 seconds and come racing back carrying a chair for me. I’ve never been treated like this in a nice hotel let alone a school! It’s mind blowing but I love it. Not only are the kids respectful, they’re just so dang affectionate! This is taking me A LOT to get used to because I’m not even affectionate by US standards (as my father points out every chance he gets). Here they take things to a whole new level and come up and hug and kiss you. It’s not at all inappropriate for a student to just grab my arm while I’m walking or run up and kiss my cheek. I mean, I guess it’s sweet but it still freaks me out. Especially with the heat! It’s already 100 degrees and I’m drenched in sweat? Why in the world would I want you to touch me? But I just have to remember it’s how they show they care and appreciate me.

With that being said, the kids’ behavior outside of class is pure wild. I’ve seen children climbing on the roof, running and diving through windows and hanging on the rafters. How they have so much energy in the sweltering heat is beyond me. The government has really got to put in some fans or something. Some of the rooms don’t even have lights. It’s been very eye opening seeing how much learning can happen in miserable conditions with nothing more than a whiteboard, a marker and a motivated teacher. It also has made me realize how lucky even the poorest schools are back home.

In addition to teaching during the day, I’ve started outside English classes per the request Of the adorable 6th graders. By request, I mean students showed up on my doorstep one day armed with pencils and paper (don’t get me started on personal boundaries).I was also surprised to see that some of the students who wanted extra learning opportunities were the ones described as “nightmares” by the teachers. I’m not saying that’s not true, but they are pretty cute regardless and how could I possibly say no to kids who are eager to learn? I also just started a running club. Those who know me may think that “running” is code for tv watching and chocolate eating but I promise, we are actually running around the pueblo sweating our butts off while people laugh at us. The story of how run club got started is pretty hilarious but I’ll save that for another day…

There’s a lot more to say but my friend let me borrow her external hard drive and she has the first two seasons of The Mindy Project so I’m going to cut this short. I also don’t even know if I’ll be able to load this with the data plan I’ve purchased for my phone. It took me 3 days to upload a 6 second video to Instagram. That’s why there’s no pictures this time. No wifi=no pics. Sorry amigos but that’s the pueblo life. Hope all is well and you have a very happy St. Patrick’s Day! I’ll be visiting friends, eating Colombian food, wishing it was corned beef and cabbage and dreaming of green beer. Love you and thanks for reading! ❤

PS shout out to the homie MC for yet another blog post title. Check out her blog that is way more organized and actually contains pictures!

https://mcrosher.wordpress.com

That pueblo life

I’m finally in my new home! I arrived Saturday morning and let me tell you, I’ve never been so nervous in my life. Not be dramatic, but the whole drive here, I felt like I was on my way to the Hunger Games (when I told my mom this, she responded “well you basically were!” This, ladies and gentlemen, is why I am the way that I am). However, my fears melted away with the the sight of a the big welcoming smile on my new host dad’s face as he showed me where to put my things and told me if I need anything at all, I shouldn’t be afraid to ask. I unpacked, took a nap and woke up to a yummy lunch. They insist in feeding me every meal and who am I to turn down food? I’m a little disappointed because I imagined myself hiking up mountains to get to school and sustaining myself on half a cup of rice and a small slice of fish a day. However, this is not the case and I am constantly having to explain to them that I do not need to eat 3 large potatoes with every meal. Slowly but surely they are discovering smaller portions. The town is so small and quiet and there is not a whole lot going on, however on Sunday my host dad (more like my host grandpa because he’s 74) took me to the “cancha” or soccer field to watch the local teams play. The games were exciting but my favorite parts were when they had to take a time out to catch the wild pigs, donkeys, dogs and cows that ran out on the field. I thought it was hilarious but no one else seemed to get the humor.

On Monday I woke up at the crack of dawn, literally because we have roosters, and walked over to my new school. There are two buildings on opposite ends of town, so they take about 5 minutes to walk in between them. I went to the primary building first because that’s where I heard the office was but the principal kindly told me that my English counterparts are in the secondary building. So I marched over and even though it was a short walk, I arrived absolutely drenched in sweat. Barranquilla is like Siberia compared to the heat that I’ve experienced here. I walked into a random classroom, interrupted a teacher and asked where the English room was. Lucky for me, I had picked the right room! I was introduced to the 9th grade class and then she took me around and introduced me to the other teachers who were all very welcoming. We went back to class and I got to know the students and we practiced some adjectives. It’s funny how even though they grew up thousands of miles apart, teenagers are all the same. They were shy and giggly at first but as they got comfortable, they crowded their desks around me and asked me questions about life in the States. After class, we walked over to the primary school where I met more staff (so many names!) and spent time in the principal’s office as it is the only place with AC. They just kept feeding me and giving me pop all morning. I’m going to leave here diabetic and weighing 400 pounds if this behavior continues. Regardless of the inevitable weight gain, I feel very lucky to have been placed in a small community where it is clear that everyone takes care of each other. The principal even asked me if I wanted one of the students to escort me home at the end of the day! I assured him I could make the 3 minute walk on my own. When I arrived home, my host family immediately bombarded me with questions as they wanted to make sure I had a good first day. I can’t express enough how friendly and caring everyone here is!

Ok so here are some of the logistics of my living situation. Rotinet, my town, is right off the high way on the way to Repelón, a bigger town of about 15,000. Technically, Rotinet belongs to Repelón and we don’t have our own mayor, hospital or police force even though we are about 30 minutes away. I have electricity! Hallelujah! Also, most of the time, I have running water that comes from a huge container that looks like a giant trash can. However, when the water level gets low, it won’t pump through the pipes and we have to go out and fill up a bucket. The water is mainly rain water or comes from the basin. It’s untreated so definitely not drinkable. I have a water filter provided by the Peace Corps and it’s already filled with algae. The electrical situation is a little dicey and after my first shower, I touched a loose wire and gave myself quite the shock. I had to lie down for a while after that but it was pretty funny. I no longer have my own bathroom which is obviously a bummer but not too big of deal because I only live with my 2 host parents. Their son lives down the road with his wife and 4 year old twin daughters so they are over often. I’m about a 15 minute walk away from the water and our town is surrounded by “mountains” that are really more like bluffs but I can pretend. It’s actually quite a beautiful view. I saw a trail on my walk yesterday that I’m pretty sure belongs to some cattle but never less I plan on exploring it this weekend. There’s never a lack of local “wild life” in the streets and it is not uncommon to see a dog chasing after a loose goat or pig. I’ve learned to distinguish the sounds between crying children, squealing pigs and screaming (?) donkeys. As I think I said earlier, the main industries in this town are fishing, farming and sand gathering for cement making. My school is called Agrocuicola which apparently means agricultural and fishing. The fishing teacher promises me to take me on the field trip where the kids learn to breed the fish and let them loose in the basin. Life certainly has changed but I’m confident that this change is for the better.

The Peace Corps had the foresight to realize we all might be a little traumatized after experiencing pueblo life and arranged a short training in Barranquilla to better equip us to work in rural settings. That’s all good and merry but I’m using this time to soak up as much AC and internet as I possibly can before I return home. This weekend is Carnaval and my counterpart promised to have something for me to wear so I can participate in the dances. We all know I dance like a white girl so wish me luck, friends! Sorry for the lack of pictures, next time, I promise! Whenever you’re feeling down, just remember that a lizard crawled out of my suitcase as I was unpacking, I’m not sure if he’s from Rotinet or if he hitched a ride all the way from Barranquilla. I’m becoming such a wilderness girl 🙂

En Barranquilla, no me quedo

Hola amigos! Can you believe January is coming to a close? Time sure flies when you’re having fun, or in my case reading books and spending hours watching Netflix. You may be wondering why the heck I haven’t updated about school and why I am STILL talking about Netflix. Well, about 3 weeks ago, right before school was set to start and I was going to be liberated from the boredom, I got “The Call.” Since Christmas Eve, some volunteers had been getting phone calls from the Peace Corps office telling them that, for various reasons, they would be pulled from their site and given a new assignment. Some volunteers were moved for safety and security reasons while others were moved because our new country director wants to change the post from primarily urban to primarily rural. So by the new year, 4 of my friends had gotten “the call.” A couple of posts ago, I alluded to the fact that big changes were coming or school was going to start. Well literally 30 seconds after I posted that, my phone rang. It was our deputy director saying that I would have to be pulled from my barrio and placed into a little pueblo, or village, town, whatever you want to call it, outside of Barranquilla in the department (state) of Atlantico. Unfortunately, the office did not have a placement for me and were scrambling around trying to find a pueblo that met the Peace Corps’ strict safety, security and medical standards.

I had no idea what to think. Part of me was relieved that I finally knew and I didn’t have to jump out terror every time my phone rang however, as you all know, I LOVE my host family and my school. I was absolutely devastated to have to tell them that I wouldn’t be able to stay. That, coupled with the fact that I don’t know how well I’m going to handle pueblo life and the uncertainty of the entire situation sent me into a very unhappy place, mentally. Does the Peace Corps even want me here? What the hell am I going to do without 24/7 access to my closest friend, Netflix? Do they have grocery stores in pueblos? Am I going to spend 2 years covered in dirt and sweat? I better not live with cats or birds! These are just some of the thoughts racing through my mind. I don’t consider myself a diva, but I really, REALLY enjoy things like electricity and running water. As if I wasn’t traumatized enough, the water to our house was shut off about an hour after I received “the call” and it stayed off for 3 days. You guys, I could barely stand the smell of myself after day 1. But, you know what? I survived. It was fine. And everyone else was smelly, too! Chalk that up to another humbling experience that reminded me of how privileged I really am. This is just the beginning of a whole new adventure. Plus, roughing it totally builds character, right? 😉

So while I was sitting around, obsessively checking my phone and email for word from the Peace Corps, I google-stalked every pueblo in Atlantico. Obviously, I was hoping for a place right on the beach but I was regretfully informed that there will not be any spots along the coast. So, I started to find my second-dream destination. Let me tell you, it was slim-pickins’. As time dragged in, I became more and more despondent. I watched all of my friends go to school and chatted with my would-be coworkers and I was going out of my mind. This dark spiral led me to the conclusion that while I may love it, Netflix is not a healthy coping strategy for stress and boredom. I started working out every morning and spent my time reading, studying French and learning geography. I stopped feeling so worthless and began to enjoy my free time.

Today, I got “The Call 2.” Finally, I have a placement! I will be going to Rotinet, on the south-west side of Atlantico. I’m not TOO far from the beach and my town sits right in the edge of a reservoir! Hopefully it’s clean enough to do some swimming. According to google, Rotinet has a population of 6,000 and is near the site of the world famous egg arepa festival! Exciting stuff, huh? A small town will be a huge change from Barranquilla, which has a population of about 2 million. I will be about 2 hours away from my current home and to the west, is Cartagena, a super cool city that is only about 2 hours away. I’m feeling so excited to start my new Peace Corps experience and get to work! I’ll move next week so I’ll have more details about my host family and school then. A HUGE shoutout to my friends and family, Colombian and in the US who put up with my whining and mood swings. Mucho amor! ❤️

So this is the department of Atlantico and that little blue star is my new home!

That tiny blue dot is where I am, more or less, in relation to all of Colombia.

Rise up, friends 💪

My free entertainment for the day

This post isn’t an update or one of my awkward commentaries on life or the pursuit of happiness (sometimes I like to pretend I’m philosophical). This is just a little reflection on some of my favorite, funny or just memorable moments of life thus far in the Colombian coast. This mostly for my entertainment because it’s free and we are at the end of the pay period so my funds are low (actually nonexistent, whoops!)

In no particular order…

*Meeting my first host family and their bright, beautiful smiles and hugs instantly putting me at ease.
*Meeting my second host family and my new mom immediately calling me baby, sweetheart and my love while helping me unpack and set up my new room
*First time trying arroz de coco. Seriously. The food on the coast is less than impressive but coconut rice is completely life changing and never ceases to make me incredibly happy.
*Becoming BFF with a 15 year old boy with sparkly fake nails at English camp and bonding over our love for Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato.
*Adele sing a longs with my host sister.
*Exploring Boca de Cenizas (where the river meets the sea) on a random Wednesday with my amigos.
*Being absolutely terrified to cross this “bridge” (slab of wood between two giant rocks) and a random fisherman coming over, telling me not be afraid and holding my hand while I cross. When I turned around to thank him, he had already gone back to his fishing spot.
*Cumbia dancing on the patio with my new family at our fiesta for Noche de Velitas and my quiet host uncle giving me a thumbs up when I had finally, semi-mastered the ridiculously easy steps. 👍💃
*First beach trip to Puerto Colombia. Not only was it a great trip, but it was also the first time I felt comfortable enough to leave Barranquilla without the PC help and navigate the inter-pueblo bus system. We also found a great lunch spot on the beach that serves my fav…arroz de coco!
*Dancing to Prince Royce live while surrounded by friends was a magical experience. Plus he is a total babe 😉
*My host mom is constantly shocked at my strange eating/cooking habits and has taught me the “costeño” way to make things such as spaghetti, beans and rice, juice and….of course….arroz de coco!
*Eating my first Colombian hot dog was just the best. My old host mom, bless her heart, didn’t have a lot of variety in her repertoire of meals and one night I just could not stomach eating dried beef and plain rice so I told her I wasn’t hungry. She went out and bought me a street hotdog. At first glance, I was terrified. This giant bun was stuffed with two hot dogs, lettuce, shoe string potato chips and at least 3 different types of sauces, including a sweet pineapple sauce. However, it was love at first bite. 😍
*My host family surprised me with a pudin (cake) on my birthday and had the coolest candle ever for me to blow out.
*Spending Christmas Eve drinking wine on the roof of Hotel Caribe and watching the puny fireworks show with two fabulous ladies was the perfect cure for homesickness.
*Spending Christmas on a beautiful beach with my beautiful friends drinking beautiful beer and eating beautiful food 😊
*After being in my new house for about a week, I came down with a little tummy illness. My host mom told me to wake her up in the middle of the night if I was feeling sick and she would sit with me.
*Seeing lizards crawl on the walls in the kitchen and being happy that they are there (they eat the bugs!)
*Celebrating the start to Carnaval season and having foam fights in the street.
*Being incredibly hot and dehydrated at the Prince Royce concert and getting an ice cold bottle of water by the local police, who don’t always have the best reputation.
*Getting caught in an arroyo and then saved by MC who took me up to her apartment and her host mom made me my first homemade arepa. Yum!
*Finally realizing the comedy behind the treacherous heat on the coast by (unintentionally) making a sweat angel on my bed.
*Buying a delicious street arepa out the window of the bus while we were stuck in traffic and then having the driver wait for me to pay even though traffic started moving. Gotta have my snacks!
*Searching for soccer jerseys on the day of the big COL vs. USA game and our wonderful taxi driver not only taking us to a spot he recommend but bargaining with the vender to get us the best price.

Last but not least…
*Standing at the bus stop and watching a motorcycle fly by and realizing that the woman on et back was breast feeding her baby.

There are so many more wonderful memories I have made so far but for some reason, these little ones came to my mind today. I hope I’ve been able to show the kind, generous spirit that is so prevalent here on the coast. Thanks for indulging my cheap entertainment, friends! Big changes are coming, expect an update next week. Paz out, amigos!

The fabulous Jassir, with whom I share a passion for female pop superstars.

Exploring Boca de Cenizas

The aftermath of our foam fight.

Our first beach trip! The beautiful pier, our view from our lunch spot and our yummy meal of sancocho (the soup), patacones (fried plantains), pescado frito (fried fish) and, of course, arroz de coco!!!!

Christmas on the coast 🌴☀️

Hotdogs in Colombia>hot dogs in the US

Dancing Queen 💃👑 (I promise my top didn’t fall down)

Mis hermanas 💗

Don’t worry, be happy :)

As many of you know, I have been living in a state of perpetual boredom since our swear-in back in November. I’ve had some adventures sprinkled here and there to spice things up but my daily life is super dull. A few weeks ago, I decided to watch the documentary “Happy” on Netflix. The producers filmed people from all over the world trying to discover the root of happiness. There was one story that really stuck with me. There was a man living in a shanty town in India who drove a rick-shaw, taxi thing for a living. By American standards, this man and his family live in extreme poverty, however he identifies himself as a happy and successful individual. He says he is surrounded by family and good neighbors, what more could he possibly need? Since I heard his story, this man has been on my mind as I explore my way through the Caribbean coast of Colombia.

On my last post, I spoke about my trip to “Boca de Cenizas,” a narrow peninsula where the Magdalena river meets the Caribbean sea. Along this peninsula are tiny little shacks with makeshift walls and tin roofs. It is clear that these people have next to nothing, however on their houses they have all hung signs saying how they enjoy their simple life living on the edge of South America. During our hike, we encountered several fisherman who live on the peninsula and make a modest living by selling their daily catch to the local restaurants. They were some of the cheeriest, smiliest people I have ever seen. We also saw children playing amongst the rocks, squealing with delight as a wave crashed into the side of the peninsula creating a little puddle from them to splash around in. To an outsider, this community appears to be devastated by poverty, buried in garbage and in desperate need of intervention. However, once I took a closer look, I realized that these people need nothing from me yet I have so much to learn from them.

That was not the only time my privileged-American self has been humbled in this country. In December, a few volunteers and I signed up to do a mass emergency housing build in a pueblo outside of Barranquilla. We were broken up into small teams and each paired with a local family who was in desperate need of housing. We spent two days building a sturdy house with four walls, a wood floor, poly glass windows and a tin roof. Again, my privileged self was shocked at the poverty that these families were living in but the smiles on their faces, their generosity and pride when they fed us and their joy when they cut the ribbon on their new home were priceless. These are people who are truly grateful for everything they have and are surrounded by love.

These lessons on happiness have been paramount to my mental health because, truthfully, I have not been doing so well lately. I feel stuck and utterly useless. On one hand, I am living in a beautiful country with my amazing friends but on the other, I am missing my family and all of the comforts of home. The real issue is too much free time. I am anxious for school to start and the real work to begin. This, coupled with the fact that our program in Colombia is rapidly changing due to people being moved out of their urban sites to rural pueblos has everyone on edge. I think things will improve next week, either a big change is coming my way or I start work. Either way, I’m excited for this adventure to continue!

The holidays on the coast were wonderfully warm. My buddy MC came in from Santa Marta on the 23rd and after a soccer game with our homies, we had a sleep over. On Christmas Eve, we spent the night basking in the air conditioning in our friend’s hotel room and Christmas Day was spent lounging on the beach. Not too shabby, eh? I went to Cartagena for the Enrique Iglesias, Daddy Yankee and Prince Royce concert on the 28th and stayed there through the new year. Besides having my lifetime dream of seeing Prince Royce fulfilled, I spent time exploring Cartagena, chilling at the beach drinking rum and coconut lemonades, watching fire works on NYE and spending the 1st on a little farm outside of the city, once again being humbled by the generosity and kindness of complete strangers.

I’m trying to remember that happiness is a choice that we must make every day and it comes from being grateful for this beautiful life we’ve been given. I truly appreciate my family and friends who have been here to remind me of this as I’ve struggled the past couple of weeks. Good things are on the horizon, I can just feel it. ¡Feliz año, amigos! I hope 2015 is full of love and adventure for you all ❤️

Post Swear-In Life

It has been so long since I’ve last updated! I wish I had a ton of exciting news to report but not much has happened. It’s weird, I feel super busy some days and others I’m paralyzed by my boredom. It has been 3 weeks since we swore in as volunteers and began 2 months of “vacation.” Some of us moved and are spending time getting to know our new sites, some of us are visiting schools and meeting neighbors and probably all of us are binging on Netflix and reading whole novels in one day. It has been challenging not having a set schedule living in an urban setting makes it challenging to integrate in my community, however I’ve found some stuff to occupy my time.

After swear in, we had one week off which I spent watching “Homeland,” hanging out with other volunteers and settling in to my new house. The next week was the All Volunteer Conference, where every PC volunteer in Colombia was whisked away to a nice little hotel by the beach. We spent our days in meetings and our nights by the pool, tough life, huh? This year, the conference coincided with Thanksgiving which was nice because we were all together. The food was less than impressive and there were no mashed potatoes or pumpkin pie which was absolutely devastating. However, I spent the rest of the afternoon at the beach. I missed my family desperately but was happy to be surrounded by such good people. Black Friday lived up to its name, but not for the usual reasons. It marked the end of the AVC which meant we had to say good bye to our friends not placed in Barranquilla. This was harder than last time because we aren’t sure when we will see each other next. The tension was thick and everyone was a little off, I know I didn’t feel like myself. I spent the rest of the weekend hanging around the house and wallowing in self-pity, which based on conversations with other volunteers, isn’t unusual.

On Monday I pulled myself out of bed and went to the beach. It was just what I needed to reinvigorate myself and get ready for an English immersion camp I volunteered to help with the rest of the week. Tuesday was our planning meeting and in Wednesday camp began. The camp wasn’t in Barranquilla but a little pueblo outside of town. I had to catch a bus at 620 to make the 7 am bus out of town. As you may know, I can’t function before 9 am so I arrived to school in a zombie-like state, unsure of what to expect. Everything we have learned about the relaxed lifestyle on the coast still did not prepare me for what came next: an empty gym and a bummed out English teacher. The woman in charge of recruiting kids for the camp forgot to do her job and no had shown up. We were all a little deflated but left with the promise that tomorrow, kids would be there and ready to learn.

The day wasn’t a total loss because we decided to go to Boca de Cenizas, the point where the sea meets the Magdalena River. We took a little “train” out to a shanty town on a narrow peninsula. A 30 minute hike over some rocks later and there we were, at what seemed like the edge of the world. It was absolutely breath taking. I have a whole other blog post planned which will detail the trip. Just know, that if you plan on visiting me, we will definitely be making the trip out there.

The next two days of English camp were a blur. We had about 20 campers and we were divided into 4 teams, each with a different country name. I was a counselor for team Italy and even though we didn’t win a single competition, the kids had an absolute blast. It was a great learning experience for both them and me. It was amazing to see how these teenagers participated in every silly game we planned for them and how excited they would get upon receiving a little sticker to reward them for their efforts.

One day after camp, I had to rush back to Barranquilla for my school’s graduation ceremony. I was extremely nervous as I walked into the country club that had been rented out for the occasion. I didn’t even know these kids and had only met a few of the teachers, however right when I walked in the doors a woman welcomed me by name and showed me to my seat, which was in the front row! The rest of the ceremony went smoothly and was fairly comparable to ceremonies in the states….long and boring. A musical intermission with a man covering Enrique Iglesias, a Lion King-style presentation of one of the graduate’s children and a champagne toast with the students spiced things up a bit 🙂 The second the ceremony was over, someone handed me a small bouquet of flowers and my coworkers rushed me out so we could beat traffic and get the party started. We went to dinner and then to a club. The thought of my 545 alarm and my 1.5 hour commute to camp was in the back of my head all night so I ducked out early. I had a blast and it was great to already feel like a part of the staff.

Tonight is the “Eve of the Immaculate Conception” which is apparently a very big deal here on the coast. It’s confusing because Christmas is 3 weeks away…shouldn’t the immaculate conception be celebrated in March? Regardless, we are hosting a big party and I get to meet all of the extended family. It should be interesting. This weekend I’m off to a pueblo to help build a house for a family in need. Fingers crossed I don’t lose a limb or end up in the hospital! Happy Holidays, friends. On Thanksgiving, I spent some time reflecting on all of the joys in my life and I am thankful for each and every one of you. Besos! 😘❤️

Team Italy in action! 🇮🇹

Boca de Cenizas

Some motivation to get through the next few weeks before school starts. 👊

It’s official!

I’m a Peace Corps volunteer! Goodbye to trainee status and all of the terrible rules that come with it! Last Friday, I, along with 31 of my amazing friends, took an oath (in front of the US ambassador!) to uphold the constitution and some other stuff I can’t remember. I’m not one for ceremonies since they are typically snooze fests, however this one wasn’t so bad. The ceremony began with a speech welcoming all of the important guests and press, then we were introduced by our program manager. We each had to turn around and introduce ourselves to the audience (in Spanish!) Apparently, I did such an amazing job, El Heraldo, the local newspaper snapped a picture of me and used it for their story, here is the link. Actually, I just think they chose me because, besides one other blonde dude, I’m the most gringa looking person in our group.

Introducing ourselves was mildly terrifying, but then we listened to a speech from the ambassador and the mayor of Barranquilla. I was starting to get restless but then we got to watch a 10 minute performance of native Colombian dances. It was absolutely mesmerizing and I cannot wait to learn how to dance just like them! There was a closing speech and then we watched this really amazing video about the Peace Corps’ history here in Colombia. The movie was called “Hijos de Kennedy” (because, as you all know, the PC was founded by JFK). It showed all of the work that the Peace Corps did during the 60s and 70s. Unfortunately, PC had to pull out in the 80s and suspend the program due to all of the violence. Luckily, this beautiful country has made a turn for the better and in 2010, they reinstated the program. The current president was even interviewed about all of the work we are doing here. It was super inspiring and it also made me proud to part of such a respected organization.

The days of training leading up to swear in were rough. I think the realization that the training wheels were about to come off and our group would be split up finally started to sink in and we were all in a funk. However, on our very last day we completed the tradition of reading our commitments to service. This really reinvigorated everyone and reminded us all why we are really here. As some of you may know I did not have to sigma contract to join the Peace Corps, it’s not like the military where I have to complete X number of days of service and I get penalized if I leave early. Truthfully, I can leave whenever I want. Instead of signing a formal contract, the Peace Corps asks us to make commitments of service. These commitments, in my opinion, are more meaningful than a contract because I am the only one holding myself responsible for completing this journey. To be honest, I was kind of annoyed when I found out that not only would I have to write my commitment, read it aloud in front of my fellow trainees and other PC staff, but I was dreading listening to 32 other speeches because I had assumed they would all be the same. Shocker, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Seeing the drive, passion and commitment that my peers have for this work was inspiring.

Ironically enough, the day we swore in and committed ourselves to two years of service, Colombia played USA in soccer. Sorry folks, but I rooted for COL all the way! Some of us even went out and bought jerseys to wear on the chiva that night. What’s a chiva, you ask? Well, a traditional chiva is a rickety old bus that used to transport farm workers, ranchers, animals and anything else you can think of from pueblo to pueblo. There are still chivas like this, but in the concrete jungle of Barranquilla, chivas a party busses that take you around the city to different salsa clubs, which is actually unnecessary seeing as they have a live band playing on the bus. We had so much fun blowing off steam and celebrating making it through 11 weeks of training. On Saturday, I woke up and moved down south to my new barrio. My new host family is amazing, it is just an older woman and sometimes her husband (he lives out of town for work). My barrio is a lot livelier than my old one, hopefully one of these nights they’ll turn down the music so I can get some sleep. However, I think I’m going to be very happy here. I’m about 200 feet from my school and so far, all of the neighbors seem super friendly. Also, when I spent all day at the beach today and when I came home, my new host mom cleaned my room because she knew I’d be tired 🙂 I’m so lucky.

School is almost out for the “summer” so we have some relaxation time over Thanksgiving and Christmas and then school starts back up in January. I hear everyone back home is a little chilly? I sure felt sorry for you all today while I was splashing in the waves 😉 Talk soon, amigos. Stay warm! Xoxoxo

P.S. Here’s my commitment to service:

Before embarking on this job, I had no expectations or plans because I didn’t know what to expect and I didn’t want to be surprised or let down. I did, however, have hopes. I wanted to find myself immersed in a new culture, helping others by sharing my experiences and learning from locals and other volunteers. I hoped to feel welcome, valued and supported by the Peace Corps, other volunteers and the community. I was scared to leave the comforts of home and being surrounded my friends and family but I hoped to find a new home in Colombia. Since this journey has began, everything I had hoped for has come true. There have been challenges we’ve had to face and there are many more to come but I feel confident and ready, especially because I know we will face them together. M short time here has taught me that I can stop hoping because I’m no longer taking a chance or a leap of faith. I’m committing myself to 24 months if service, learning, personal growth and adventure. I make this commitment not only to the Peace Corps. But to Colombia, CII-6*, my community and myself. I am far from perfect and I still have so much to learn but I promise to listen, be present, open and always humble. This the beginning of amazing journey and I promise not to take this privilege for granted.

*CII-6 is the name of our cohort. C=Colombia, II=the second time the Peace Corps has had a presence in Colombia and 6=the sixth group that has been here in the second round of volunteers. Last year’s volunteers are CII-5, next year we’ll meet CII-7. ¿Comprende?

All of us after swear in with some of the PC staff. We’re looking pretty sharp, huh?

Soccer jerseys on the chiva!

My neighbor and best buddy, MC, who left me today for Santa Marta 😥

This is me awkwardly talking while our country director, ambassador and mayor look on.

Roots and Wings

I was sitting at the mall last night with my friends (yes I’ve regressed to my middle school habits since being in Colombia) and I saw a man with his baby girl in his lap. They were playing peek-a-boo and it was just the cutest thing. This was my third baby encounter of the day and it got me thinking. I’m totes ready to start a family. Kidding! It made me think about my parents. I obviously don’t remember being a baby, but I do remember being small enough for my dad to throw me up in the air and catch me or sit on his stomach, leaning on his knees with my feet on his chest while he read me story. If I have those memories, I’m sure my parents do, also. Now, I’m all grown up and if I sat on my dad I would probably crush him. How strange it must be to go from holding your baby in your arms to watching them leave home to move halfway across the world where you can’t be there to protect and provide for them. I’m so lucky to have parents that completely support me and my dreams, which include traveling and living far away from home. Last night I found myself wondering if that baby girl would grow up to leave her family for her own adventure just like I did. Watching the way her dad interacted with her, it seemed impossible.

As Peace Corps Volunteers we hear all of the time what a wonderful, selfless endeavor we are embarking on. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “you are such an amazing person!” Obviously, I love it and never get tired of hearing it, however I’m not sure it’s totally accurate. As we get closer to swear in, we are thinking about our commitment to service and I think we all agree that none of us are selfless, Mother Teresa saviors who have given up our lives to service. We all made the conscious choice to come here because we wanted to help and make a difference, but also know that we are gaining so much from this experience, whether it be adventure, personal growth or an awesome line on our resume. However, there are people we had to leave behind in order to do this. People who had no choice in the matter. Because I chose to leave, my parents worry every day, my brothers don’t get to call up their big sister whenever they feel like it and my friends don’t have their crazy partner in crime anymore. The same goes for the friends and families of every PC volunteer. They know we will eventually come back and instead of telling us how much they miss us or that they wish we were there, they support us. These people are the selfless ones, the ones that deserve the praise. I can’t thank everyone back home enough for all of the love and support, especially my family.

We have just under a week until we swear in and commit ourselves to 24 mons of service. It’s both terrifying and invigorating. I’m ready to begin my work but I’m also realizing that all of this real and I’m signing myself up for 2 years of living in Colombia, with my only connections to America being through FaceTime or Facebook. I think I’m ready, at least I hope I am 🙂 While there are certain American comforts I miss, I’m not really homesick. I’m definitely family/friend-sick (is that a real thing?) but I don’t think that will ever go away. However getting hugs and kisses from the girls in our group at CEDESOCIAL, salsa music, hearing my little neighbor shout “buenos días, Jessi!!!” and soccer games with my fellow volunteers make it a little easier.

I love you all! Next post should be all about swearing in so stay tuned! ❤

Second to last day of soccer before everyone heads off to their sites!

CII-6…the most professional group of trainees Peace Corps has ever seen.

Thanks Mom and Dad, I love you.