Due to certain circumstances, my site was changed. Feel free to email or call me if you would like more details.
I am now in the department of Cajamarca, in a town called San Pablo. This town is in a valley in the northern sierra of the Andes Mountains and is about 10,000 in population. I am an hour and a half from the capital city of Cajamarca. It is so beautiful. The weather is perfect; there is a cold breeze in the mornings and evenings. During the day the sun is intense but it is not humid. My room is no longer dirt floor but wooden. I am on the second floor of my new (adobe) home and through my window you can oversee the town and big green mountains. You can also see white smoke up in the air from all the cooking. I painted my room with my host brother and sister, got a new mattress and finally feeling settled in. The market is one of my favorite things about this town. On Thursdays and Sundays people from the fields come in and bring their fresh fruit and vegetables. They offer everything you could possibly need; kind of like the swap meet back in the states. I could not have been more blessed with this host family. They are so wonderful. There’s my host mom, dad, sister and her three kids (who I also consider my siblings). They have been the key element to my integration. I adore them all, already.
My first job as a volunteer is to fully integrate into the community. Let everyone know who I am and what my purpose is. I also need to learn all about San Pablo; rainy seasons, holidays, flu season, SWAT analysis, education system, crop season, tourism, economy, etc. So, imagine this: starting from absolute scratch. I know absolutely no one here, the food is so different and heavy on my stomach, I have stomach problems, bed bugs are eating me alive, I miss my friends and family terribly and to top it off, I will be living here for the next two years. The honeymoon stage is over. Where do I begin? What do I do everyday? Will it be weird walking up to people and saying, “Umm, hello, I am the new volunteer.” So many things went through my mind the first few days. Thank goodness for training that prepared us for all of this. Peace Corps is absolutely correct when they say, “It is the toughest job you will ever love.” If I can do this, I can do anything.
So, fast-forward to today. I disinfected my room completely; no more bugs, my host mom is accommodating to my eating habits, my stomach is doing way better, friends and family have sent me letters and call me all the time, my host family now feels like a real one; I even argue with my siblings. I have two counter-parts that introduced me to community leaders, school principals, etc. I personally walked around town trying to meet people. It was a challenge, however, I would not trade this experience for anything in the world. I have confirmed that there is nothing a human being cannot adapt to. I have the necessities to survive, the rest I have no choice but to get used to. So, next time you complain about having to do laundry, be grateful you don’t have to do it by hand. Next time you are too lazy to shower, be grateful you have hot water. Next time you complain about the heat or cold weather, be grateful that a/c and heater are an option. Next time you complain…just think it can always be worse; it makes life that much simpler.
I started working on two primary projects and am going to be really busy these next few weeks. I am going to post on a separate blog what my work will be consisting of. Also, pictures will be posted soon! Thank you for reading this; it means everything to me.
