The beginning of a new epocha

B47 official volunteers!

My new home: Sacaca

My last full day’s with the Fuentes family was an absolute treat. Pique Macho was prepared twice, which happens to be one of my favorite plates here; consisting of beef, chorizo, onion, hard boiled egg, rice, french fries and hot peppers. It also happened to be my host brothers 22^nd birthday, so a combined despedida was enjoyed by all in the family. I have become very comfortable here, Bolivia in general, with my host family specifically. The Fuentes’ have opened up their home and arms to me and have really made it such a warm experience. Daily I was asked/told ‘no te vayas Dianita’ (don’t leave little Diana). And my response was always, voy a visitarles mucho (I am going to visit you guys a lot). I chose not to say goodbye, but rather ‘hasta Julio’ (see you in July).

For our last few days in Cochabamba, Peace Corps put us all up in a fancy hotel. It was entertaining to spend the last 3 days of training together to say the least. With the anticipation of moving to site and the termination of a long drawn out training; being in such close proximities to one another called for some really great times. Swear in was a bit anticlimactic, it went fast and sort of felt like a graduation. It felt real good to be sworn in as an official peace corps volunteer, finally - a long awaited moment for us all. My girl Helen gave the best speech during the ceremony and truly has been such an inspiration to me. This journey has been challenging but with people like Helen it makes the hard times easier and the happy times even better. That last day and night with my close crew of B47 was a bit odd. It was strange to have to say, “see you guys in three months”, to people I have grown so close to. We are all so ready to be in our sites, yet it is a bit overwhelming and scary at the same time. We all split ways either Saturday or Sunday to go to our hub cities to purchase the necessary items to live; such as a mattress, stove top, gas tank, etc. If only I could have satellite images of us all loading up our buses with our stuff, haha what a site that must’ve been.

My site mate and I arrived in Sacaca on Wednesday the 23^rd. Already I am running around, being introduced to people, attending meetings, participating in el Dia del Campo with the kiddies (which is like a field day), setting up my home, etc. I am filled with emotions, the majority of which are fantastically good, but I do have those pangs of ‘wow – what have I really gotten myself into’. And believe it or not I actually miss some of the comforts of Cochabamba.

It feels like fall here, the leaves are falling off the trees in the plaza and the temperature drops dramatically at night. However, June is the cold month, or so I have been told: the water freezes and sometimes hail will fall. Thus far, people have been super friendly and the kids extremely curious. It is not out of the ordinary to walk down the street with hundreds of eyes staring. It is a bit strange indeed, but I am getting used to that fact. Garrett and I are the only gringos in site for miles. How strange we must look indeed. I am happy to disprove all of those who said that the people of the Altiplano were frigid and hard to get to know. So far people have been very inviting and friendly as I pass by. It is a strange feeling to think about how far away we live from the city, and how isolated we are here in Sacaca. Yet when I walk through the streets and look into the horizon my reflections become awestruck by what I see around me; rolling mountains, a constant crisp breeze under the blazing sun, cholitas tending their potatos fields and the scattered livestock sprinkled into the scenery as if it were a fairy tale. It truly is such a gift to live in simplicity.

A shakr song sung by my buddies, Andrew, Helen and Ben during swear in:

“Tis a gift to be simple, tis a gift to be free, tis a gift to come down where we ought to be, but when we find ourselves in the place just right, to be in the valley of love and delight. When true simplicity is gained, to vow and to bend we will not be ashamed. To turn, turn, will be our delight, to by turning, turning, we come round right.”