The midway point…

Even though it still kind of feels like I just got here, we are actually leaving for Field Based Training tomorrow. That means I am officially entering my sixth week in Peru…that seemed so far away when we got our schedules the first day of classes. For FBT my group is going to Lambayeque, about 9-10 hours north by bus. We are basically going to visit current volunteers in their sites to get an idea of what kinds of activities we could be doing. My group is the Special Ed group so I am going to get to see one of the Sped volunteers sites, which I am really excited about doing. While I am terrified that we have to lead a few activities in Spanish during the week, I am really excited to get out of the training center! I think that we have all started to get a little cabin fever, a break from 8-5 classes all day is much needed. We spent 2 hours this morning learning about all of the potential STDs we can contract from sleeping with host country nationals (aka Peruvians), complete with graphic pictures and giggling students – yup just like 7^th grade sex ed :) - So a week out visiting sites is definitely a welcome change of pace.

Little by little I am starting to definitely feel more at home here, like this is actually my life and not some crazy experiment. I am so grateful that my family here is as amazing as they are, and it’s nice to feel like I can have a semi-conversation at the dinner table. I just finished explaining to my brother how some people don’t like the south and think we are less intelligent over dinner, no small feat thank you very much. My mom is so adorably supportive of everything I do, for example last week I got a hug for knowing how to turn the TV on, seriously… I think not being able to communicate definitely decreases people’s understanding of your intelligence level haha. Anyone who has ever had a conversation with me can understand how painful it is for me to be talking to someone and ONLY be able to reply si, esta bien, y que interesante (my life is all que interesante right now because its all I can ever think to reply when I hear a story…)

Some of the highlights from the first half of my time in PST:

- Missing multiple days of class because the transportistas go on strikes apparently quite frequently meaning I can’t leave my neighborhood

- Making challah (jewish bread – I cant spell) and deviled eggs and drinking beers at 2 in the afternoon on one of those days off because our neighborhood is muy tranquillo – aka not so much to do – but I do love it

- Visiting my friends one Sunday in their neighborhood and at the end of a wonderful afternoon hanging out with their families, seeing a dead dog burning in a ditch on my way to the combi

- Making 4 boxes of kraft mac and cheese for our classic American 4^th of July celebration, and being loved for doing so

- Being stared at by everyone, literally everyone… I think I am the first redheaded person some Peruvians have met, I am apparently quite exotic here

- Effectively starting an afterschool girls group with 9 girls in my neighborhood with my youth development group, I didn’t realize how much I missed teaching and working with kids :)

- Moving up a language level to intermediate mid – officially clearing me to go to site!

- Planting my very own lettuce plant – well me and two of the other guys, but still I am growing my own food here people! If starting your own garden in site to feed yourself isn’t peace corps I just don’t know what is. (well at least I am practicing…)

- Having a lesson on responsible drinking behaviors that focused more on how to avoid getting drunk in a Peruvian drinking circle than making any responsible choices of my own

- One afternoon my bro asked me if I was busy because his godfather wanted to meet me… I spent the next 3 hours hanging out with a wonderful old Peruvian couple and their daughter eating cheese, avocados, and hot chocolate discussing everything from the mother’s medial issues, to the problems of teen pregnancy in Peru, to the Who Wants to be a Millionare show…yay for cultural exchange haha J - I love nights like that here

- Realizing that a milky way here costs nearly half of my daily allowance, and buying one every day for the last 3 days anyway

- Starting running again because I have realized that the overwhelming amount of food I am served everyday, which actually made me sick the first week, is now my normal portion of food. Seriously I eat huge plates of rice and potatoes for lunch AND dinner – every day. I think I can out eat Rachel right now, I am not joking that is a challenge for when you visit me. Hence, I need to run or I will return from the Peace Corps quite the gordito – no bueno

- Starting to really feel like I have found friends that click that I can rely on for the next two years here

- Becoming known for drinking too much coffee, haha some things never change

- Meeting a volunteer who has just begun his 4^th year of service – yea 4 years – and still being daunted by the concept of 2 years

- Having the best Burger King whopper of my life at the mall in Lima, and loving being in a stereotypical mall because it felt like home for a few hours, I’m not sure if that’s incredibly sad or not but I loved it none the less

- Trying ceviche for the first time – raw fish cooked in lime juice – it’s amazing by the way (and no I have still not tried cuy)

- Realizing in 6 weeks I will no longer be living in PC study abroad land full of 35 other gringos and this whole thing is about to start in earnest…

Those are all of the interesting/memorable things that I can think of at the moment, and I really need to pack for FBT…