Feliz Compleanos a Mi!

As today is my 23rd birthday, I am naturally reflecting on my last year and looking back as it really has been quite the year. I spent my last birthday at home with my family, living in Albuquerque and although I loved getting to spend some much needed quality time with my family and get to know better my cousins, I was working a job that I hated and waiting for time to pass more quickly. I received my Peace Corps acceptance letter in the first weeks of May and then walked at my ASU Honors Graduation. I then spent three glorious weeks touring Europe with my sister and Steph and it must be said we got lost only a few times and managed not to kill each other living in so close proximity. I saw London, Paris, Barcelona, and Rome and had the most amazing experience. When I got back to Albuquerque I had said my goodbyes to many of my friends and started preparing to leave. My mom was so great helping me pack. After a fabulous fourth, I boarded a plane to Washington where I had three days of Peace Corps Staging where we shown videos on “Unwanted Attention” and read the Peace Corps goals over and over. Lots of small group discussions and Charla paper. There were fifty of us at staging and I was so overwhelmed by the shear number of people. I was so lucky to have Jessica as my roommate and that we have made it this far still such good friends. And then I arrived in Honduras. I can’t believe so much as happened in the last year alone. My life has completely changed. I live in a small town in the middle of nowhere in my own house after having survived training and three host family experiences. I have made great friends both within the Peace Corps Community and in El Nispero. I can’t imagine what the next year will hold except to say that there will undoubtedly be lots of ups and downs. Hopefully, I will face each new obstacle with the lessons I have learned in the last year and have some amazing adventures! As well as a much needed trip home and maybe some delayed death by chocolate birthday cake!