Last Week of Training

After seeing site and meeting my new host family, I was headed back to Lima to finish up training, swear in as an official volunteer, say good bye to my new Peace Corps family, and pack up to move to La Libertad. The only word that can describe that week is emotional. I think I had about 4 meals every day that week to celebrate and say goodbye. The last meal my host fam made me was fried bananas and an egg over rice, my fave, with a bowl of Ramen as a special surprise. I almost cried in my delicious noodle soup. Ha, as if a bowl of Ramen needed anymore sodium. lol

Training itself was a mix of stressful and relaxing, with final language assessments, checks for learning, and other random stuff to wrap up, along with parties, piñatas, and a lot of food. The week ended with a party for our host families on Thursday, followed by swearing in on Friday with the U.S. ambassador there to officially swear us in and our host families there to celebrate with us.

After such a long application process and literally years of waiting for that moment that I could call myself a volunteer with the United States Peace Corps, swearing in was a great feeling of relief and accomplishment for me. I certainly was not alone there and was so happy to be sharing this with 50 of the coolest people I have ever met.

But saying goodbye to those same 50 people the very next day was not as much fun. It's strange to bond with a group so much in 10 weeks, but especially for the youth volunteers that I spent that time with, it was hard to see them go. I know they will all do awesome things and be great volunteers all in their own marvelous ways. One of the few drawbacks of being in Peru is that it is a large country and I know that I will only see most of my fellow Peru 17ers a handful of times of the next two years. Bummer.

We spent our last night celebrating together and then headed off to Lima the next day to go our separate ways. Saying goodbye to my host family and leaving Yanacoto wasn't easy either, but it was all past me before I could even really think about it.

Whirlwind of a week. Commence 2 years of awesomeness now :)

Last day with my language class. 

Celebrating with my Yanacoto friends and fam at the host family party. 

My first taste of ceviche on swear-in day. 

                                                     Host mom and sister after swearing in.