Say Hello Wave Goodbye

It's late morning on a Sunday and I'm laying in a hammock. I could not be more relaxed. This is a stark contrast from the week leading up to today. I spent the past 7 days running around La Libertad being responsible... who knew that was possible? This past week I led a group of new youth volunteer trainees around our department to share our coastal towns with them and give them the chance to practice their skills in our classrooms. 

As I lay here staring at my feet with not a care in the world, I am happy. I did not wake up at 6 this morning, I was able to sleep in until 8. And I didn't meet with a group and hop in a bus this morning. I love this morning. The week was great, but there is nothing quite like a Sunday morning at the beach. I left Amanda to go to the beach alone this time, unlike most Sunday mornings when I wake up in Huanchaco. Instead I took some time alone. Got caught up on some emails, took a nice long barefoot beach run, then retired to the hammock before some other tourist at our hostel could swoop it from me. After a long and productive week, it's nice to just chill and think about things, or not think at all. The world needs more hammocks. That is a fact. 

To appreciate the value of this tranquil moment, I will share with you some details of the week that brought me here. Peru 19 FBT, La Libertad 2012. 

FBT= Field Based Training. A trip held during training for all new groups of volunteers. Several trips are taken in the same week. The large training group is broken into small FBT groups. This year for the youth program, one group went to the department of Ancash, another to the department of Ica, and one group came up to visit us in the lovely land of La Libertad. Lucky ducks :)

Last year I took this trip to Ancash. It was a random selection for us. No one knew where they would be placed. Same was true for this group. It was a little less random this time around, but they still didn't know their sites at the time of their visit. This year, instead of being a wide-eyed trainee ready to see more of Peru, I was the volunteer leading them around and showing them more of Peru. This was a job I sort of fell into and am very happy to have had. I had a wonderful week and I really enjoyed being able to share in the 19ers growing Peace Corps experience. 

While I was, in a sense, teaching them, I learned way more from them than they could have learned from me. The group of 9 new volunteers I had with me was a group of intelligent, creative, and patient people. They were humble with their language skills, were never late, rarely complained, and gave 100% in all of the activities we had planned for them this week. I was continually impressed by the work they did throughout the week. Instead of writing about all the cool stuff they did, I will leave you with a bunch of pictures at the end of this post. 

Being able to spend time not only with the new volunteers from Peru 19, but also our third year volunteer coordinator -a Peru 13 youth volunteer- made me proud to be a part of the Youth Development program. Plus, I got to see the excellent work my fellow 17ers are doing in their sites. I am a part of a great group with so many opportunities to do incredible things here. 

But to mention the arrival of Peru 19 and neglect the departure of Peru 15 would be a dishonest representation of the week. For as much happiness as I received in working with the new group, I felt equal parts sadness for the exit of some dear friends I've made in the past year. While it was sad and difficult to say goodbye to some very inspiring people, it was very motivational to watch them leave with so much sadness and so much love for their communities. The relationships they made and the impacts they have had while here are real things. I can only hope to accomplish as much as the Peru 15 volunteers have. 

Sorry this has gotten so sentimental, but I had to share. I am a part of something big, something awesome, and something sustainable. It's like that feeling I love so much. That feeling that you are small. It comes when you stand on a mountain. Or get knocked over by a wave while sneaking into the ocean (you know, when you accidentally trip and fall in the ocean mid-day ;) It's the feeling that the world is big. It's giant, and overwhelming, and beautiful. And we are all a part of it. My hope is that these big things I am a part of- the Youth Development program, my community, Peace Corps, my family, the world... that they will be better because I am a part of it. I hope I was able to inspire the new volunteers the way they, and the outgoing 15ers, have inspired me. 

A bittersweet week, but overall very motivational. Sorry for all the mush, but I needed to say it. Maybe it was the hammock that pulled it out of me, or perhaps my nice long beach run this morning (side note- I ran into a very scary looking snake... and I wasn't waring shoes. Almost shit my shorts). Whatever the case, it's the way I'm feeling this morning. Happy, accomplished (at least for the week), inspired, motivated. I will hold on to this the next time Peace Corps or Peru happens and everything comes crashing down ;) 

Thanks for a great week Peru 19, and thanks for an awesome first year of service Peru 15. Suerte y muchos exitos a todos! 

Miss Carlhey making friends in Bello Horizante.

Day 1. 

Gotta love the combi. 

I snuck into the cushy front seat, solo. 

Can't say I haven't learned anything in a year ;) 

Erin and Ali teaching the Guadalupe kids hand washing with their new Tippy Tap. 

Jesse and Anel singing the hand washing song. 

Germ tag! 

I wish this picture could convey the monster noises made during this event. 

Jesse, Anel, Ali, and Erin reading Stellaluna in Spanish for the 'Friendship' part of the lesson. 

Jessica and Ali helping the students at Amanda's Special Ed school make picture frames. 

Betty and Brian helping the Special Ed students paint their Peru map. 

Brian, Evan, and I made French toast Thursday morning :)

The whole group with my English teachers. My teachers loved this. 

Pacasmayo (Half) Marathon

Soooo... I didn't run the Pacasmayo Marathon as I had hoped to, but I ran the half. After seeing the course, I'm pretty glad I didn't run the full. It was a hot, hilly, barren course with very little crowd support. If I change my mind though, there's always next year I suppose. 

BUUUTTT, I did run the half and had a great time doing it. I may be running slow these days, but at least I'm consistent. I ran this one 21 seconds faster than the Lima Half I ran in May. Haha. It was fun. The course was really pretty. Even though it was tough and hilly, I loved running along the beach and through the hills to Jequetepeque and back. And I got to run it with a bunch of awesome volunteer friends, which was great. 

BONUS- I got to help out a couple of my friends who were running their first full. Because there was no crowd support in the toughest part of the course (miles 20-26) I ran out into the desert with Ali, then stayed there and waited for her and Keren to come back around. I ran back with both of them at different times and was able to grab some water and stuff for them. It was really fun helping to pace/ motivate, and just being a familiar face, literally, in the middle of an empty desert. I love races. I'm so proud of those two. They trained at 9,000 feet to run 42 kilometers on a windy, hilly, hot, desert course. BADASS. Glad I got to share their first full with them :) 

I kind of hate this picture of me finishing, but it's all I have, so here it is. 

Finishing the 21K

Our group, from left: 

Amanda, me, Ali, Sue, Keren, Zack, Amanda Rodgers, and her boyfriend Justin. 

So proud of everyone! 

Ooooohhhhhhhh, I have new pictures! Until I am able to write you a new post, enjoy some more pics from race day. Thank you Kelsi Ward and Kim Ayers for the photos. 

Pre-race photo. 

White shirts are for the 10K, green for the 21K.

La Libertad ladies- Erin, me, Gina (our volunteer for the day :), Amanda, and Kelsi 

Damn hill. 

Post-race beer! Wouldn't be race day without it. 

It was so big and I was so tired I couldn't even finish it. Lol. 

Oh, and the matching outfits were a total coincidence. 

Fourth of July in Ascope

In late June, one of my English teacher friends, who is also one of my most helpful socios, asked me to help him throw a party for the 4th of July. He told me he has always wanted to do this, but has never had the time or knowledge of the holiday to make it happen. After some enthusiastic brainstorming and some task delegating with the students, we were on our way to the first ever 4th of July bash in Ascope. 

Like usual, I prefer to show you the pictures rather than babble about the party. But I will say that this was an excellent group effort. One class was in charge of food, another class took care of the music, and another handled the history and decorations. My afternoon classes did the souvenirs, games, and invitations. In the end, it came together perfectly and we had a great party. 

On a personal note, this party was one of those things I needed that I didn't realize I needed until after it was over. I love the 4th of July and summer in Wisconsin. If it weren't for this little party, I think I would have been very sad on the Fourth. During the gathering, I shared pictures of you guys with the students. Pictures from past Fourths and just summer in general. I showed off Bridget's family, good times at Spider Lake, bonfires, fresh berries from Bryan's little backyard collection, the kids with sparklers, golfing with Igler, and more. They were impressed by Bridget's Fourth of July strawberries and pictures of Noah's Ark. It was great to be able to share things like that with them. They always ask me if it's nice where I'm from and when they saw things like Bill and Bridget's lawn and summer flowers or pictures from a camping trip to the UP, they were like, "Wooowwww! Bien bonito!" So now they know that, yes, it is very nice where I'm from :) 

It was hard to choose which pictures to share, so you get a whole pile of them this time around. Hope you like them :) 

Invitations made by my afternoon classes. 

My class making a map of the US. 

The beautiful cake the senior girls made! 

Our spread. I told them that it is common to eat fruits, vegetables, chips, etc. 

I also told them that red, white, and blue jello treats are common. 

Those are red & white jello cups back there. They couldn't find blue jello, so they put blue sprinkles on top. 

Our map. 

Souvenirs! 

Somehow they found this super long version of the National Anthem...

Language games. 

Me and Professor Jhonnie with our giant pieces of cake.

Me and the gang. 

Laptop present for music. We can't do anything without music ;) 

June Recap

It's finally cooling down a little bit up North. June was a chillier month with lots going on. Twas my favorite month weather-wise so far. I kept up on the blog better than usual last month, so you already know most of what went on, but aside from what I've already written, here's what I have to report-

-Started out the month with our second English teacher workshop of four that we will do for the school year. Jake and Teddy came to help, which was awesome of them. We had a good time and the teachers did too. They are a fun group. It's cool how Jake, Teddy, and I are getting to know the English teachers. Later in the month, Jake and I ran into one of them in Casa Grande (neighboring town) and chatted for awhile. My English teachers in Ascope have been a huge help to me too after getting to know them through these workshops. Another one of the teachers sends her son to the classes I teach in Casa Grande. Good things. All good things. 

-Corn prices are down 25 centimos. Kind of a big deal around these parts. Abuelo has gone to protest and I've seen marches in Trujillo at least twice now. 

-June 2nd was my friend Erin's birthday. A group of us headed over to her beach site to hang out with her and celebrate with her host family for the day. They pulled off a great surprise party for her by using our (volunteer friends') taco dinner as a decoy party... which means double dinner for us, but it was worth it to see Erin so surprised. Her host family loves her so much. It was fun to be a part of her day. And you never have to push me too hard to get me to go to Puerto Chicama ;) Oh, and not only did we eat two dinners, but a few of us managed to get 3 birthday cakes that day. Between her surf school, her psychologist socio, and her host family, there was plenty of cake to be eaten that day. And yes, I smashed her face into one of them... but just one, that's better than all three, right? ;)

-Went to my first wake in Peru. One of my socio's lost his mother last month. Sad. It was an experience I value though. 

-June 19th was abuelo's birthday. He has a ton of relative's I hadn't met yet who came over for an afternoon party. I'm always game for mid-week parties. Things were well underway after lunch. Before I left for my class at 3, I was asked to take shots, I played with a Boston Terrier that someone brought with them, and I got to enjoy an afternoon serenade by a cool old uncle who had brought his guitar with him. By the time I got back around 6pm, everyone was thoroughly enjoying themselves and they had saved me a piece of jello cake and the single 30 year-old cousin for a dance. I took the cake first, naturally. Except Willy interrupted me for his dance. Best way to not get a second dance outta me, and perhaps an unenthusiastic first dance, is to deny me food. Especially after an afternoon with teenagers. My stress eating habits + jello cake = a very distracted dance for cousin Willy. He was a cool guy though and a fun dancer, so I let the cake mistake slide eventually. Overall, a good party. I was bummed I missed most of it, but what I got to be a part of was cool. Abuelo is a great person and it was nice to see him so happy with all of his family there on his day. I love birthdays. 

-June 10th marked my anniversary in Peru! One year! I celebrated with the other Peru 17ers in La Libertad by getting fancy drinks. Nicole's parents got free drink tickets during their visit here that they weren't able to use. I love it when things like that work out :)

-I got cheese in the mail :) I wrote about this once already, but I had to throw it in again. It was good cheese too. In it's final and most recent use, it was the star item in a group grill-out. Cheeseburgers! Nom! I made a cheese and potato sandwich, which was also delicious. 

-I taught a load of English classes this month. My after-school classes at the high school continued and I started teaching in the neighboring town of Casa Grande. 

-About the Casa Grande English classes, a lot of June was spent working out an agreement with the Casa Grande sugar company for these classes. Jake and I are teaching English to local kids & teens and the company is supporting our projects for us. Wheeling and dealing to get a fair agreement that works for everyone though was a process, and actually is something we're still kind of working on. After coming to an agreement and beginning the classes, they kind of exploded and we have more students than we can handle. We don't have enough chairs for all of the kids, much less classroom space. This is a good thing though, and we are working on accommodating everyone. It's fun and exciting to have so much interest and support. 

-June 5th was World Environment Day. I celebrated with the Red Ambiental. The meeting that day featured a presentation by an environmental engineer. I love the Red Ambiental. 

-June/ July is visitor season for pcv's in Peru! I am loving this. In June, I met the the other Brittany's family, one of Teddy's friends, the Slack family (Amanda's fam, including her TWIN sister), Jake's family, and a handful of other volunteers' visitors as they pass through La Libertad for one reason or another. It's been great spending time with families and getting to know the people other volunteers are missing so much. 

-I was very busy with a recycling project this month. This project was part one of a series of things I will be doing with the high school on recycling. We did a trash diagnostic project in which I gave about 200 kids plastic garbage bags to save their trash in for one week and return to me. The idea was to get them to see what they use, then to analyze it and discuss, of the items we use, what we can reduce, reuse, and recycle. It worked about as well as I thought it would. Of the 200 bags I gave out, I received 64 of them back the following week. It's better than nothing, and I'm optimistic about the project in general. I think it was good for them to really think about what we use, and to see their use. To have to dig through it and count what they consumed made them think, and that was the point. I'm not totally discounting the ones who didn't bring their bags back. And between the two weeks of presentations I gave on decomposition times and the 3 R's, I'm hoping they took something out of it. I'll keep you updated on this project as it is only just getting started. 

-CAMP VALOR happened successfully. The teen boys I took are still talking about how cool it was. Awesome experience. 

I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but this is already too long. I leave you to the pictures, as usual... 

The garbage I generated in one week. Gross. 

A banner for environment day made from magazine pages. 

Anniversary drinks! 

Giant grapes from the neighbors. So good! 

Grandpa's birthday party. 

Ian entertaining us at the Camp VALOR campfire. 

My half of the English classes at the Casa Grande Library.

Nicole, Sue, and I with the Slack sisters! 

SO great to meet Amanda's family.