Prequel
My trip to the US was awesome and just the rejuvenation I needed to get me thru this last chunk of my service. I got to see 2 university campuses that I'm applying to, hang out in (and fall in love with) Chicago and Grand Rapids, eat GREAT food and meet incredible new friends.
Reunited with my favorite Aggie volunteers!
One of my favorite people ever.
Herb bagel with whipped feta!
One of the guys.
Trying to stay warm and deciding the day's plans.
So many colors!
Visiting "Cloud Gate" aka "The Bean" in downtown Chicago
Last dinner in Grand Rapids
Pípe also just got spayed! Not only am I too young to be an abuelita, but for her health and population control, it was necessary. Dogs don't get spayed or neutered down here at all, and the fact that I got the surgery done (which is super routine, even though I was nervous the whole time she was there), people question me as to why I did it. I explain the population control, and in the end, after weird looks, they "kind of" get it. Ideally, I'd like to think I inspired people to do it to their pets, but I think that kind of progressive thinking, unfortunately, is still a long ways off. I had a Nicaraguan vet do the operation, which cost a little less than $40 dollars, and the little trooper is still recovering strong! We haven't gotten back to our normal morning walk routine, but in a couple weeks, we should be back to it!
The patient the morning before going into surgery
Chest rubs are the best!
Mamala and Podge: She loves getting her chest scratched; just an FYI ;)
Rocking the cone of shame like nobody's business.
Taking a stroll in the neighborhood.
So now...the big news!
It's official! As I sent my sitemate off upon coming back from the states, Nica 57, the group of Environment and English volunteers, finished their service. Essentially, this means that my group, Nica 58, is now in the beginning stages of finishing OUR service! It's so surreal.
The "COS" (close of service) process usually starts about 3 months out from the final date of service, which is projected to be March 28, 2014; for us, the process starts next week.
On Monday, we have a "LPI" (language proficiency interview) with a language facilitator from the training office. This LPI will determine our level of Spanish. I've known volunteers who pass at the level of "Superior", aka fluent, and others who are still in the "Intermediate" range. I know my Spanish is not perfect, but I'm aiming to get at least "Advanced-Intermediate" with my interview. (Side note: with each level, they have 3 rankings: Low, Intermediate and Advanced. Advanced Intermediate would be the middle of the road Advanced; nothing to scoff at!)
After our LPI, our group will be together for the rest of the week at our COS conference. There, we will talk about highlights of our service, readjusting to the US and future plans/goals we all have. This conference is several days long and will be held at Vistamar, the same venue that I assisted at the HIV conference at the beginning of October. BYOBS (bring your own bathing suit!)
From there, we will learn the next steps of finishing our last 3 months (seriously, typing that I'm almost done with my service is so odd for me). Finishing tasks include a 3-day medical checkup to be done in February, a staff presentation to the entire PC Nicaragua staff and the US Ambassador, Phyllis Powers, about the Health project and what we all have individually done as PCVs in our sites, a despedida (going away party) for our group, and finally, ringing the bell.
This is nuts. I've also heard that 6 people, of the remaining 15 in my group, are applying to extend their services. Some for a few months, others for an entire year. If you asked me if I saw anyone extending a year ago, I maybe would have said 1 or 2, but 6?! I'm excited for them and I wish them the best of luck, too.
So, alongside all of those exciting things, what am I up to the rest of my time here? I previously mentioned in my last post a couple of events. I just finished with the mobile population survey training and will be executing surveys at five coffee farms: 3 in Jalapa, 1 in Estelí and 1 in Madriz. We will be visiting the Jalapa farms in December and my counterpart and I will be assisting two other PCVs in Estelí and Madriz in January.
The PCV survey team and some Nica counterparts
I will be celebrating Christmas here in Jalapa with my Nicaraguan friend and her family at their new house in the community of La Loma, which is about 10km from Jalapa. They took me there a couple weeks ago to show me their house which used to belong to the Somoza family. After some renovating, the 8 BEDROOM house looks beautiful and I'm excited to spend time there with their family.
Picking chilis on the property
For New Year's Eve, I am going back to Pearl Lagoon on the Atlantic Coast. I just can't get enough of it! My friend from San Carlos has never been, so the two of us are making the trek to celebrate the New Year, and with our friend who is volunteering in Pearl Lagoon, we will all travel to the OTHER side of the country to a beach town in the department of Chinandega called Jiquilillo. The three PCVs from every corner of the country are uniting in the FOURTH corner. It'll be a lot of traveling, but totally worth it.
Along with the surveys in January, my counterpart and I are hosting the second half marathon in Jalapa. We had originally planned for December, but the schools are all ending during the time we were scheduled and with all of the family involvement, there would not have been much Nicaraguan participation. The ISLA brigade from Minnesota will also be arriving in January, so I'm looking forward to translating with them again while they're here.
In February, along with medical checkups, I will be a counselor in the Youth Leadership Camp in Jinotega. I'm looking forward to that and uniting youth from every department of Nicaragua, and getting to see the types of cultural exchanges happening between everyone. The "MEDICOS" brigade also comes toward the end of February to Jalapa, and I will be translating for them, too. We will get word as to the date of our Staff Presentation, but I'd imagine it, along with our despedida, will be held in February.
That brings us to March! I don't have any plans except to say my goodbyes to the Jalapa community (I don't write these words lightly; it's going to be rough), finish my service and come home!
Whew. With all of that, I can only think that I can blink my eyes a couple of times before I'm on a plane with Pípe towards Colorado. Can you believe it?