One Year Ago Today

Hello and welcome! As of about 1:00 am on September 25th, I have now been in Paraguay for one whole year. It's crazy to think about how fast the time has passed and how different I felt stepping off the plane a year ago. But we'll get more into that later. Now, buckle up for a September recap!

The first exciting update is that my house has undergone some renovations! Even though I have already lived in my casita for 7 months, I still have a year+ to go, so I want to make my space the best it possibly can. And thankfully the Peace Corps helps cover these costs. I purchased a bookcase and had a custom shelf made for my bathroom and also custom extension cords made by my host cousin Walter so that I could move my electric stove and oven around. I love having an organized space, and it feels so nice that all my little trinkets and toiletries now have a place!

Unfortunately this month was also characterized by sickness. I had the annoying runny nose/sore throat combo for about a week, which then turned into a fever for two days. After talking to the PC doctors, they were planning to send me to a clinic in Villarrica, but the fever broke the next morning, thankfully, so I was able to recover at home. But while getting sick sucks anytime, anywhere, it was especially rough this time around since I was not able to work and was therefore cooped up in my house for days on end, feeling terrible and lacking the motivation to be productive. In Paraguay, any kind of minor sickness, whether cold or flu, is all called "gripe" and is usually blamed on a cambia de clima—in which the bipolar hot/cold weather is to blame for getting sick. I usually laugh at this idea, but maybe there is a grain of truth...

But once I was feeling better (after 3 whole weeks of symptoms and a cough that would just not leave), it was back to work! At Digna E., we started a bottle cap mural on the wall of the Trabajo and Tecnología classroom, and at Senavitad, we made adorable little mushrooms from recycled egg cartons! I love combining art and sustainability, so both of these projects were so fun—for me and the kids!

On September 15th, I found myself at the Training Center for the first time since our Reconnect Training in April for a day of "training of the trainers" of C12, the brand new environmental cohort that arrived this past Thursday. This one-day event was spent preparing all the "volunteers of the week" who will be helping out during C12's 10-week pre-service training. We spent the day remembering what it was like to be brand new to Paraguay and the PC and prepared for the sessions we will be co-facilitating. My week is October 5th-9th, and I'm so excited to meet the new trainees; out of any other cohort in PY, these are the people I will have the most contact with for the remainder of my service.

September and October are the season of Intergrados/Intercursos in Paraguay (and much of South America, I recently learned). What is an Intergrado, you ask? It is a sport and recreational competition organized within a school to promote integration among students. I have now attended 4 of such type events, and they always involve a parade of all the grades, an election of a reina (queen) and mister of the evening, a dance or similar exhibition, and occasionally a friendly sports competition (futsal, handball, etc.). While usually a very long evening, they are super fun and a great way to meet the families of my students and engage with the educational community in a chill way.

Another fun project that I started this month is called "cooking with the huerta" (I just made this title up). This involves harvesting veggies that we grew in the garden and making a snack in class for the students to enjoy—both the delicious food and also the fruit of their hard work weeding and watering their plants for many months. Last week, I made Paraguayan tortillas with the 2nd graders (these are different from Mexican tortillas; imagine a savory and cheesy fried dough pancake with green onions), and it was such a hit that the profes of the 1st and 3rd grades now want to join the project "cooking with the huerta" too! So many more tortillas coming up.

Since most of September was spent sick or else recovering from being sick, I have not been able to run as much, so I have instead been walking a lot. I love to explore new parts of my community and the surrounding compañias (basically suburbs) and have been enjoying the gorgeous sunsets and new animal friends I meet.

And that brings us to today, where I am reflecting on one year in Paraguay. How crazy is that to say? On Friday, I went into Villarrica with Ziggy to eat celebratory acai and reflect on how much has changed in the last 365 days. I count myself lucky to be in such a welcoming community, doing work I love and am passionate about, with the support of an amazing group of volunteers who understand the specific ups and downs of living in this country. Whether it's a giant wolf spider in my house or 105-degree days, theyre always there to relate and support me and probably share a story or two of their own.

And of course, I wouldn't be here in the first place without my support system back home. Thank you all for accompanying me so far, and I can't wait to keep you updated on all that happens in the next year! Maya 💚💚💚