Yesterday was the one year birthday/anniversary/whatever you want to call it of my blog! I wanted to post yesterday but there was a problem with the server :(
Looking back at old blog entries reminds me of how little I knew of what I would be doing here and what experiences were to be had. It’s crazy reflecting on the past year and what has gone by so quickly. Last May I knew I was going to Nicaragua but I had no idea what that meant. I knew I would be living with a host family, which I had a short experience with in Mexico before, but nothing like this one. I knew that I would be meeting a whole ton of new people and speaking a language I had a slight grasp on, but never understood the kind of relationships that would form and the kind of person I have turned out to be. Yes, I’m still Megan, but I feel like I have been growing so much in the past year and my mind has been opened so much to this culture and the various cultures I run into when meeting new volunteers. It is fantastic!
I had a little sad moment today (well kinda this week) when I suddenly realized that even though I’m away for 2 years having this awesome experience, my friends and family are continuing on with their lives and moving through changes as well. While I’ve been gone there have been birthdays, weddings, pregnancies, births, and many other momentous occasions that I have missed. It’s weird following my friends’ lives through their Facebook accounts and putting myself in the middle of their pictures hoping to share some of the joy. It’s sad being so far away when all of these exciting and important things are going on back home, especially with friends that are so close to me. However, what I have here is truly unique and although I’m missing a couple things here and there, I still have those friendships and love that will continue even after I get back.
I’ve been sick with a head cold this past week and had a little stomach issue, but nothing extreme. So, I’ve missed some classes this week. I think I can blame this sickness to stress and travel. When I travel, I tend to not get as much sleep and moving around a lot through different areas (dry/tropical) can do that to ya. Also, I’ve been working on a lot of things for the two workshops I have this weekend and planning meetings for next weekend. Ugh! Stress definitely can make you sick and I’ll vouch for that. And because I’ve been sick, I haven’t made it out of the house much, especially not to the grocery store, so I’ve been having to be a little creative and working with what food I have. Tonight I found a tomato soup packet and made tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich :) That was wonderful! Who knew that I’d be eating soup in 95 degree weather? I actually drank tea two times this week and just like tonight with my tomato soup, I was wiping the sweat from my face, neck, and arms as I began to glisten. Lovely. I haven’t been using my fan either since I don’t think that would really help my sickness, so this has resulted in buckets and buckets of sweat. I hope I get rid of this soon. Blah!
Ok, ok on to bigger and better things. I recently got back into the habit of reading, which I LOVE! I love reading and I haven’t been reading as much as I would have liked, not sure why. But, in the last two weeks, I’ve finished two books and I’m half way through the third. I love it! Right now I’m reading a great book (which is a prequel to a book recommended on a friend’s blog): “Cold Tangerines” by Shauna Niequist. It’s splendid, fun, encouraging, and entertaining. The subtitle is great: “celebrating the extraordinary nature of everyday life”. What a great way to look at life, especially when the norm starts to really get at our nerves. I’m having a hard time putting it down, one because of the short chapters which are each a snidbit from the author’s life—a memorable event, encouraging/challenging story, etc; and two because I find her writing style so easy and fun to read. She makes me feel like we’re sitting in coffee shop swapping life stories. It’s a little comfort. Isn’t that what books are supposed to do. Let you escape, sink in, and get comfy? This one does it for me, especially when I’m lounging in my hammock on the back porch—yes, be jealous! Hehe
Well, I guess this is where I wrap things up and tell you to look forward to hearing about my workshops this weekend—I’m sure I’ll have some great stories ;) But for now, enjoy life and celebrate each moment, because this is what we’ve been living for—today.
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