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25 de Agosto 2008
Bienvenido a mi cuatro! I hope you all like the virtual tour I put up (or at the moment hope will DL properly onto the internet)! I left at about 4ish in the afternoon today to head to my site with my socio-comunitario, Martha. After arriving here, I hauled my entire luggage up at an early dinner and then started unpacking and cleaning. I just showered and am sitting on my multi-colored bed, extremely tired, therefore, I am going to give you a half-assed explanation of my ceremony on Friday and my trip up to here. Friday we went to the center to give gifts to all the professors/facilitators that helped us over the past 3 months. We played this awesome dynamica where the facilitators sat in a circle with their eyes close, then one of the girls in my group would say something like: “Touch the shoulder of the person who gave you advice when you needed it…Touch the shoulder of the person who gave you strength during one of your low points…Touch the shoulder of the person you admire…” So in the end, basically everyone was crying, it was extremely moving. Then after this we went home, for our last supper or lunch with our families. Then we headed back to the center at about 3ish to start the ceremony. There they called us up one by one and then as a group we said our oath and took pictures. It was a very short/sweet ceremony, lasting about 40 minutes. After we ate with our families and some of the facilitators gave their students gifts, I got pairs of earrings, then we took more pictures and got ready to depart on the buses for our last night in Lima together. In Lima, we went out to a great Sports Bar called, The Corner, then we headed out to some club that over looked the water on a cliff. It was all a lot of fun, the next day we basically just all hung out, got some Starbucks, and laid around. My bus left for Piura at 7 so we left the hostel for the bus terminal at about 5:30ish. That was a crying fiesta, everyone was wishing each other luck and promising to call/visit. I don’t like goodbyes as most of you know, so I held up pretty well until my taxi came then I started balling.

The bus ride to Piura was fine same as before except I wasn’t throwing up so I slept most of the 14 hours. Arrived in Piura at about 10ish on Sunday hung out got some food met other volunteers, then went to bed. Woke up on Monday had a meeting with our Regional Coordinator, Wilfredo, then went to the market where I purchased my laundry basket, hangers, and clear nail polish…the essentials. Then we went to this great vegetarian place where they actually have real salads, so that was delish! Then I headed to purchase a pillow, so mom you don’t need to bring that, and of course my rain bowed colored sheets. We were going to open our mailbox, but decided against paying a whole month for only the 5 remaining days, so envez de eso we will open one up on Sept 1 which then, I will give out my new address!! So sorry for that everyone! Most of you know by now I do have a cell phone, feel free to contact me at any time… I’ll be here, in Peru, doing stuff.

Okay I have to get to bed, because unlike every other volunteer (that may be an exaggeration) I actually have meetings on my second day at site. While all other volunteers are going to wallow in their depression I will out and about… boo hiss I really thought I was going to get some reading done!! Well this entry was a lot long then I had anticipated, so lucky you!
I will be writing as often as I can and posting probably once a week! Sorry about that, but I don’t have internet at site, and don’t feel like driving in every other day to update a blog for you people!!

Much Love> ekh