Home!

After a little over two years in Nicaragua, I'm back home! For the first few days it felt like I was just home for vacation and was going back, but now it's sunk in. I'm living at home for the indefinite future. And unemployed.

Not much happened during the last few months in Nicaragua. I had to go to the Peace Corps office a lot for final medical appointments, exit interviews, etc. There wasn't much class going on because of Independence Day celebrations in September and then my town's patron saint celebrations plus the school's anniversary and a lot of rain (rain = no school) in October.

I couldn't find another volunteer to adopt Bambi so I had to give him to a teacher I worked with in a rural community school. It was really sad and stressful saying goodbye to everyone and getting rid of all of my stuff, but I managed and I hope to be back to visit every now and then.

The Nicaraguans taught me a lot about themselves, their food and culture, and I did my best to teach them about American culture and food. They are the most accommodating, welcoming and helpful people I have ever encountered. Life in Nicaragua isn't easy, but it isn't horrible either. There is always time to celebrate something, cancel school or, most importantly, spend time with family. Their popular saying, "hay mas tiempo que vida" (there is more time than life), sums it up pretty well.

With all of the free time I now have at home, I've started to work on my grad school applications. I'm applying to 11 different programs for international development. I'm hoping to finish them sometime soon, since I have nothing else to do and no excuse not to, and start looking for some form of temporary work until classes start next September.

So I guess this is the end of my blog. Thanks so much for keeping up with it over the last 2+ years!