School is ending, the rainy season is ending, and SUMMER IS COMING. Things are starting to slow down (and heat up) so to keep myself sane, and in the spirit of Thanksgiving this month, I decided to make a list of things I was thankful for every day for November (and there's LOTS of photos along with my list!). So enjoy!
November 1st- Running water (didn’t have any today and had to bucket shower after my run)
November 2nd- That I was blessed with such an amazing woman who raised me, missing you lots today mom! (today is Día de Difuntos- Day of the Deceased)
November 3rd- Friends and tacos. And Trader Joe’s Taco Seasoning (and David’s mom for bringing it to him)
November 4th- My host mom- I had a horrible cold, she boiled me water for my tea, brought me lunch, and came to check on me in the evening
November 5th- My host “nieces”- they came over in the morning to bring me breakfast in bed
November 6th- My yoga practice- I decided I wouldn’t be sick anymore and would get through an entire practice today instead of just some stretches and balancing poses and I felt sooooooo much better afterwards
November 7th- My dog, she’s literally the best companion, even though she eats my hair.
November 8th- My health- I spent the early morning of the day from 2am-5am puking in my bathroom thanks to a bout of food poisoning (or something?) but then said YOLO, drank and oral rehydration packet, and biked 7km into the pueblo to watch the election results. Happy I could puke and rally.
November 9th- Today was hard, but I am thankful for the the inspiration humans in my life who can pick me up when I’m not feeling so great about the world
November 9th- Today was hard, but I am thankful for the the inspiration humans in my life who can pick me up when I’m not feeling so great about the world
November 10th- the simple things- spent the rainy day in bed with some tea, a couple of rom-coms from my hard drive, my puppy and some dark chocolate
November 11th- the fact that when it rains I don’t have to put on pants or leave my house because everything is cancelled when it rains
November 12th- electricity: today we had it all day, it was super nice
November 13th- spent the day with my Paraguayan family in Emboscada- happy that on Sundays I can spend the day passing around one beer with a group of people who are chill to talk to and eat lots of meat
November 12th- electricity: today we had it all day, it was super nice
November 13th- spent the day with my Paraguayan family in Emboscada- happy that on Sundays I can spend the day passing around one beer with a group of people who are chill to talk to and eat lots of meat
November 14th- the kids at the orphanage- they make teaching english not so boring
November 15th-Sunsets- they are literally SO BEAUTIFUL and always remind me of my momma, she loved a good sunset. Remembering the time when we drove around right before the sunset to try to find the best view to watch it
November 16th- the bus drivers- I’m learning not to rely on my phone (because its GPS doesn’t work) and to rely on other humans (strangers) to get me where I need to go to. The bus drivers today were both so dope and helped me out- and I actually made it exactly to where I needed to go (a peace corps training event in Tuparenda)
November 17th- not having an actual schedule I need to follow in my life- at the Peace Corps Training Event we had to follow a schedule jammed full of activities, meals, planned snacks, lectures, etc. and I could barely get through a full day. So nice not having to clock in or work an actual 9-5 job!
November 17th- not having an actual schedule I need to follow in my life- at the Peace Corps Training Event we had to follow a schedule jammed full of activities, meals, planned snacks, lectures, etc. and I could barely get through a full day. So nice not having to clock in or work an actual 9-5 job!
November 18th- other peace corps volunteers- its easy to forget sometimes that theres this group of awesome humans going through the same trials I am going through out here in Paraguay, and we all have each other. it was good to hang out with them again and talk to everyone.
November 19th- my sister, my friends, and my family who sent me care packages full of CHOCOLATE AND COFFEE AND PEANUT BUTTER AND SO MUCH GOOD STUFF I CAN’T EVEN EXPLAIN HOW THANKFUL I AM
November 20th- the most thankful for this trader joe’s pumpkin spice cookie butter. this stuff takes my oatmeal game to another level
November 21st- my commute to work- so the farthest school I’m working at is about a 5 km bike ride down a sandy road. I was up early, biked to the school, learned class was cancelled, and then just enjoyed my leisurely bike ride back home instead of being annoyed that I got up for this.
November 21st- my commute to work- so the farthest school I’m working at is about a 5 km bike ride down a sandy road. I was up early, biked to the school, learned class was cancelled, and then just enjoyed my leisurely bike ride back home instead of being annoyed that I got up for this.
November 22nd- good books and friends to share them with- Grace gave me a book her mom had recently sent her (Another Brooklyn), I devoured it and then passed it off to my friend Hannah in exchange for a book she just finished (Tiny, Beautiful Things). good deals.
November 23rd- sunsets (again) but shared in good company- made it to Grace’s site in Caaguazu with my pup, we took a walk around her community (all 6 manzanas!) and then sat out in the chacras to watch the sunset while our dogs ran around the fields playing. such a tranquilo evening
November 24th- SO MUCH to be thankful for- mostly good food (thanks to grace’s mom for sending us boxed stuffing and gravy and canned cranberries) and the fact that I got to whatsapp video call my family at their thanksgiving celebration (so happy to see everyone!)
November 25th- thankful that I have time to just hang out with people I love and not worry about having something to actually do besides sit and be with someone and spend quality time with quality humans
November 26th- laughing- like the full body laugh you do when something is REALLY funny, not just like you’re confused or there’s a joke in another language or you may have missed some sort of social cue, but like ACTUALLY laughing
November 27th- so thankful I made my bus back to my pueblo.
November 28th- the comfort of my little one bed room house.
November 29th- phone signal- for some reason my phone line was shut off for over the past 24 hours and I realized how freaky it was to have ZERO contact to anyone in your life.
November 30th- DEMI because you made the most bomb mac n cheese in all of paraguay
November 26th- laughing- like the full body laugh you do when something is REALLY funny, not just like you’re confused or there’s a joke in another language or you may have missed some sort of social cue, but like ACTUALLY laughing
November 27th- so thankful I made my bus back to my pueblo.
November 28th- the comfort of my little one bed room house.
November 29th- phone signal- for some reason my phone line was shut off for over the past 24 hours and I realized how freaky it was to have ZERO contact to anyone in your life.
November 30th- DEMI because you made the most bomb mac n cheese in all of paraguay