This is my personal list of books I think everyone should read. BOOKS: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho: This is my favorite book of all time. "It is a fable about following your dreams." It's short and quick, but everytime you read it you'll find something new. I quote it... often. ... ps I am now reading it in Spanish. "What's the world's greatest lie?... It's this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the world's greatest lie." -pcoelho Life of Pi by Yann [View Full Entry]

---

---

Hey from the wilds of Nicaragua! I don’t remember when I wrote the last mass email was. Been a long time! I have been here in the Nica for over a year, having arrived in country last September. I swore in as a Peace Corps Volunteer just before Thanksgiving and was placed in the community of Moropoto, Madriz. At the end of next month I will be half done with my service! This year has been rough, not gonna lie. There have been moments when I’ve thought about throwing in the towel and returning to the States to fight for a [View Full Entry]

---

---

Photos of the fair in San Lucas and the hipico, or horse parade... of mamita´s porch, and of a visit to el espino. [View Full Entry]

---

---

Stuff that has happened... I turned 27. Lenin and I went to the bank yesterday and paid the nonrefundable fees to set up an interview at the American Embassy in Manangua, Nicaragua, so he can get a tourist visa and come to my country and meet my people for the Navidad. Annnnnd! After having my camera stolen at the beginning of August and suffering through 2 1/2 months without, one arriiiiiiived in the mail! From my lovely mother! THANK YOU, MOM! Also, an awesome birthday card from my titan, lbgraham, of the Red Stick. PS Los Ticos Nuevos, have a great [View Full Entry]

---

---

4 October 2009 Sunday 6:47 pm Haven’t written in a while. The week of medical crap in Managua and the excess of down time and internet searching and emailing and chatting… kind of wore me out. Decided I was thinking too much and it would be better just to get back here and move on with my life instead of all the “what ifs” that were running through my mind. The upside of having to stay longer than I thought in Managua was that I was extremely glad to be back and to have Lenin hold me while I slowly broke [View Full Entry]

---

---

For those of you who are out of the loop (which means everyone but family), I have been reevaluating my service and wondering if it´s worth it to stay for the 2nd year. But then I thought, well, does it really matter if I go back to the States right now? Not really. There aren´t any jobs. And no one said the Peace Corps was gonna be easy. And if I stay I will have one more year to speak the ´Spañol every day and save money without student loans hanging over my head and I´ll get to help with the [View Full Entry]

---

---

Okay. So I just saved directions for the visa stuff onto my memory so I can take it home and read it over again. Basically, we filled out the form. He has to fill out a supplemental form, also, that asks things like names of mothers and fathers and military service and last 3 jobs and my contact info and if he has specific travel arrangements made yet. Which he doesn´t. Because it is in bold print NOT TO BUY TICKETS until after the visa is procured. So. Questions answered. Fill out two forms. Go to Bancentro (no Bancentro in Somoto, [View Full Entry]

---

---

Well, I am back in Madriz. Matagalpa rocked, though it didn´t quite feel like the 4th of July without a cookout and fireworks. However, Italian food and cold coffee drinks made up for it. So I just went to the post office and had 3 packages! One full of seeds and instant mac n cheese and cheddar broccoli soup packets and gummy fruit snacks - which are awesome! from one eicenogle of DC! Also, two packages from WBrownell´s Spanish class at CHS. One with letters from students - in Spanish! - and postcards of Missourah and a USA map... and another [View Full Entry]

---

---

WOW MAIL SHOUTOUTS!!!! So I run into the guy from the post office that delivers around Somoto. He speaks English and is probably the only person in this town who knows my name. I always know it´s him when I hear ¨Hi Molly!¨in Somoto. At any rate, he was like, hey you got a box! And did I ever! All the way from New Zealand! Apparently it takes a helluva lot less time for A BOX OF AWESOMENESS to arrive than, say, the three month letter timeline. Shannon, I opened it in the park but didn´t get through all of it, [View Full Entry]

---

---

Okay, this is gonna be short as I need to go buy cheese and mangos and catch a bus... however... The ONE day I don´t bring a sacko, I have 3 big, heavy manilla envelopes FULL OF SEEDS from my mother! So I went to go look for a sack. I ended up with a big black trash bag. I have 4 canvas bags at home. But I thought, gee, probably won´t be anything.... And of course there are. Went to the pharmacy because, guess who has another allergy? THIS volunteer. I never have diarrhea. Even though I drink the community [View Full Entry]

---

---