what a difference a year makes

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I pulled out my journal the other day. It's a beatiful leather journal that I bought in Beijing solely for the purpose of joining the Peace Corps and recording my thoughts. I used to write in it about every day, up until like last February or something, and then I'd only write sporadically or not at all, only using it to update what had happened in the last months.

So I pulled it out to update what has happened since my last update, which was the beginning of September of last year. So my 27th birthday, buying my stove and cooking, electricity going out and people using barbed wire to steal electricity, and Lenin's and my trip home to Missourah for Christmas 2009 and New Year 2010.

Then I went back and read about when Lenin and I were just novios, but on the downlow (dec 2008) and the subsequent relationship that formed, without hiding from the community. Also everything that happened as I was just getting used to being in my community, my trials and tribulations and breakthroughs.

SO MUCH HAS CHANGED IN A YEAR!

My Spanish has improved like whoa. Last year I kept writing about how the family would broadside me with questions or a request and it took me a lot of time to figure out what the hell they were talking about and/or asking me. I did a lot of smiling and nodding. And while I don't understand EVERYTHING said to me, I never think about being broadsided with the Spanish language. I also do weird Nicaraguan things like point with my lips to denote something I am talking about, scrunch my nose to denote that I don't understand what you just said, and use all the strange Nican hand gestures fluently, which were never a part of my vocabulary a year ago. Seriously, pointing with your lips?

Lenin and I have grown so much together and somewhere along the way love blossomed. And, as Cassi pointed out, our wedding is still in Covert Operation Mode, but that is mostly because we don't want everyone in the county to show up, just a few to watch and fewer who hold invites.

That first year took forfreakingever. I mean, I have already spent two birthdays and two Christmases and had to change my calendars twice. Somehow getting here in the fall of 2008 and spending all of 2009 just made service seem interminable. 27 months, stretched over 3 calendars and 3 birthdays? Fpr-ev-ver.

But now that 2010 is finally here and I am going into my last 10 months of service, I suddenly don't know where it all went and I cannot believe it's almost over!

Okay, okay, "almost over" is a bit of a stretch, but in my mind, I am almost done. And thus I need to get a move on!

Alright, enough philosophizing. Time to save this and see if photos can upload.

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Photos

hanging on mamit'as porch
Cousins, and another friend of the family who is now a police officer.

moropoto kids playing on the swing
febe, the pastor's daughter, and karol and karla and oscar

omg she is adorable
angelique, daughter of sonia and paiyin

yet another graduation
This was the Sunday right after we got back, and I didn't go. Lenin, however, went and took the camera.

angela in front of her house
tha'ts a papaya on the roof

mancha in her yard
but what i need is a picture of her in her outdoor kitchen