Officially 1 year in Nicaragua!

Wow how time flies, I can’t say the same for my mom, but I sure don’t feel like it has been a year since I left my cozy home in Chicago. The break-down for the first year: 3 months of training and 9 months of field service. That means I have a year and 3 months left. I am currently in Granada as part of the reception group for the new trainees of the environmental sector. We are no longer the babies. It was a special privilege to be one of the volunteers chosen to greet and energize these new volunteers who are starting out on this challenging but rewarding experience. It brought me back to that time of uncertainty when I first arrived. I felt exhilarated and re-motivated as I listened to the wonderful speeches presented by the training crew. With my year of experience I now know what they meant when they presented this information to our group a year ago. There was a repetitive theme of “keeping your motivation” resonating from all the speeches. This is probably the biggest challenge.
One year has gone by and I feel like things have only started. I successfully completed my training; a tight-scheduled, high-stressed, language intense, technical skills - focused boot camp. I feel it was successful in preparing me for the roller-coaster ride that I was about to embark on. I went into my environmental education program with only a bit of experience in both teaching and environmental issues, so I had a lot to learn. From where I am sitting now, I can say that I still have a lot to learn but I have learned a whole lot. As a recent college graduate, I left a culture of partying, letting loose, and feel less... well... awkward. I have learned a lot about myself (I can now dance with all eyes on me) and enjoy the freedom of being comfortable with myself. My Spanish went from a basic communication level to a point where I can speak fast without writing it out or thinking it through in English first. I even dream in Spanish!!! My schools are amazing. There are days when their lack of discipline and irrelevance to being on time frustrates me, but together we have learned. I have taught them the science topics in the most creative ways I can think of. They have used their imagination, created, listened and felt the excitement of education. One class cheered the other day as we went over their exams on a topic that they were able to understand collectively. As for their gardens that we have struggled to keep alive in these winter down-pouring rains, some failed and some are flourishing. It is very rewarding to have the students run up to me, all smiles, yelling "Prof, we have 20 tomatoes". It’s exhilarating!

As for the green market, we are still struggling, but have not lost hope. As a result of working with the market group I have gotten to know some very interesting women. I have learned so much about their culture; and in turn, they have learned about mine. There are things that they don’t understand about our culture / me, things that they think are weird. And most of the time, they are completely wrong and based on generalizations. There are things that I have come to appreciate and love about their community, such as their family values and general hospitality. But I can't make sense of everything; such as machismo. All in all, it’s the up and down feelings that I’m still experiencing. There are days when I get to my house, tired, covered in mud, frustrated with my students or teachers, only to find out there is no water, no electricity, and all I want to do is scream and walk-out the door and not turn around. But I don’t and I won’t. Then there are other days when I walk down the street, my dog by my side, stopping to talk or say adios, and feeling exited about the daily challenge and motivated to continue even through the hardships. All and all it's been great and thanks to all of you that have helped me get to this point; this is your victory too.