Work is my life, my life is my work

This phrase has never been more true for me than it is right now.  I think I realized this while watching my team of students graduate high school one by one and win awards for their leadership.  I was beaming with pride.  There was no other place I would have rather been there at that moment.  It was all so gratifying to see their faces light up when they saw me in the audience and yelled "hola Kate!"  I started to think back on my own high school graduation and how I have changed since that day.  It made me think about how much these kids have in front of them and how honored I am that I got to make a dent in their lives. After the ceremony there was a dinner for the teachers which turned in to a night of cervezas and dancing on the school basketball court to cumbia music.  I don't think I've ever had so much fun with people who are all practically twice my age, well accept my counterpart Silvia who is 30.  She is my rock here in Nica.  She's the one that calls me on my birthday and checks in to see if I make it back from my travels safely.

Silvia and I with our students

Before coming to Nica my job was something separate than my passion, a paycheck, a challenge and in the end a burden because I just wasn't happy.  Not that my co-workers weren't my friends or anything like that, but I found myself trying to make a separate life outside my day to day corporate self in a suit at a desk because it just wasn't enough to keep me happy.  My work has always been what drives my decisions and my moves in life.  When I stopped judging myself by how much money I made or how prestigious my title was and just let it all go, I found myself here.  Truly happy.  Although some days are rough and the work isn't always a steady flow, I am very happy with what I'm doing here in Chinandega.

Here I am me.  No blow dried hair or dry cleaned suit because I feel like I have to or because that's how one "should dress" in corporate America.  I am accepted and liked for who I am naturally and it feels good!

The Nicaraguan people are also starting to really get to me, in a good way.  I have never been so loved and taken care of by the people that surround me who are not my direct family.  People truly look out for each other here.  These people are so open and secure enough in themselves to just hand out affection like its no big deal.  I find myself walking arm in arm with my counterparts(Silvia again) and sitting right next to my host brother(as if he were my real bro) while looking at Facebook because these people are so comfortable with touch and affection.  It's a relief to me, as most of you know, a very affectionate person, to not have to hide or move my arm away when it touches someone else's.  Giving and receiving affection here is just normal, a part of life, which I believe we tend to over think in the U.S.  We constantly worry about what other people think, how the other person will react or what others will assume when they see affection.  I hope I'm making sense right now.  Would love to hear your comments on this...

I guess is what I'm trying to say is that I'm more myself here than anywhere else.  The importance of my work has become personal and I couldn't be enjoying it more.  

What continues to blow me away is the way these people give and give and give.  On several occasions young girls have become enamored with me on a public bus and tried to gift me their bracelet or another object.  I kindly refuse, but when I see the hurt and rejection in their eyes I get confused.  I have come to the conclusion that they take direct pleasure out of giving to others, which our society lacks on so many levels.  There is usually an incentive behind our giving, not always, but I feel a majority of the time this is the case.

Even though I live in a big city, I get the small town feel every day.  I run in to people I know everywhere.  I went to fix my bike tire today, to much mountain biking to the beach, which led to a hole in my tire and since they see my face so often, the owner fixed my tire for free.  I've been gifted food, clothing and much more by the people of my community and it never seems to end.

On top of Chinandega I have the small community where I surf, Coco Loco in Manzana.  Here I know the kids by name and the local surfers have become my friends.  Everyone knows everyone and I love the days I spend out there where life slows down compared to the hussle and bussle of Chin city.

I've been bonding more with my host family over decorating for Christmas.  Fun fact is I strung lights on our Christmas tree in a sundress and then got up the next morning to surf, Feliz Navidad?  It so does not feel like Christmas here weather wise, yet Chrsitmas music plays in every store and fake trees are in almost every house. Last night I made homemade egg nog and sugar cookies to share a little bit of our American culture here with my family and friends.  We sat in the living room by the Christmas tree and passed my guitar around.  Turns out we didn't know how to play many Christmas songs ha ha.

Last but not least surfing has become a huge part of my life here.  When I found out I was headed to Nica a little light bulb went off in my mind "surf territory!".  I had no idea that I would get placed 15 mins form the beach and 30 mins from some world class waves.  I also didn't realize that I would find surfer's paradise my first weekend in site.  With the help of some friends I finally encountered my first surf board and can't seem to get enough of the sport.  I have never felt such complete bliss as when I'm out on the Pacific chillen for the next wave.  Yesterday I surfed alone for the first time, but don't freak mom it was more towards low tide than high and the waves weren't that big.  The only souls in site where Roco and Ocita, dogs from Coco Loco who came down with me to hang on the beach and guard my stuff.  There was no one but me and the open ocean and it was paradise.

So I said good-bye to my board for a few weeks to head back to the States for the holidays which couldn't have been a better decision as work was winding down.  Nica becomes very tranquilo over the holidays so I'm taking advantage of the vacation time.  I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone and accomplishing the following....

Eat Eegees no matter how cold it is

Run the river walk with my dog Bella

Stuff my face with Mexican food(uh hum Annie)

Drink XX w/ line

Hike 7 falls, the day after x-mas tradition

High school reunion

Cut my hair

Basketball game and scream for the Wildcats like I'm back in college

Frog and Firkin

Eat Salmon and asparagus, at the same time

Drink on 4th like the good ole days and hit up late night mexican burritos

Jam out with Danny

Ride Annie's horse, please?

Dance with the ladies! 

Drink wine like its my duty con mi madre

An outdoor excursion with Steve 

Shoot guns and ride quads with Dad

Pedicures and some live music with momma

Oh and Clay I guess I'll hang out with you, ha just kidding dude!  You can drive me around in your car, I mean my car!

Thanksgiving at the Ambassador's House

It's going to be almost impossible to recap all of the events over the last two weeks since Thanksgiving, but I'm going to do my best!  I'll start off with a bang, Thanksgiving dinner at the Ambassador's house!  Twenty-five of us volunteers were invited to the Ambassadores humble home to enjoy is pool, each others company, pool side bar service,  and of course a lavish meal of real American Thanksgiving food.  Here is the shot of the table that was set out on the patio sporting beautiful crystal that always seemed to be full of wine.

Cheers to self-refilling wine glasses!

Thanksgiving weekend was spent with some of my best girlfriends here hanging by one of the most beautiful coves I've ever seen, located just north of San Juan del Sur.  We practiced yoga on an enormous pavilion over looking the bay and I got a chance to surf some new waves.  The place we stayed, Aqua Resort, was a real treat and an all out vacation for me.  Although this place is not cheap it was amazing and completely worth every penny! We had our own cabin amongst the monkey infested trees hovering just over the beautiful bay.  

Yoga Pavilion

The following week was spent back in our training towns of Masaya where we spent those first 3 memorable months of service here in Nica.   We returned for a week of intensive spanish class to hash out some of the difficult and technical issues that come with learning a foreign language.  I also got to reconnect with my best gal Nica friend Irma and check out her life at the University of San Marcos.  

Tuesday of that week was spent in Managua at the National Business Competition that I have been talking about.  My group of Noni's Tea met me at the Holiday Inn to present their product along with the best of the best from all over Nicaragua.  I was extremely proud of their hard work in the weeks leading up to the competition.  Although we did not place, the experience was awesome and brought us all very close.

After our week of training we headed to the colonial city of Leon to enjoy the weekend before yet more training the following Monday.  Leon's baseball team was conveniently playing my Chinandega team on Saturday so a bunch of us settled in behind second base with some beers to hoop and holler along with the Nicas.  On Sunday I took advantage of our proximity to the volcano of Cerro Negro, which you can actually board.  Yep, get a lode of my piece of equipment, ghetto! What you see here is a piece of wood with a rope attached at the end, which equals absolutely no control.  There were other tour groups around us wearing matching protective suits, but I'd like to think our method of old worn out knee and elbow pads was more Nica-fide.  I wasn't expecting much from the experience, maybe a few laughs and some good views, but I was surprised to find that one can actually really mess themselves up on the volcanic gravel if they fall.  You can work up some serious speed and the gravel just starts flying at you.  I was emptying gravel out of my sports-bra at the end and looked up just in time to see my buddy Jake completely eat it at the end.  

last time I tuck a t-shirt in to yoga pants

Play Ball!

The rest of the week in Leon we all had a chance to reflect on the work we have done with our total of 7 months here in Nicaragua and share with the group.  I was pleasantly surprised with the array of projects that my group is working on and gathered some ideas of my own.  At night we all bonded over trivial pursuit, cards and playing the guitar.  We ended the week and a half of the group being together with the celebration of Purisima.  This is the celebration of the Virgin Mary and the immaculate conception of baby Jesus.  Basically there are fireworks, live bands, and huge crowds of people going door to door tric-o-treat style as everything from food to jewelry is being given out.  Instead of saying tric-o-treat, the people sing and shout the phrase "Quien causa tanta alegria"or basically "who causes so much joy". It was an interesting site to see everyone pushing and shoving their way to the front to grab the gifts.  It was an interesting juxtaposition of selfless giving and selfish taking, which had me standing towards the back not wanting to receive anything.  The tradition was really interesting although I felt as though participating would be inappropriate since I am not here to take from these people.

Since the next day was a holiday in Nicaragua I couldn't pass up the invitation to go deep sea fishing with one of the judges of my competition and someone who has become like a second father to me here. We spent all day out at sea only stopping to visit a deserted island to play some frisbee and then head back to shore to fillet our fish!  I'll leave you with a photo of the sun setting on a great few weeks of traveling....

My Mackerel compared to Jose's Needle fish

Bay of Corinto