One Year Anniversary

I can't believe that it was one year ago today that I packed my bags to leave for Nicaragua.  I had so many judgments and preconceived notions at that time.  If only I had known then what I know now, but then again isn't that part of the lesson we are learning?  Time has flown by so fast that I have barely had the time to notice all that has changed in my life.  The best part is that I would never have been able to convince myself, back when everything was starting, that I would feel this amazing after one year of service.  Training was a total wreck, but my nine months of service in Chinandega has been extremely rewarding.

I never would have guessed that my relationship with Pro Mujer would go so well, that yoga would be such a success, that I would love teaching high schoolers or get to surf my own surfboard on a regular basis.  A year ago, I wouldn't have been able to identify that working with a women's jewelry cooperative would be one of my favorite and most personal business advising ventures.

I would have been able to tell you that I'd eventually get sick of the food, that the lack of being able to communicate in spanish would be frustrating, and I would be lonely at times.  But these things all seem so minor in the whole picture of my service.  I would have been able to tell you that I would change, but never would I have been able to tell you to this extent.  It's truly amazing watching the impact this experience has had on myself as well as the people I work with, both American and Nicaraguan.  I would have guessed a year ago that my fellow Biz 56 volunteers would play a huge role in my social life here, but never that we would all be so close and act as each other's family.  I had my heart set on meeting a loving host family, but during training I never would have dreamed the current family I live with would exist.  I realized tonight after teaching my host mom and sister a yoga class, just how close we've become through birthdays, family coming and going, Thais' birth and now being able to connect with yoga.  I year ago I would have told you that I expected to be challenged, but in retrospect I really had no idea to what extent or form.

A year ago I was worried that I would loose friends or that we would drift apart, but turns out that communication has been flawless and some have already come to visit or at least plan to.  I was worried that rice, beans and tortillas would make me blow up twice my size, but in fact I feel amazing and was able to finish a half marathon in February.  I was worried about being lonely, but in turn I have become even more comfortable in my own skin while making some amazing friendships.

This past week was spent in the mountainous of Matagalpa at a Biz 56 wide training set in the mountains followed by a one year celebration in the city with good food and great company.  Here I had time to reflect on how the last year of service has gone and really connect with my counterparts.  I also spent quality time with my entire Biz 56 team reminiscing about the past year we have struggled, partied, laughed and cried through together.  A good friend of mine, Michaela, reminded us all of just how precious the time we have left here really is.  She had recently lost someone very close to her, someone who had served as a life mentor.  A technique that this woman used to savor life was to maintain a jar of marbles that represented the days she had left with her seniors at Michaela's university who were about to graduate.  Each day that passed, one more closer to graduation, she would remove a marble from the jar.  Michaela gifted each and every one of us a jar of marbles representing the weeks we have left here in Nicaragua to make an impact.  Inside the lid of the marble she wrote a personalized message to each and every one of us.  My note read," I admire your strength in character and personality, and your confidence in knowing what you want and tirelessly(yet seemingly effortlessly) going after it.  I feel like you squeeze every drop out of the day that life has to offer, and you live and love with a bright energy that resonates around you."  After wiping away a few tears I realized that the way I have tried to live my life here in Nica has shown through to another.  There are days here were I stress about the impact that I'm actually making, but then I realize how that stress has driven me to take on more in a positive way.  I realize that I have taken advantage of the resources around me and plan to continue over the next year and some to maintain this energy and momentum.  I'm not expecting it to be easy, but I am expecting it to be everything that I'm not expecting :)

BIZ NASTY 56 with our jars of marbles: Michaela is to my right