Feliz Año Nuevo... again

To say goodbye to 2009, I spent NYE running around town visiting friends, dancing, but unfortunately not burning a doll at midnight like last year. My friend Maria didn't have the materials and since we waited till the 31st to make it we had to scrap the plans we made last year.

On New Years Day I spent the day at the beach mostly with a bunch of people I didn't know but that never seems to matter here - they fed me a ridiculous amount, we swam, we talked, we watched like 5 little kids topple over one of their rather rotund uncles. Good times.

Part of me is still surprised to find myself in the mythical 2010 which seemed so far away when I started this Peace Corps business in 2008. We have just a little bit over 6 months left and I think at this point I've lived in Nicaragua for longer than I lived in DC. People keep commenting on my departure this year & how I'm going to forget all of them and Nicaragua. I don't know why people assume that I'm going to completely forget this place that I'll have spent over two years in by the time I go. Mostly it makes me sad to think about saying goodbye to everyone here, but it's not time to wallow in sadness yet. I do still have those 6 months left.

And I clearly can't get caught up in these sad 2010 thoughts because tomorrow I'm leaving for Guatemala!!!!! I'm going with another volunteer and we're gonna stay with her friend who's been working in Guatemala for the past year. It's gonna take a day and a half on the bus to get there, but it's been a while since I've really just traveled so I'm excited. I don't know when I'll be posting again because right after I get back from Guatmala I will go work at an English camp for students from across Nicaragua for a week. So I hope everyone has a wonderful start to 2010!!