Stream of Conciousness.

...aka I can't focus so this post is all over the place.

Anyone know of a way to arrive without leaving? That's my dream right now, to arrive in Washington without leaving Bolivia. The places I love are too far apart! Either that or let's find a way to make airfare cheaper. Heck, let's dream big and just go for teleporting. Perfect.

Today, I got asked where the soda is at the grocery store. I could have kissed the woman because that's pretty much assuming I'm a local, right? "Towards the back, on the right" I said with a grin. Happy dance. It's a long way from "She's not from here, is she?"

I got to visit my family in Santa Cruz again this weekend. I just love Dr.Carmiña, Dr. Boni, and little Martina. Have you ever experienced a gift that you know you didn't deserve? That's what this family has been. "When are you getting married?" they ask. "We will come to Washington for that." And they are serious. "Come on vacation with us! Come back with your children someday. Eat more yuca. You know this is your house whenever you need it. Are you happy?" Yes, I am so happy.  The love just keeps on coming with these wonderful, lovely people. (I feel like I should clarify that wedding bells and babies are not in my immediate life plans, Bolivians are just...forward thinkers?) 

For some reason "Paradise" by Coldplay is my blog/Bolivia experience soundtrack. If one song can be considered a soundtrack.(Listen here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G4isv_Fylg&ob=av2e  ...I don't know what the elephant has to do with the song but the cinematography is gorgeous). This could para-para-paradise.

I burned my leg on the exhaust pipe of a moto yesterday. Such a gringa move. A nice blistering second degree burn, right next to my scar from being thrown into the rocks of Lake Padden last summer. At first I was bummed that my leg is going to have yet another scar but now I can just tell people, "Oh yeah, that's from when I was in Bolivia..." Some people get tattoos to commemorate life-changing experiences. I brand myself. 


Guaranteed the lady in the grocery store would not have asked me for directions had she seen that happen!

Peace Be Still

Only a little over week left in the States! The goodbyes have started -I have so many wonderful people in my life and it is challenging to give them all the time that they deserve. I'm celebrating all of the things I've gotten checked off the To-Do List too: packing my room up, feeding 40 people on a camping trip, enjoying/surviving the transition of new housemates, paperwork completed, fees paid... There's still more to do -but the majority of things ARE DONE. And I am celebrating that with deep breaths and by savoring some of the last moments of beautiful people in beautiful Bellingham.

And Bellingham is definitely doing her best to woe me, serenading my last weekend here with sunshine, clear lakes, and green grass. She's delivering some good memories, alrighty. And I'm thankful that I'll have these to tide me over in Bolivia.

I feel more centered, grounded, relaxed this week. More certain that I am headed in the right direction, that the people left here are going to be just fine, that I am going to be fine. And with that grounded-ness, has come the excitement, seeping into the cracks where nervousness and stress were before. And I fully expect them to come back, rearing their ugly heads -but I think the peace is here to stay too.

PS The song, "Peace" by Sherri Youngward is genius -check it out!