Bienvendos a Paraguay!

This post is kinda rushed because I need to catch the bus home before dark so I apologize for the lack of fluidity. I write to you with reggaeton playing in the background from an internet cafe near our main training center in Guarambare. Today´s activities consisted of being stung by a
bee (on purpose, fyi I am not allergic), a Spanish language evaluation (even though I will be speaking mainly Guarani, we have to be pretty good at it because we are going to be sent to the boonies), and various medical and cultural discussions.

The 41 other people in my training group are all pretty cool. They vary in age from fresh out of college (like me) to an older woman of about 67 and are from all across the USA. 4 sectors make up my training group, I am in beekeeping extension and there is also environmental education, agroforestry, and crop extension. Of the 4 groups, mine is by far in the most in the campo.

My host family consists of a husband and wife (both around 30), 2 daughters (8 and 1), and a son (3). They are really great and so far everything is going well with them. My house has both electricity and running water (I got lucky). The family has a cow (which we drink fresh milk from in the morning), a bunch of chickens, and some roosters who crow at 2am and confuse me. We have mango trees in our backyard, as well as others I have yet to identify. My house is located about 4.5km from the main city, which is by no means a city, therefore a quick bus ride or 40 min walk.

I´m feeling really good about Paraguay and the PC thus far. Everything is going great, the people are super friendly, the food is pretty good as well.

Well, that´s all for now. I should let some of the other eager trainees use the internet.

Chau!

First post

So, I leave for staging in Miami in 2 days and then after a brief introduction to the Peace Corps, Paraguay, etc I am off to first Sao Paolo, Brazil and then Paraguay where I will be for the next 2 years and 3 months of my life. The easiest way for me to keep contact with everyone will be this blog (which I will do my best to update), however, I would love some letters (see address on the side), and of course I will respond to emails (as long as I have internet). I don't have much to say as of yet. I am pretty much completely packed and probably really close to the PC imposed weight limit of 80 lbs and 107 inches total for my luggage.



Until Paraguay!