Living the Dream

August 3 was my 6 month anniversary in Paraguay!  Can you believe how fast time is flying?  I've decided to copy a few of my PC friends and make a little list recapping my HAVEs and HAVE NOTs in country thus far...

In the past 6 months, I HAVE NOT...
Felt completely clean
Worn a full face of make-up (minus swear-in)
Driven a car
Worked out in a crossfit gym
Watched any TV or listened to any radio stations in English
Gone a day without speaking Spanish
Gone to Happy Hour
Had hot water to wash my hands, face or dishes
Had the option of having food delivered to me
Used a washing machine or a dryer or a dishwasher or a refrigerator
Walked on (or seen) carpet
Drank coffee that's not instant 
Gone a day without thinking about/missing all my friends and family in the states and around the world...

In the past 6 months I HAVE
Learned to speak (arguably) 2 new languages
Made way too many sexual references in Guarani without realizing it
Witnessed a pig slaughter
Lost my ability to speak English effectively/correctly
Ridden more buses than the rest of my life combined
Bucket bathed
Taken showers that are literally painful because the water is so cold
Wiped my ass with a plethora of different materials
Pooped in a bucket in my living room
Pooped on the side of the road when I just couldn't make it back to the house
Talked extensively about the weather on a daily bassis
Called a lot of women mom
Built 2 fogones
Given a lot of charlas
Eaten A LOT of meat
Slept with hot water bottles (they work wonders)
Been told I'm pretty on a daily basis
Been told I'm fat on a daily basis
Been told "I love you" by members of the opposite sex more than the rest of my life combined
Had intestinal parasites
Experienced diarrhea on a weekly basis
Attempted to milk a cow
Fallen in love with chanchitos
Learned to wash  my clothes by hand
Learned to cook
Experienced immense amounts of generosity from Paraguayans
Realized that people are people...not matter the country.  There are always good and bad.
Witnessed two motorcycle accidents
Been stereotyped
Eaten fried food regularly
Been charged by a bull
Learned to appreciate the small things in life
Developed amazing friendships with other volunteers and Paraguayans
Spent a lot of time drinking terere
Spent a lot of time in awkward silence
Read at least 20 books
Been fought over by kids
Fallen in love with the kids in my community; however, I still have yet to develop any type of motherly/nurturing instinct haha.
Watched a lot of soccer games
Eaten three different animals during one meal
Learned that I can handle anything life throws my way...so Bring It On!


All in All the Haves are beating the Have Nots.  I think I am an extremely lucky person to be able to honestly say I am LIVING and LOVING my dreams!  Yeah, I've experienced some hard times (and I know there are only more to come) where I have wanted to pack up my bags and say Fuck You Paraguay, but then something happens that reminds me what I'm doing, and why I'm here.  It's taken me a couple months to finally feel settled, but over the past week I've realized that I am truly happy in my little community down that Red Dirt Road.