July 14, 2009

Unplanned summer to prepare

So many of you may have heard the story, and others maybe not. To make it short, strange and unforseen circumstances combined with an official acceptance as a Peace Corps volunteer to make for a very interesting beginning to my summer. Instead of Costa Rica, I will be gracing Colorado with my presence for a while, and I will also have time to see my people and my family before heading out to new strange circumstances, for which I hope to be prepared.
I confirmed about 3 weeks ago as Peace Corps agrobusiness and beekeeping volunteer in rural Paraguay. While the job description attempts to give me a broad idea about what my life will be like for the next 27 months, I know little beyond the fact that I will be working with aficanized bees and teaching other Paraguayans to do so in an attempt to promote sustainable business. My first three months I will be training an hour outside of Asuncion, and after that, I will be placed in a site I will call home for the next few years. It will be hard, it will be scary, it will be exciting, new, fantastic, and I have basically decided to not really think about it. The best things come when you have no expectations before beginning them. Lucky for me, I know little to nothing about Paraguay, making expectations a difficulty to form.
My staging date is on or around September 21st. So I am doing what I can to make the most of my summer. I have been exploring the rockies, and will continue to do so until the 30th of July with a good friend from LA. After that its off to Hawaii, and then Boston on the 12th of August. The last week in August I will be working in NY on Shelter Island. Then back in Colorado until I ship out. I have already had to say goodbye to a few people, but the rest of you should know that if you are near where I will be, I will hunt you down. I want to say goodbye before I begin what will inevitably be a hilarious and awkward life adventure. After it begins, I will post the crazy stories that tend to follow me here. I hope you enjoy, and I will miss you all.

P.S. I was serious about you all starting blogs (you know who you are), so get them started and send me a link. It never hurts to be reminded that lives go on and awkwardness ensues despite my being abroad.