packed up all my campo possessions

  “Always concentrate on how far you’ve come, 
rather than how far you have left to go.” ~Unknown 

 Cleaning out my room these past couple of days It feels like yesterday I was slathering paint on the drab white walls, although I ended up with lavender instead of the cool grey I thought I had picked out, I turned it into my starry night lounge in the campo. Reviewing some small flash drives that had been buried in a dark corner at the bottom of a bag I came across an old resume of mine from 2005. As I reviewed it I drifted back to that time... then I paused and thought of how much has changed. How much more I've done. Not that I believe a resume can begin to express what I've experienced in life but in between those condensed bullet points I thought of all the adventures, relationships, projects and personal growth left off the page and how much more is left off my current resume's page. Makes me grin from ear to year to think of where I'll find myself in life in another 7 years!

Despedidas = lots crying in your cake and dangerous time for chickens!

“The grass is not, in fact, always greener on the other side of the fence. Fences have nothing to do with it. The grass is greenest where it is watered. When crossing over fences carry water with you and tend the grass wherever you may be.” ~Robert Fulghum

Although I do enjoy a to-do list and crossing each line off, I alway enjoy taking a moment to breath and soak in the moment. This past week has been a week of soaking it all in. Cleaning out my room, finding things I forgot about, letters, note books with scribbles and old to-do lists. Many came to fruition and many did not. And that's okay. Also, with a slew of despedidas (farewell parties) I have been able to take in all the love and friendship that has grown over the past two years. Northern Morazan is not my volunteer site but my newest home filled with friends and family. 

Good Bye Hotel Lenca Crew

Thanks for taking such good care of me ALWAYS. 

Despedida BBQ w/ Association Members

Thanks for your dedication to developing tourism in the region

WITH the people 

Goodbye Colonia los Pinos...

and little baby Leo. 

(forgot to take a picture of the rest of the table.)

guess my mind was on the food and the babe. 

and check out hinkle's blog for fun photos from his big party last week. Tons of people from his community came out and lots of tears, lots of dead chickens, and gifts made of wood. They even gave me one... a wooden key chain that says el salvador and his host mom made sure we left with lots of left over chicken.  

moving.

Big fan of Macaco since last September when my friend Tono introduced me. 
This morning I was on youtube looking for a macaco video and found this. 
a new video and it am so happy Nat Geo made it. I must look into the video info...
I noticed many actors from Pedro Almodóvar movies.
Gotta get moving. 

keep on walking

“If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking.” ~Proverb

Take deep breaths and relax.

"I’m more focused on the destination rather than the journey when I’m anxious and stressed. Collecting data and then synthesizing it into an academic article requires a lot of patience and hard work.

When I get stressed, I just want to give up. I stop focusing on the present moment and I start becoming impatient about the future. I want to finish now. Then negative thoughts about the past—what choices I could and should have made—start creeping in. To counteract this, I have learned it helps to simply breathe.

My best friend took me through the visualization exercise. It’s something I have learned to do on my own. First, I close my eyes in a quiet setting. I turn on my favorite music.

Then I take a deep breath and then visualize myself when I first embarked on this journey. What did I feel? What was I thinking? The positive sensations start flooding in and I recall the joy I felt when I first took on this path. Sometimes, all we need is a simple, gentle reminder.

We remind ourselves to trust our instincts and keep forging ahead. This is all part of the beautiful journey called life."

-Janny Chang

sparkling and melting

“Begin doing what you want to do now. 

We are not living in eternity. 

We have only this moment, 

sparkling like a star 

in our hand-and melting like a snowflake.” 

–Francis Bacon, Sr. 

KONY 2012

KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

This is the video being passed and shared around the web. Because information is good check out my friend Ryan's Blog :  5 (and counting) Essential Reads on Invisible Children’s Kony 2012 Campaign

look before you leap. Read up. Make your own judgements. Then buy the bracelet and donate. (But I don't think you will)

3 day Reunion with my girl Haley in Salvador

I had the great luck to become friends with this women when we ended up in the same study abroad program in Jerusalem. Haley and I along with Katie met in the airport from New York to Tel Aviv and the rest was besties history.  We had grand adventures, ups, downs and a great respect for the shawarma. (I gained about 10 lbs in Jerusalem). So when Haley said she could maneuver a stop over in El Salvador on her way from Peru back to New York I said Heck YES! (we tried to get Katie down but perhaps that would have been too much for this little country to handle)

 For all the hours Haley spends in the skies hopping from one place to another she is the most down to earth person. She always seems to have the coolest jobs / projects / experiences in general but she’s not afraid to give it to ya straight; life is a journey filled with good bad and sad. Reminding me to revel in them all and our visit was an abundance of good. And we reveled.

After Haley arrived in comalapa airport here in San Sal... I waited and waited and waited...paced around, bought and ice cream and waited some more... until finally she strolled out and I jumped up and down waving my arms in the air. I hugged her tight and asked, "what were you the last person off the plane or what!?"
"Yeah actually I don't know how it happened but I was THE LAST person in the immigration and customs line."
and then we erupt in laughter, called the cab over and zoomed off to the beach...

It went a little somethin' like this:

all photos courtesy of Haley. (thanks lady!)

Arrived at Hostel and instantly changed in bikinis 

got some refreshments

Jaime, Chelsea, Erica, Haley and I ...
Haley got to meet some of my Peace Corps friends
Almost the whole COED group of ladies... missing Jessica.
I poured one out for you girl. 

a lot of this was consumed

We realized after the second platter of these free tapas
the little suckers are still alive!

self portrait trying to capture the rock behind us

eye candy... moving a log so we could play volleyball

great sunsets

Auto Timer... 

More Auto Timer

Me das Ride?

Vogue-ing.

afternoon lounging in the hostel

Salvador has great cafe!

little night time beach drum circle

Haley's final meal
PUPUSAS!!!
Por Fin.

Also, for those interested, Haley works with Hole in the Wall Camps in charge of Asia and South America. Yup She works with poor 3rd world country sick or orphan kids to help them be kids and have fun! 

Why is it important to have friends like Haley? 

Because being with her reminds me and strengthens within me the big thing we have in common... 

our greatest desire is not anything material but rather to dedicate our lives to something that contributes. Because at the end of the day when you are pulling out your hair, frustrated and drinking warm rum and juice to calm the nerves, it better be worth it . It better fill your soul. Not offend it.

stop. breath. now.

The new outlook near Jocoaitique Morazan

“Stress is caused by being ‘here’ but wanting to be ‘there.”‘ -Eckhart Tolle

it is in my nature to think ahead into the future

one would think that I almost prefer to live in my thoughts of the future

all the while missing everything that is going on right. now.

I planned on serving in the peace corps for 3 years 

and now I'm going to cut out the last few months by living in my worried head about the future?
digo que no.

So...

I've been telling myself these days

stop.

breath.

now. 

right. now. 

It works until I get restless and start job searching

 or someone asks me

"what are you doing next?"

and I'm hard wired to answer with something

anything. 

but no.

stop.

breath.

now. 

its such a disservice to myself

to my community

and to the beautiful moments and experiences still left to savor here

now.

Beautiful Ruta de Paz Sun Set