This has been a very productive week and I am finally starting to feel like I am accomplishing something. I am beginning to feel like a real volunteer which is nice. Just as everyone said it will take a year and in one month it will be a year in country. Time as gone so fast it feels like I just started here. So let’s get on to the week shall we.

Monday classes were canceled so I cleaned my room and did a lot of prep work. I just printed off the syllabus that all of the teachers get about what they need to teach in a year and when they have to teach it. I was looking at that and making activities that would fit with the upcoming semester. I had a few ideas and wanted to see if they would fit into the year. They did so I had a lot of fun writing them down. I then played with my siblings and had some me time. I found out that my counterpart was worried about me because I forgot to tell her I was back from Managua. I called her the middle of last week telling her about the extension. She thought I was sick again and called Peace Corps to find out where I was. Peace Corps said that I had left all ready and she called me. It turns out that she has a project for me. I talked with her next day.

Tuesday I had class and helped out a lot with math class. I am now the official go to for answers and works checking when I don’t know the topic that will be taught. I also put in my own two pieces when I can. That afternoon I went to the high school to meet the new English teacher. The old one is in the US for 6 months. I introduced myself saying that I was interested in helping her teach some classes. We then hit it off well. She is my age and we seem to have a fair amount in common we talked all through recreo when I had to go and talk to the other classes. The project that my counterpart was talking about what helping the high schoolers do there senior/final project.  There are three classes and I will be helping each one. One is doing a garden of some sort in the school, second is making things out of garbage and the last one is doing some sort of trash pickup. I need to talk with the kids to get more information about their ideas. I ended up staying the whole day.

Wed is usually my day of no classes I went because I was to work with one of the high schoolers but no one was there. So I went to work with one of my teachers instead. He had me teaching almost every class, Language, Science and I helped with math and discipline. It was a great day went back and relaxed. I get a call from my assistant director of Peace Corps asking to come out to my site. The first thing that went through my mind was oh no what did I do! Nervous I gave him my schedule and would see him the next day.

Thur. I want up to my second school where we started the school garden it went well but we still have a lot of work to do. I get a call from the director saying that he would be there in about 10 min. I was a 4K walk from my site. He ended up picking me up at school. My fears were for nothing! All he walked to do was see how I was doing and see my site. So we walked around my site. I had an appointment with one of the neighboring volunteers and he drove me there. We did a youth group with manualidades (arts and crafts) and it wants over really well. I walked about her town and used the internet to do some research for tomorrow class. I get on the bus and go to the empalme (entrance) to my site. I was about 1 ½ hours early for the next bus so I decided to walk. And walk and walk. I finally hitch a ride for the last k maybe to town. I find out that it is 6k to my site. I was exhausted and in pain. I cooked dinner and went to bed. I figured out that I walked about 9k that day with is about 5.5m.

Fri. I was in so much pain it felt like I just did the marathon or something I dragged myself out of bed early to get to the early class at school. I was exhausted from the day before. I arrive on time after falling back to sleep. Just as class was about to start one of the students fainted, there was a ton of people to help her. I gave my water and phone to call her mom to come get her to the clinic. She was pretty bad I’m not sure how she is I will have to ask on Mon. Class starts and we were finishing up the abonera (compost) which is a lot of shoveling dirt into bags. We ended up with about 4.5 sacos (sacks) full. This is great because I can use them in the school garden. I then quickly went back to my house to get my forgotten computer and returned to school to teach my second class of the day ECA which is like an arts class. I did a wonderful job. So well that the teacher was boasting about it with the other teachers. I feel like I might end up doing it with other classes. I’m really proud of myself for this accomplishment. I was offered to go to their house later but I ended up falling asleep I will have to go day to make up for it. One the way back to my house I was stopped by my old host mother she wanted me to help teach her class that day. I politely refused and said I would do it next week and collapsed in my bed. I ate dinner and went to sleep.

It was a great week and I have a lot of things planned for the upcoming months too. I want to do a baseball AIDS completion where between the teams there would be information about HIV/AIDS. I am planning an ecological brigade involving tree planting and trash as well as some activities and a field trip.  I will be starting a manualidades class at my econ school every Mon. starting next week as well as an English class. My only concern now is to not overdo it and get sick I have to remember that I am only one person and can only do so much.  We get a new bunch of Environment volunteers soon so I will post likely be helping them with training I am excited to meet them. I don’t feel like I have much to offer them but I will do my best to make them feel welcomed and give as much advice as I can.

I hope that all is well and enjoying life as much as I am.  Love you all XOXO