My First Days in Nicaragua

So I arrived on Saturday in the morning and Mariana, the program coordinator,and Maria, the program director, were amongst the long line of people waiting outside the glass dorrs for all the peopet o come off the flight from Houstin. Right when I got off the plane, I felt the steamy humid air and had to smile, because I knew the weather was going to make it interesting while I am here. After the twelve hour journey of arriving dirty with all our bags and going through customs, waiting in line it was great to meet these two great women. Mariana is so great, she is 23 and is from Puerto Rica and went to Bard College in New York and speaks english and spanish perfectly. Though it is funny listening to her speak and not pronounce any S in her works. That is very common here. Maria has her PHD, does not speak any enlgish, has three kids and is amazing. SO we got into our Mirco bus with all our luggage and drove through Managua to our very luxurious hotel, meaing not many bugs, being served food and towels provided with actual running water that is nice and cold and a big supply of purified water. CasaSan Pedro was nice. We were there for two nights. I will write more later because I am being kicked off by Jolie, someone in my gorup who wants to use the computer. More later...

So much since then...

Wow, when is it that time doe snot fly by? Well, I took my last final May 1st, went to Kansas to visit the fam and ran back and forth from SF to Atherton to be with fam and friends and celebrate May bdays and go to Narnia with my brother and attend predeparture class for my internship in Nicaragua and help a friend move in the city. Busy Busy Busy. So I leave for Nicaragua tonight and will be there until August 2nd. I am working at a community development organization that is a non profit and will tell you more details later when I am in the country. I won't have a huge amount to access to phones or internet but I do get free text messages so...I would love to hear from you! But in the mean time...my good friend Matt graduated USF and here is a picture of us!

May 4th

So in leaving DC and deciding that a trip to Europe as originally planned would not work out especially since John and Devon's 10 day trip to Germany and the Ukraine turned into Devon's solo week trip to Germany, I thought I better wait until I graduate for a longer trip to Europe and maybe Asia. So on my way home I though I would stop in Kansas where my Mother's family is and say hello to the great granny and cousin, Sammy. However flights from Chicago, which is where I was stuck on Sunday were all full to everywhere I could think of flying. So I took the last flight of the day out to San Jose and if I did not make it, I would have had to sleep in the airport that night...no I would have gone to a hotel, but thankfully a nice United employee gav eme the last seat on the plane. Literally, the last...I was in the very back of the plane in the far left corner (at least I got on a flight and was not on the aisle where you have to turn your head away because the bathroom smells). So oddly enough John was flying from LA back to Salt Lake City but couldn't get on any flights either so he ended up flying to Oakland. Funny how things turn out and that we bnoth came home on the same night. So he got in and took the train to Atherton, luckily I get VIP private car service and someone in my family always picks me up...no public transportation when I am home! John came and got me in San Jose and then I drove him out today to SFO to fly back to Salt Lake city. That is the trick I have figured out not to be homesick...come home for visits (short enough not to get into any trouble!) Then I am flying out to Kansas tomorrow and will come home in time for our annual mothers day celebration on Sunday in Atherton with the Grandparents, Aunt Kit and Uncle Tom, MJ's mother, Mary Ellen who is in town for Callan's First Communion. Fun Fun!! will post soon...