projects, projects, projects!!!!

Well the day has finally come! I am starting to become a guapa volunteer!!! I never thought the day would come, so naturally I'm ecstatic... but also a little terrified (shh)

So I brought my two girls from my site to the HIV/AIDS taller hosted by Peace Corps and now we have to work on a community project and then we'll go to a follow up taller in October. We are planning on giving a 1-day mini-taller at one of the high schools and the girls are going to invite all of the high schools in town (this week hopefully, fingers crossed that they actually do it). I also invited my nearest PCV, Abbie, who is also a health volunteer but from my sister-G. She is going to bring some youth from her community so thankfully we'll at least have some people there. I also invited a youth group that works in my community. I'm hopeful that it is successful! Vamos a ver.

I also "started" a vegetable garden with my host sister, Leti. And by "started" I mean that I started clearing the space that we're going to use behind my host mom's dental office. It's a really great space and is only a block from where I live. We are in the process of finding some fertilizer and we just bought some seeds. We're going to have EVERYTHING! Tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage, onion, watermelon, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and much more. I'm so excited! My ultimate plan is that I want to eventually start a garden at the Centro de Salud for them to use for their food program for the employees, but first I need to make sure I can actually maintain a garden successfully. I'm not sure if I have a green thumb or not haha.

Another thing that I hope to do is start my exercise club one of these days. I bought my bike (finally!) and I want to do a once-a-week biking club as well. My host sister and her friend seem pumped about it so hopefully they can help me recruit some more members. Also, the idea of having a "turkey trot" in my site before our Thanksgiving celebration in Encarn was brought up to me and I love it! Abbie and I really want to set that up because I have the perfect 10k route on our Costanera and it would be the most perfect opportunity, plus its such a tradition in the States that I could share with Paraguayans in my community. My host mom was also enthusiastic so I'm really hoping (once again) that it ends up working out.

Lastly (phew), when me and Leti were working on clearing out our gardening space she brought up to me out of the blue that she's like to do a community project. This sparked my interest, obviously, and so I asked what it was. She then proceeds to tell me that she wants to make a library at her school because they have one but its more like a storage area for old textbooks than an actual, functional library. This made my day..no actually this made my service. This is what I've been waiting for this whole time. I was just so shocked and elated that I started talking a million miles a minute because this is the project I've wanted since I got here I just didn't know how to do it or if anyone was interested. Who is that possible?! What are the odds that my host sister wants to do the exact same project as my dream project? It could not get any better. I was (and still am, a bit) on cloud nine. Por suerte, there is a meeting in Asuncion the day that my training event ends about how to form libraries. (did I mention that this is just TOOOOO perfect?!) some staff from DC are flying down here to give some lessons on library-making, I suppose. The timing just couldn't be better and for this I am very pleased. It is a very blessed moment in my opinion that I just so happened to start a mini project, that eventually lead to the conversation that prompted my dream project. Yay!

This has been a guapa week. I've finally started to feel like how I always thought I would, like an actual PCV. It's about time ha. hey, my projects could all crash and burn (um, please no.) but I'll have to keep these moments in the back of my head. There is hope, and sometimes, like right now, I feel like I maybe can make a difference here in Paraguay. That is a good feeling.