February 2012 was great, especially with the extra day! I began the month in Bolivia, where I was exploring one of Paraguay's neighbors for the first time with a fellow Peace Corps Volunteer. We didn't have a lot of time, so our trip focused on the triad of La Paz, the Salt Flats (photo), and Lake Titicaca. La Paz, the world's highest capital city, hit me with a dose of altitude sickness. Really did need to take it easy for a day or two. We journeyed south of La Paz to view just a smidgeon of the immense salt flats, the world's largest. What a sight, especially when there's a blue sky, and the surface is covered with water from recent rains...the effect is one of the flats being one huge mirror of the sky...picture blue-tinted, sparkling snow!...AMAZING! Lake Titicaca was beautiful too.Once back in Paraguay it was nice to be joined by my colleagues at the CCPA; everyone was back from their summer vacation. (They have it pretty good. Last day of work had been December 23; they returned on February 6. Not bad, right?) We hosted a visit from US Embassy officers this month, and they included a book donation with their visit. Most of the books were non-fiction for children--awesome! The gift included two Kindles as well, loaded with books in English. I'm having fun learning to use a Kindle--finally!--and in turn showing it to both students and teachers.
My first week back I marked a milestone on my calendar--the beginning of my 100-day countdown as a Peace Corps volunteer. I mention this in a most positive vein, as in trying to make the most of each and every day that remains (NOT a count-down of the "oh, I can't wait for this to be over" variety!) As of that 100th day, February 9, I'm making a concerted effort to make every day extra special in some way. Granted, I try to do that anyway, as life's modus operandi, right, but now that approach feels infused with an extra-mindfulness, an extra-awareness of the passing of time in this particular place called Paraguay that I've called home for the past three years. As much as I look forward to resuming life back home, it will be very difficult to leave this country and its people.
Hard to believe I've been here three full years already. Living my fourth season of Lent here, which also means watching my fourth round of CARNAVAL! Saw it a couple of times this year, both in Villarrica and Troche. 9-year old Beta of my Troche family made her CARNAVAL debut, dancing with a little girls' troupe. The one in Troche got over later than the one in Villarrica, approximately 4am....can you believe it, and even on a school night!
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