Happy Holidays!

Hi everyone. Things have been rather hectic down here and I´m now living very far away from an internet connection so I apologize for the long delay. I don´t have a lot of time, but I just want to let you all know that I am still alive and well and getting ready to celebrate my first Paraguayan Christmas and New Years. I´m now living in my official site as I´m finally an official volunteer and things are........going. Lots and lots of awkward moments (pretty much every minute of every day), lots and lots of me not understanding what´s going on or what´s being said (pretty much everything) and lots and lots of thick red mud coating everything I own. Right now I´m spending most of my days studying Guarani, hanging out outside with the family listening to them talk about me but not knowing exactly what they´re saying and drinking terere with whoever stops by. It´s a slow start, but that´s to be expected, and I am enjoying myself. I make a fool of myself a lot, but I also laugh a lot. It´s the only way.

Another quick update that I´ve been meaning to write about but haven´t had the time is about this crazy walk a group of us volunteers did on the 8th. December 8th is a big holiday here, the Virgen of Caacupe day, and hundreds of thousands of people walk to the basilica in Caacupe to celebrate. We decided to do the walk, too, and left at 7:00 the night before. We walked 11 hours, getting there by about 6 in the morning. The last 16 km of the walk was a massive procession of people taking up the entire road for as far as you could see forward and backward. Crazy stuff. I´ll post pictures when I have more time.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday week. I wish I was there celebrating with you, or you here celebrating with me. I now have a cell phone (but have pretty poor reception in site) so feel free to call me anytime (check my facebook info page for the number), or send me texts. I would love to hear from you.