I'm Back.

Host brothers José and Jeisson (Jason) and I on local sand dunes.

Forget Food Part 2.  It’s been three months since I posted, so today I’m doing quick hits and photos from life in the last quarter.  My first trip to the US.  My first visitors (not named Kelly) from the US.  Another American moved to town here.  Food can wait. 

Kelly bowled a 300.

I made my first trip home to the glorious United States of America (nothing like living overseas to make you feel patriotic) at the beginning of July.  I spent the majority of my time in the DC area with Kelly and her family.  But we were lucky enough to see Amanda and Steve, as well, spending a sunny summer day with them in Baltimore.

Justin, Josh, and I in the desert.

My flight back to Lima was delayed and unexpectedly diverted from Atlanta to Mexico City, but I got back safely and in time to welcome my friends Josh and Justin, whose flight arrived the day after mine.  Over the course of the week they were here, we walked around the streets of Lima, camped on the beaches of Paracas, and sandboarded on the dunes of Huacachina.  Josh got sick for a couple of days, but otherwise a fun trip for all.

Host parents María and Martin with son Jeremy

I was fortunate enough to have another friend, my buddy Chris, visit me about a month after Josh and Justin’s trip.  He was here for only a few days, so we spent the majority of time close to the Lima area, always a nice escape from life in my site.  Hot water, good food, and a beach you can safely walk along. 

Hector building fire-burning stove at

After many trips and visits and shenanigans unrelated to Peace Corps, I got back to site motivated to work.  I am largely working with a Peruvian counterpart and employee of the local municipality, named Hector.  Educated and motivated counterparts are very difficult to find in rural Peru, where the educated left long ago for the university and the city jobs and never came back home.  So when I met Hector, a friendly, university-educated man in charge of ‘social projects’ for the local gov’t, I was more than ecstatic that he wanted to work with me.  I’ve taken him along to some Peace Corps-sponsored trainings and he’s helped me navigate the bureaucratic labyrinth that is local government here.  Win-win. 

Matt dropping knowledge bombs on Peruvian children

Kelly was here for another visit in August and we spent the majority of time in my site, where I could enjoy having her here without completely neglecting my work.  I think she enjoyed seeing more of my site and getting to know my host family better, who's been nothing but nice to her and me.  She also got to meet the new Peace Corps volunteer in my site, Matt, a very nice guy who's a native of California and one year removed from college.  I found out just a couple months ago that PC was placing a youth volunteer here in Independencia, who would work alongside me (Matt now actually lives under the same roof). He arrived here just a few weeks ago and already seems pretty comfortable here. 

That should do it for today.