Day 2 in Bolivia and it has been an incredible adventure so far:
Communicating with the Bolivians has been harder than I had expected it to be and has been somewhat discouraging. But that's one of the reasons I am here--to improve my Spanish. At moments it seems as if they don't want to communicate with the volunteers and I sometimes feel like a burden to them. I'm trying to open myself up and initiate the conversations without solely relying on them to do so. Once the conversation starts, all is well--it's just finding the courage to do so.
Today I worked with the pediatrician and had the opportunity to scrub in on a c-section. MIND BLOWING. I had no idea it was possible for me to see any operation at all because I'm not a medical student. It was incredible and I feel extremely blessed to have been able to witness such a miracle!
This afternoon we're going to the orphanage to work with the kids and who knows what the rest of the week will have in store...
Ciao.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Sunday, May 26, 2013
4 Planes Later...
4281.5 miles later, Anna and I are in the La Paz airport awaiting our last flight into Cochabamba. This weekend has consisted of enough traveling for a lifetime. We calculated a total of five different planes needed to get to Cochabamba--all in two days! The flight from Atlanta to Santiago was not the smoothest. While Anna got upgraded to first class and was indulging in a five course meal, massage chairs, comfy pillows and blankets, and her own seat, I was in the back of the plane trying to focus on anything but puking. After several attempts to distract myself from being sick (counting backwards in Spanish, watching a movie, sleeping, etc.) I failed and found myself running to the bathroom to vom. Same for this morning. Not a pleasant time. When we landed in Santiago this morning, Anna asked how my flight was and I told her while she just laughed. And I guess I laughed about it too--two total opposite experiences.
A weird thing we have noticed: everyone's infatuation with donuts. There have been so many travelers in the Santiago area caring boxes and boxes of Dunkin' Donuts. Whereas for us, it's just a staple in our lives...
The people we've encountered have been incredible--workers and travelers. It took us a while to figure out where we were going to while in the Santiago airport but thanks to a woman and her two sons just under ten, we were able to figure it out. There was also a couple from Sydney that was backpacking through South America and then through the Caribbean before moving to the States/Canada for a year or so. We also encountered Eric, a lone traveler from the Netherlands who was spending three months backpacking through South America and then in August, hopefully doing the same in Asia. It's just amazing hearing everyone's different stories and talking about ours.
The last fifteen minutes or so of our flight into La Paz was beautiful as we were right along the Andes:
We still have a journey ahead of us but every minute has been worth it.
Much love from Bolivia!
A weird thing we have noticed: everyone's infatuation with donuts. There have been so many travelers in the Santiago area caring boxes and boxes of Dunkin' Donuts. Whereas for us, it's just a staple in our lives...
The people we've encountered have been incredible--workers and travelers. It took us a while to figure out where we were going to while in the Santiago airport but thanks to a woman and her two sons just under ten, we were able to figure it out. There was also a couple from Sydney that was backpacking through South America and then through the Caribbean before moving to the States/Canada for a year or so. We also encountered Eric, a lone traveler from the Netherlands who was spending three months backpacking through South America and then in August, hopefully doing the same in Asia. It's just amazing hearing everyone's different stories and talking about ours.
The last fifteen minutes or so of our flight into La Paz was beautiful as we were right along the Andes:
We still have a journey ahead of us but every minute has been worth it.
Much love from Bolivia!
Friday, May 24, 2013
the sky is the same color wherever you go
17 hours on multiple planes and 12 hours worth of layovers is where my summer adventure in Bolivia and Chile begin. It's crazy to think that it all starts tomorrow. Even though I will not arrive in Bolivia until late Sunday evening, my mind has been there since Christmas. My dreams have been in Spanish since late April or early May. And my heart has been there since high-school.
This recent week home has been filled with lots of family time and a plethora of last minute errands. Several questions from various friends and family about my trip have been thrown in my direction. The two that get brought up the most are what I'm most excited for and what I'm most nervous about.
To answer:
It's hard to pinpoint exactly what I am most excited for because I honestly have no idea what to expect. I feel as if I'm going into it blind. But, if I must answer I would say that I am most excited to befriend an alpaca. It would honestly probably be the highlight of any day! Okay, and I guess speaking Spanish all the time will be pretty stellar! Seriously.
Most people assume I most worried about the plane ride. Or worried about not being able to fully communicate with anyone I encounter--especially my host family. None of that--those are things I'm looking forward to! Honestly, I am most worried about missing adventures with my family and friends here in the States and not having a place in their hearts when I return.
There is a Persian saying that says "the sky is the same color wherever you go". It assures me that that my family and friends will always be here for me when I get back late July. And I know I will find as much love and compassion with my new friends (that don't even exist yet) that it will seem as if I never left home!
So mis amigos, I invite you to follow me on my escapade through Bolivia and Chile.
¡Buena suerte con sus veranos y espero que se llenan de tanta alegría como la mía será! In other words, good luck with your summers and I hope that they are filled with as much joy as mine will be!
Con amor,
-A
This recent week home has been filled with lots of family time and a plethora of last minute errands. Several questions from various friends and family about my trip have been thrown in my direction. The two that get brought up the most are what I'm most excited for and what I'm most nervous about.
To answer:
It's hard to pinpoint exactly what I am most excited for because I honestly have no idea what to expect. I feel as if I'm going into it blind. But, if I must answer I would say that I am most excited to befriend an alpaca. It would honestly probably be the highlight of any day! Okay, and I guess speaking Spanish all the time will be pretty stellar! Seriously.
Most people assume I most worried about the plane ride. Or worried about not being able to fully communicate with anyone I encounter--especially my host family. None of that--those are things I'm looking forward to! Honestly, I am most worried about missing adventures with my family and friends here in the States and not having a place in their hearts when I return.
There is a Persian saying that says "the sky is the same color wherever you go". It assures me that that my family and friends will always be here for me when I get back late July. And I know I will find as much love and compassion with my new friends (that don't even exist yet) that it will seem as if I never left home!
So mis amigos, I invite you to follow me on my escapade through Bolivia and Chile.
¡Buena suerte con sus veranos y espero que se llenan de tanta alegría como la mía será! In other words, good luck with your summers and I hope that they are filled with as much joy as mine will be!
Con amor,
-A
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