Hey all,
Well here I am, almost 2 weeks after my most recent post when I was sicksicksick. I'm now feeling better, but let me tell you, this Guayaquil heat is UNBEARABLE. I'm not kidding. There are two seasons here: winter and summer. However, those titles are deceiving. During "winter" it actually gets HOTTER instead of COLDER (which my North-American-Midwestern-programmed brain thinks is just totally illogical...it's winter and I'm getting a tan?????? WHAT???)...and it rains, apparently. Which makes is humid. Basically my body is rebelling because it's December 13th and I'm suffering from heat-related maladies which has never ever happened in December as long as I have lived. I have no energy. I have no desire to do anything PC related. My head hurts. My stomach hurts. I have no appetite. Ughh. Anyway...asi es la vida...
So things are getting all geared up for Christmas around these parts (around ALL parts, I'm sure...). I have a party at my counterpart foundation this coming week...and a family/family friends party this Saturday night starting at 9:30pm "hasta el cuerpo aguanta" (until the body can't handle any more - Spanish is hilarious...I'm sure they'll be too much sangria served there, too...ahhhhhh...) so that will be exciting! The girls and I are doing a little crafty exchange too. It shold be fun. I have a bunch of gifts to make/buy, however, which I'm sort of dreading. These "secreto amigo" things (like a Secret Santa gift exchange) are making me crazy because I'm not good at getting stuff for people I don't know very well. : / Oh well. It's all good in da' hood.
On a more profound note, I've realized something today. It was something I've always known but I really just had a moment of clarity and understanding that was really powerful. Living here in this dirty, insanely hot city has really and truly made me appreciate running water. I know it may sound stupid and obvious, but whatever, I'm going to explain this anyway....
After a long, stressful, hot day (with a sweaty, sticky run thrown in there, as well), there is not one thing better than bathing with running water. I don't even care that it's a cold shower (which is a luxury that I have taken for granted my whole entire life). As a matter of fact, sometimes these cold showers make me remember that I'm alive!!!! They kick the air right out of my lungs, make me shiver, and make my teeth chatter, but darn it, I'm alive!!!!! What a wonderful thing. A couple weekends ago I didn't have running water for a day. No big deal, right? Yeah, it really wasn't a big deal, to be honest. A lot of my fellow PCV friends have to walk to fetch their water - this is a reality for sooo many people (not just PCV's, obviously). I mean, I've taken a bucket shower at my best PCV friend's house and it was actually a pretty neat experience. A different way of doing things. - Is it weird that I'm talking this in-depth about my bathing experiences??? lol - But anyway...the moral of this story is that I appreciate my icy cold shower here in this sticky, hot, dirty city. Period.
This coming year (OMG - 2012 is SO close!!!!) I plan to start a photo-blog thing. It's called "The 365 Project" (or something similar to that) and the basis of it is that I'll take a photo every single day for the entire year and upload it for everyone to see. There's also space to describe it and whatnot. I think it's a SUPER cool idea (some of my friends are already doing it, actually), it's another way for me to document my first year of service, and it'll be another awesome way for you guys to keep informed of my crazy life. How's that sound??? :) :) :) I'm super pumped. I'll update you all with the link when 2012 rolls around and I get started. :)
Well, I suppose that's enough for now. I hope you're all doing well!!!! I'm sending TONS of love and positivity through the miles, I promise. Can you feel it?? Feel free to e-mail me (everlys1561@gmail.com) to keep me posted about your lives. I feel like my blog is so one-sided and selfish sometimes...I just ramble about myself to people who I hope are reading because they care about me, but for all I know it could be a bunch of strangers....I don't know.....I'm rambling. Anyway, much love and positivity. Besos!!!
P.S. So it's almost 10pm and the garbage truck is going around town. I hear it because a few days ago it started playing ice-cream truck music REALLY loudly as it drives around town. So confusing. Ice cream or garbage?? Take your pick. LOL I'm gonna take a video of it someday because it seriously makes me laugh every single night.......
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Sick...again....
So here we go again, sick sick sick. Woke up at 4am with the worst fever of my life. Threw up this morning. Exhausted now. Just want someone to take care of me...ugh. Luckily Jordan and my host family have taken awesome care of me! And, of course, Nurse Kelly. Man, she is just a doll. Thanks everyone!!!! Hopefully I'll be up and at 'em sooner than later...
Being sick here has got to be one of the scariest and worst feelings I've experienced ever in my life. Other than the fear that is always included in what I like to call "daily life." Fear and sickness. They're terrible.
I would give anything to be laying on the couch at my parent's house in Ohio...with some crackers, clean water, tea, a big warm blanket, my dumb dog, being doted on by my two wonderful parents. I really have taken that for granted my whole life...including when I lived at college, a hour way from home. My mom would drop anything to come take care of me and was always a phone call away (a CHEAP phone call - lol). Not to mention my awesome boyfriend who has come over to my apartment on numerous occasions to make me toasted cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. He ever brought me a little Bonsai tree once, to make me feel better. It worked. Now we're so far away and I feel so helpless. Luckily, as I said, I do have other volunteers close and my hose family wants nothing more than for me to be healthy and happy. I'm a lucky girl.
I feel like sickness can make or break a volunteer, and I know it has before. It's just an awful feeling to be sick in a strange, unfamiliar, lonely place. Ugh. Awful. Totally awful.
I would like to take the time to send my complete and utter love and positive thoughts to the Vogt family in central Ohio. I have been thinking of Nick constantly and I can't even explain my feelings of total compassion for the entire Vogt family, especially Nick. This whole situation breaks my heart every time that I think about it, so I can't even imagine how they feel. I haven't even brought myself to read the Advocate article or the blog about him because I will just completely lose it. I even have dreams about him. I am so sorry. I pray that he will be okay and that he will continue to follow his dreams and do what makes him happy. I love you, Vogt family. And, of course, I love you, Nick!!! <3 <3 <3
Anyway, I'm gonna go rest. I'm just exhausted. However - other news first! I moved into my new apartment today! I am so thrilled, despite my illness that has me down and out. This is the cutest apt ever imagined and I can't wait to feel better and get settled in. Of course I also need to post pics to my photo page (www.photobucket.com/sheburnsbright) but I'm totally behind on doing that. :( :( :( UGH. Just not enough hours in the day. I also need to go to the ATM and buy a shower curtain. No curtain, no shower! Uh ohhhh...
Much love,
Sarita
Being sick here has got to be one of the scariest and worst feelings I've experienced ever in my life. Other than the fear that is always included in what I like to call "daily life." Fear and sickness. They're terrible.
I would give anything to be laying on the couch at my parent's house in Ohio...with some crackers, clean water, tea, a big warm blanket, my dumb dog, being doted on by my two wonderful parents. I really have taken that for granted my whole life...including when I lived at college, a hour way from home. My mom would drop anything to come take care of me and was always a phone call away (a CHEAP phone call - lol). Not to mention my awesome boyfriend who has come over to my apartment on numerous occasions to make me toasted cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. He ever brought me a little Bonsai tree once, to make me feel better. It worked. Now we're so far away and I feel so helpless. Luckily, as I said, I do have other volunteers close and my hose family wants nothing more than for me to be healthy and happy. I'm a lucky girl.
I feel like sickness can make or break a volunteer, and I know it has before. It's just an awful feeling to be sick in a strange, unfamiliar, lonely place. Ugh. Awful. Totally awful.
I would like to take the time to send my complete and utter love and positive thoughts to the Vogt family in central Ohio. I have been thinking of Nick constantly and I can't even explain my feelings of total compassion for the entire Vogt family, especially Nick. This whole situation breaks my heart every time that I think about it, so I can't even imagine how they feel. I haven't even brought myself to read the Advocate article or the blog about him because I will just completely lose it. I even have dreams about him. I am so sorry. I pray that he will be okay and that he will continue to follow his dreams and do what makes him happy. I love you, Vogt family. And, of course, I love you, Nick!!! <3 <3 <3
Anyway, I'm gonna go rest. I'm just exhausted. However - other news first! I moved into my new apartment today! I am so thrilled, despite my illness that has me down and out. This is the cutest apt ever imagined and I can't wait to feel better and get settled in. Of course I also need to post pics to my photo page (www.photobucket.com/sheburnsbright) but I'm totally behind on doing that. :( :( :( UGH. Just not enough hours in the day. I also need to go to the ATM and buy a shower curtain. No curtain, no shower! Uh ohhhh...
Much love,
Sarita
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