Camp GLOW

On November 2nd, thirty girls from three villages were welcomed by fourteen Saramaccan women and seventeen PCVs to a tourist camp on the Upper Suriname River to participate in the third Camp GLOW to be held on the river. Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World), is a leadership and empowerment camp for young girls, ages 12-up.

We hold Camp GLOW because girls living in the interior of Suriname receive little encouragement to continue their studies past the sixth grade. They are presented with minimal basic life skill development information, and face pressures to engage in sex at a young age. Camp GLOW encourages girls to continue their education, while also exposing them to the different opportunities they do have. The girls leave camp with a better understanding of ways to protect themselves and make healthy lifestyle choices. They are more empowered, and will hopefully return to their villages and share what they learned with others in their families and villages. 

Everyone that participated in Camp GLOW

In the midst of playing games and having an absolute blast, the girls attended lessons. They learned about the importance of doing their part to take care of the environment. They discussed gender roles and goal setting, which really challenged them to think about what their options are and what they want to be when they grow up. We talked about nutrition and self-esteem and the importance of taking care of our bodies. Most importantly, the girls were led through a discussion on HIV/AIDS. We talked about what HIV/AIDS is, how it's spread, and ways to protect ourselves against it.  Like all places in the world, HIV/AIDS is present. Like most places in the world, it's a very scary subject and it's not talked about enough. The last night of camp a lady living with HIV came and spoke to the girls. Hopefully through her testimony, the girls will not only gain a better understanding of how to protect themselves, but also realize that people with HIV/AIDS can still live a normal life. 

Girls listen to a lesson on HIV/AIDS

I served on the logistics team for camp and had an absolute blast. We were responsible for setting up for sessions and games. We served all the meals, and danced as we put food on everyone's plates. It was great. I was also a part of the green team, so I was also able to hang out with girls and play games with them. The week had "Peace Corps" written all over it. 

Helping girls on the green team tie dye our t-shirts

On November 6th we had to say goodbye to the girls. They 100%-absolutely-completely-no-doubt-about-it did not want to leave camp. These girls came from three different villages, and found new friends in each other. They most likely would not have met without this camp. It was so cool to see the new friendships they formed, how much they learned, and what they said they would take back and share with their own villages and families.

From a very young age, I have been in situations that require me to meet new people. The thought of Summer camp in America is so very common. Kids meet kids from other places all the time. I grew up going to camps, sometimes by choice and sometimes not. Until I was a part of Camp GLOW, I cannot honestly say I ever truly thought about the value in that. Just think- I was given a choice, and when my parents thought I didn't make the right one, they were there to see the value in something I did not quite understand. We all know it by now, but I am blessed and so very grateful. 

I will be in Paramaribo for a few more days. I go back to site on the 26th. December 1-5, we are holding the first Boy's Leadership Camp on the river. Three boys from my village are going and I am so excited. I went with a couple of other volunteers to tell the boys what they were going to have the opportunity to do, and as they tried to hold back their thirteen year old smiles through little giggles, I knew they could not wait. I think that a camp for boys in this culture is just as important as the ones that have been held for girls. I cannot wait to be a part of what they will learn and the lessons they will take away from those few days. 

All the photos in this post were taken by my fellow volunteer (and Mississippian) Ryan Dapremont. 

Five Month Update

I came back into the city on September 28, so I have been here about two weeks. I came in a little before EST (Early Service Training) to go to a birthday party for one of the ladies in SUR 16. She and her husband live in an Amerindian site, and she invited all of the volunteers to help her celebrate her 60th birthday. We all hung hammocks and slept outside in a pavilion. We danced, ate, and spent a lot of time hanging out in our hammocks. It was great to relax and be with friends while visiting other volunteers' site.

EST began on October 4. My group shared presentations with each other about our different sites, and met with our Program Managers to discuss how things are going at site and project work that we are interested in. The past week has consisted of sessions concerning how to write project proposals, as well as lots of information on how to present ideas to our communities and work with youth through sports. 

The past couple of days consisted of all of the volunteers in country playing soccer, relay races, and capture the flag to develop ways to work with the youth in our villages. My body is completely exhausted and sore. BUT I did score a goal in soccer and eliminate a player in dodgeball. These two things have never happened. Exciting stuff. 

I am starting to think a lot about what projects I am interested in and what I have to offer Malobi, as well as what I can help them accomplish. I am thinking a lot about HIV/AIDS prevention education and youth development work. 

The first week in November, some of the Saramaccan volunteers on the river are holding a girls leadership camp. We are going to put on a boys camp the first week in December. The camps will be for sixth grade students (ages 12-15) and will focus on leadership and empowerment. I truly believe that these camps will make a difference in their lives, and that they will be able to take what they've learned and pass it on to their friends that do not attend. Volunteers have already held a few camps for girls, but this will be the first time one has been held for the boys. I am thrilled for the kids that will be attending, and super excited to see how the camps operate. 

We will finish up EST in the next couple of days, and I will head back to site in about a week. 

A few days ago, one of my closest friends in Peace Corps went back to America. He decided that he had given all he could to his job here, and that it was time for him to go. While I supported his decision and knew it was the best decision for him, it was still really hard to watch him go. It rarely occurs to me that I have only known my friends here for about five months. It was hard to leave friends and family in America, but I think it was harder to watch one of my friends here leave. I know that my friends and family in America support me completely and will be waiting with open arms when I return (and I will be so ready for that), but they may never fully understand all that I am experiencing in Suriname. I need my new friends to stick with me for the next twenty-one months. I need friends in this country that understand what I am going through. I need friends in this country that can help me get rid of my latest bat infestation and that I can laugh with because we have to share our houses with bats. I would have to make a serious argument for myself to leave here. I am content and feel like I am where I belong for now, but Suriname is a tough country. I do not know how I would make it though the rest of my service without my friends here. 

On a more exciting note, before I left Malobi, I successfully carried my dishes to and from the river on my head with zero support from my hands. It's about a five minute walk each way. I was so excited, and I am so proud of myself. It's a good feeling when I do something to fit in a little more with my new community. 

I received lots of letters a couple of days ago. I cannot say "Thanks" enough. I truly believe that I am going to continue to be blown away and overwhelmed in the next couple of years by the love and support surrounding my life and my decision to serve in the Peace Corps. And I am completely okay with it. 

Kids

I wasn't as excited as I wanted to be to go back to site. I was not dreading it, I just felt very neutral and indifferent. After a long day of travel I finally reached Malobi. A lot of the ladies that live around me were away knocking rice. I walked over to meet them, and I was greeted with lots of hugs and yells of excitement for my return. That definitely helped my mood. That same night I was sitting at a neighbor's house with her and some of the kids I hang out with. I was showing them what I've always been told is, "how a horse eats a pumpkin." I was tickling their knees and they thought it was the funniest thing ever. They kept sticking their knees out to me and falling out laughing. Their laughter was infections, and I had to stop myself from crying at the preciousness of it all. I wish I could bottle their laughter up to listen to when days are hard. I have never spent this much time being around children and holding babies. It is strange that I am this attached to them.

My new best friends at site started school today. They are six. I am so upset that I am not there to see them get on the boat or to take a picture of them in their new school uniforms. I wanted to be there when they got home from school with popcorn and juice for them. I am overwhelmed with excitement for these children as they begin their education.

I arrived in the city this past Wednesday after only spending about a week at site. I will be here until the middle of October for Early Service Training. I am really excited to be in the city with all of the other volunteers.

On my way in to the city, I was in Atjoni, waiting for a bus to take me to the city. This little girl was sitting beside me, and insisted on braiding my hair. Aaah the things that happen in my life these days. How many times have you been sitting anywhere and a child that you do not know asked to braid your hair? Hilarious.

There were also eighteen people in my van to the city, but that's another story. I am looking forward to enjoying my time in the city with fast food, and being more excited to return to Malobi in mid-October.

This Hannah Montana Backpack is Nice

I am headed back out to site tomorrow and wanted to share a story that I think is hilarious.

Yesterday my friend and fellow volunteer, Erin, and I ran around the city checking off things on out 'To Do' lists. Before I left Malobi, a lady asked me to buy: two new school shirts, underwear, notebooks, pens, a backpack, and a denim skirt for her daughter. I agreed because this lady is one of my friends and it is hard for folks in the Interior to get into the city to shop. So, can we just imagine me running around a hot city, back to school shopping, buying things for my friend that gave me a list in Saramaccan, trying to find them in a city where people speak Dutch, not to mention trying to find underwear to fit an eight year old girl?

This ranks up there with having a bank account in a foreign country and not flushing a toilet for two months, along with the numerous other things I just never thought I would do or not be able to do.

At least now I can check off back to school shopping in a foreign country for someone else's child off my list? Goodness.

My life is pretty funny at times. Most of the time my life is funny. For this and so much more, I am grateful.

Tuesdays with Melfiquine

Melfiquine is my I-sure-hope-I-don't-get-malaria-but-if-I-do-this-medicine-should-help medicine. I take it on Tuesdays.

Two months is a long time for me to try and sum up in a few words. I will try. This post could quite possibly be a lot of rambling, but I'm not totally sure of what people are interested to know about my new life. Life is so different for me now. I do not know that I would have come here knowing all of the changes that were awaiting me, and I am thankful everyday that I am not writing my life's story. Thankfully my God is more creative than me, and knows better than I do what I can handle.

The last time I posted I talked about how terrified I was to move to my site. That feeling had not changed by the time I got in the car to leave the city. The Suriname River folks left about 6:30 a.m. on July 16. I was tired and I just really did not feel mentally prepared for what I was about to do. After about a four hour car ride we made it to Atjoni, where we would get on boats to go up river. We unloaded the moving truck and grouped everything based on villages and who was going in which boat. Despite still being in a funk, the whole process of moving beds and other furniture, food for 3 months, and everyone's personal belongings was pretty humorous. Everything had to be taken up river by boats. And when I say boat, I mean dugout canoe. I paused for a moment to capture the picture of it all and remind myself that I was going to be just fine. I had another three hour ride until we reached Malobi. On the boat ride I was consumed with the thought of getting off the boat in my village and what it meant for the next two years. I knew that getting off of that boat in Malobi would be (and is) one of those defining moments in my life. I still get chills when I think about it.

When we reached Malobi, as soon as I had gotten off of the boat, about ten kids showed up to help carry everything (including my full size mattress and bed frame) to my house. It was quite the kodak moment. My neighbor, Kayen, helped put my bed together and hang my mosquito net. I spent the next couple of days getting everything organized in my house and trying not to cry so much.

Here are some things (in a really disorganized order) about my life and daily routines that folks may like to know:

My house is about 10'x15' and has a half wall in the middle of it to separate my bedroom from the kitchen/sitting area/dinging room. My walls are planks, so I can hear everything going on outside all the time. There are also cracks between the boards, some of which I filled or put duct tape over, but most are left open so that I have a little more ventilation. I have electricity for a few hours every night, usually 6:30-10:00. When the light goes off, it is darker than dark in my house. I cannot see my hand in front of my face. I sleep with my head lamp.

I cook on a two burner gas, camping like stove. My water comes out of my duro tank (rain water catching tank) and goes through my PC issued water filter if it's for drinking or cooking. I don't think I have to mention that I do not have refrigeration, but I don't. My milk is powder and my butter is vegetable margrine, so obviously really healthy. Ha.

I bathe in my wash house with a bucket and cup, or in the river. I usually wash my hair in the river to conserve water, especially now since it is the dry season. I wash clothes and dishes exclusively in the river. I count on the sun to kill a lot of the germs on those things.

The sky is so blue during the day. It is also very hot. I have never wished for a gloomy day over a gorgeous and sunny one, but it will be ok with me when the rain starts to fall again and cools things off a bit.

 I always thought rain falling on a metal roof was soothing, and while maybe in some cases it is, when a storm comes in the jungle the rain is terrifying falling on my zinc roof.

Stars fill the sky at night and it is absolutely beautiful.

I can walk to two other volunteers' sites from mine. One is about a twenty minute walk away, while the other is about forty. I walk on a path through the jungle to get to them. There are five creeks that I have to walk through on that path. When I run, I run between the first two creeks and on the sports field in Malobi. I have to carry my tennis shoes with me and put them on after I cross the first one.

As soon as I open my door in the mornings, which is usually shortly after eight o'clock, my porch is flooded with children wanting a coloring book or a jump rope or something. The kids are great, but they have rules. They are not allowed to hit each other at my house. They aren't allowed in my house, it's too small. They are not allowed to stare at me while I eat, that's just weird. Writing that, I realize how strange it is that I have to have that rule, but I am the white girl and for whatever reason that makes me worthy of their stares.The are a few kids that hang around my house pretty regularly and help me do lots of things, like get the weeds out of my dirt yard. I share popcorn and tang with them a lot. One day they brought me flowers and sand “Happy Birthday” to me. I'm still not sure why, but nevertheless it was really sweet. 

To toddlers and babies I am either the greatest thing they've ever seen or they are terrified of me. I am a celebrity or a monster. Obviously, I like being the celebrity better because no one cries at the sight of me. There are some kids that I am convinced will never get used to my white skin and they will cry every single time they see me.

I get out of bed about eight o'clock in the mornings and usually walk around the village about ten o'clock. Some days I sit with a lot of people and some days the village is really quiet because the women have gone to grounds (farmland). I try to go to the river before noon, so that my clothes and dishes can have plenty of sunlight. In the afternoon, when I have shade on my porch, I usually sit and read a book. I am usually back in bed by 8 o'clock at night. Yes, I realize I spend twelve hours a day in my bed.

I have bats and rats that live in my ceiling. I was ok with it for a while. I would listen to my ipod and pretend they weren't there. Then one night while my light was still on, I saw a rat running across a beam about five feet from by bed. Another night a bat fell out of my ceiling. I watched it crawl up the wall for a minute. I was already in bed on both of these occasions, so I did what anyone in my position would do, I rolled over and went to sleep. Right? Everyone would do that. I put out rat poison and the noises stopped for a while. I have new rats. The bats I just have to live with.

My mosquito net is my protective bubble.

I had a tarantula on my ceiling one day (aside from all the other gigantic spiders I encounter on a daily basis). My neighbor came and sprayed it with bug killer. While we were standing talking, the tarantula fell on my hand. Hello? Does anyone reading this know me? I screamed really loud in my neighbor's ear and laughed. As soon as he left, I cried uncontrollably and called my momma.

Just the other night, after it was dark, I looked on my porch and thought one of the kids left a dirty towel or something there. I pushed it with my shoe and it didn't move. It was a toad the size of my head. That's just nasty.

All the volunteers on the Suriname River have village names. Most of us are named after our villages. The volunteer before me was Malo Mai, and the call me Lobi Mai. Lobi is also the word for "love" in Saramaccan, so it's kinda cool to have such a pleasant name. There are no Rs in Saramaccan, so when they ask what my American name is and try to say it, it always comes out as “Blooke.”

I am getting pretty good at Dutch oven baking. One of my neighbors brings me plantains so I will make banana bread with them. She loves it.

I have not bathed in hot water in almost six months.

I have white fungus growing on my back and shoulders. Woooo Hoooo

The women carry things on their heads. The things I have seen them carry include: water from the river, dishes and laundry, a case of soda, suitcases, huge buckets of rice, and a four burner stove. Seriously. I carry my laundry and dishes on my head to the river. I have actually carried wood and a hammock on my head without using my hands, each for about forty-five minutes through the jungle. Just the other day, I took about twenty-five steps with my bucket of dishes on my head without using my hands. It was a really exciting feeling. The villagers are not impressed. Why shouldn't I be able to carry things like that?

There is a woman in my village that cannot look at me. She is apparently allergic to white people, but I am told that if she see me I am the one that gets sick. I saw her one day and she did a triple take before running away. I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. I mean, come on.

I talk to my family a lot, which is no surprise to those of you that know me. However, there are some days when I would like to call them, but know that if I did I would totally break down. Some days I just really do not feel like crying alone in the jungle.

Not having other Americans around all the time is hard. Unless I text another volunteer or talk to my family, I do not speak English. To say the least, this has been an adjustment. The hardest adjustment by far, however, has been my lack of laughter. If you know me, you know that I laugh. A lot a lot. My funny movie quotes and sarcasm do not translate into Saramaccan humor, so that is hard. I have been asked by folks back in the States if I am happy here. My answer is that I am not unhappy, but the things that make me extremely happy are not in Malobi. I attribute a huge part of who I am to my humor and the people that I surround myself with. My personality is not something that the people in my village with ever understand. I am quite content and I have no doubt that as I adjust to the new parts of my life, however different and strange at times, will start to make me happy. I would not be happy if I had to leave Malobi and never return at this point, so I think that says a lot.

Things I've learned:

Three jars of peanut butter is not enough for two months. All my peanut butter was gone within four weeks. And no, Bethany, most of it did not make it onto anything but a spoon.

That pork I ate that one day was a pig's tail.

Spoons are slippery when wet and I will (and do) lose them in the river.

Dried fruit is good. Dried fruit that rehydrates itself in the humidity is ok.

I can indeed survive two months without air conditioning, fast food, eggs, internet, nothing colder than (jungle) room temperature, and a real shower. And I can survive it all while battling stomach ailments.

Most importantly, I learned that when this twenty-seven month gig is up I NEVER again want to have to use both hands to count the number of months it has been since I have hugged my mother.

I cried a lot in that first week. Most of the time because I was overwhelmed with what I was experiencing and where I live now, but sometimes over silly things. I remember talking to one girl and telling her that I had a big brother and a little sister. I followed that with, “They live in America,” and had to excuse myself to cry a little. They do live in America, and I do not at the moment. Reality hits at strange moments. 

We received word in June that Peace Corps Suriname would not receive a training class in May 2011 because of government budget cuts in America. A few weeks ago, we were told that after my group completes our service, Peace Corps Suriname will close. Suriname is not the only post closing because of financial crisis, but it is still a little disheartening.

On August 26, I celebrated what I called, "One year of Peace Corps." I submitted my application on August 26, 2010. I remember very clearly finally completing my application and essays, and praying before I clicked the button to submit them. I spent the next few months stressing over what had to be mailed by when and how fast I could get information sent to D.C. It goes without saying that the majority of my stress came from wondering whether or not Peace Corps would even choose me and ask me to serve. I dreamt of what this experience would be like, the people I would meet, and the lessons that I would learn. And now, after a year of PC, and almost six months in to my twenty-seven month commitment, I am consumed with thoughts of my fellow volunteers and how much my experience is being enriched by their friendships and encouragement, as well as moments of pride in myself for living with and learning from my new community while speaking their language. I am also encouraged and overwhelmed by the fact that regardless of what kind of day I have had, or by all that I still do not know how to say in Saramaccan, every morning is new and every morning I am going to be greeted by a the most precious, smiling faces I have ever seen. That is a Peace Corps moment.

I do have a lot more to write about project work that I am gearing up for and the cultural and traditional aspects of Saramaccan life I have experienced. I promise to do that soon(ish). I will spend the next couple of days running some errands and will make the seven hour trek back to my site on Thursday. I will actually be back in the city in a week for Early Service Training, so hopefully I will have time to update everyone then.

I spent this past Friday in the Peace Corps office and was blown away, yet again, by the love I received in the mail. Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks. I cannot say it enough.

Peace. Love. Suriname.

Brooke Crumpton, Peace Corps Volunteer

I have been in the capital for the past week, and I really thought I would have more time to update my blog.  I hate that I did not have time, but life did not slow down like I thought it would. I have had a wonderful week though.

Since I last posted, I spent my last week with my host family. I was there from June 29 until July 6. I have to admit that I did not want to go back to homestay after having visited my future site. My site is very different than my homestay, and after visiting and discovering what Malobi was all about, I really could not get excited to go back to being on someone else's schedule. I am extremely grateful for all that I learned in my first week at homestay, but I just really could not get excited to go back. The week was not so bad, and I made it through and left my host family with hugs, an ornament of the state of Mississippi, and the promise that I would come visit them again in the next two years.

July 1 is Keti Koti, Emancipation Day for the Maroon communities, and because the kids are out of school that day, they celebrated on June 30. Jonathan and I walked to a neighboring town behind a group of kids in traditional dress, singing songs, and beating drums. It made me smile. It was such a neat site.

I got really sick the last few days at homestay. I had awful aches, a fever, and really upsetting stomach issues. I had to use the latrine that I avoided my first week at homestay. I had tears in my eyes as I walked to utilize it the first time. I did not take a picture of the inside of it because I know if folks saw it they may not believe that I actually used it. It was unpleasant at the very least. I have never been sick to that point and not had my Momma to take care of me. There was one night that I wanted to call her, but I knew if I did I would have lost it and probably cried myself to sleep. It was not an easy week. Nevertheless, I overcame illness and a really disgusting latrine.

The week was not all bad. A little girl that was terrified of me when she first saw me, let me hold her. She even smiled at me once. Jonathan and I cooked for our host families on our last day in town. We finished cooking and turned around to almost every kid in the village holding a plate in the air for us to fill. They really seemed to love it and appreciate our efforts. That felt good.

As always I caught myself wishing my family and friends could see me in situations here. I wish they were here to see me hold babies and cook for the village. I wish they were with me when a kid asks me to come look at something in their house, and then they proceed to leave me standing in said Saramaccan house in the middle of Suriname all alone. I wish they were with me as a brushed my teeth staring off into the jungle.

I left homestay and moved to the capital, Paramaribo, on July 6. I was so excited to see the rest of my group and hear about their weeks. July 7 we had Representational Day at the Ambassador to Suriname's house. It was a pretty swanky affair for Peace Corps folks in Suriname. We got dressed up and stood on stage to be recognized by the Ambassador and the President of Suriname. It was definitely one of those moments in which I am reminded that I am doing something pretty big. It was awesome to be recognized in that way.

We had another celebration at the Ambassador's house on July 10. We spent July 10 celebrating July 4. There were lots of military folks and their families there. There were real hamburgers and hotdogs and Doritos. There was a karaoke machine set up and we danced and ate the day away. There were red, white, and blue banners everywhere. It was like any Fourth of July cookout in America, but at the Ambassador to Suriname's house. The only thing that would have made it more American is if we had actually been in America. We all had a great time.

The rest of my week has consisted of eating fast food, meetings at the Peace Corps office, and getting to know a few more of the SUR 16s. A few of them showed us a couple of new places to eat and a karaoke bar. I am so glad my group has been able to get to know a few of them better.

Yesterday was one of the greatest, most wonderful days I have had in Suriname. It was also one of the most emotional. I woke up yesterday ready to take my oath and become a Peace Corps Volunteer. Our ceremony was on the balcony at the PC office. Three of my fellow trainees gave speeches in the three languages our group has been learning, and then our country director spoke before the Ambassador administered the oath. George, our country director, mentioned what a huge accomplishment it was that our group that started as 23 was swearing in as a group of 23. That has not happened in the history of PC Suriname. SUR 17 is fantastically fabulous and wonderful. George also wanted us to extend thanks and gratitude to our families and friends back home for the sacrifice they are making in not only allowing us to be here, but supporting our efforts and dreams. I was a little choked up. My family has been there to see every achievement in my life thus far, and not having them there yesterday to see me take my oath and become a Peace Corps Volunteer was hard.

Last night I went with a few of my now fellow volunteers to an Italian restaurant here in the city. It was delicious, and we spent lots of SRDs on a few courses of amazing food and a glass of wine. After dinner we went to a movie. Sitting in the theatre I forgot where I was. The beginning of the movie was a little overwhelming. I have been out of touch with main stream entertainment for a couple of months. It was strange. Tomorrow I will brave the theatre once more to see Harry Potter 7 Part 2. I cannot wait.

Today I spent the day shopping to furnish my new house in Malobi. The volunteer I am replacing left me a lot, but I still had to buy a lot. A long day and a couple thousand SRDs later, I am almost finished. I will buy food and leftover items tomorrow. I cannot wait to see my bed being transported on a dug out canoe for three hours up the Suriname river.

After dinner, before I hopped into the cab to head to the theatre, I talked to my momma. I cried and she cried. I have been pretty overwhelmed the past couple of days thinking about how my life is about to change. It changed when I came to Suriname, but that was just the beginning. I am so happy to be here and to have been given this opportunity. I have become really tough in the past couple of months, but I am in no way fearless. I am terrified to move to Malobi and be alone in my village. And not because Malobi is a scary place, it's wonderful and the people there were so welcoming to me and are excited that I am coming. I am just so overwhelmed at how drastically my life is about to change. I am fairly close to a couple of other volunteers, but the fact that my group is not going to see each other that often makes me really sad. I still think about my friends and family in the States and I miss them like crazy, but now I find myself feeling homesick for SUR 17. I am so grateful for a group that I love and will miss so much, but it will be hard to not see them.

For the past ten days I have been in a hostel with air conditioning and t.v. This has been the first time in two months I have had either of those luxuries. Saturday I will give up those again along with lots more modern comforts. I know the reasons why I came here and I know that I am going to gain so much in the next two years, but I cannot help the emotions I am feeling at this moment. I thought getting on that plane two months ago would be harder than it was, and I am blown away at how much Saturday is going to change my life. I have had tastes of the Saramaccan way of life, but Saturday it becomes my life. Saturday when I get off the boat in Malobi will be one of the most defining moments of my life. Ready or not I am moving to the jungle. Terrified or not, I am ready.

I will spend the first few months at my site learning the language better, accessing my village, and building trusting relationships with the people of Malobi. I have been told not to even think about project work within those first few months because I simply will not know enough about Malobi to help make anything sustainable. I am taking that advice to heart. I think I will have my hands full developing my language and carrying things on my head.

Keep Malobi and the people of the village in your thoughts and prayers as well. I feel like we are going to learn a lot from each other in the next couple of years, and I cannot wait to see the wonderful things that we accomplish together. 

I will come back into the city in mid September. I will not have internet until then, but hopefully will have lots of stories to tell and pictures to show then. I am anxious to see what two months without internet will be like. I will continue to have moments of disbelief in where I am and what I am doing. I will also continue to thank everyone in my life for their continuous love, prayers, support, and encouragement. I received lots more letters this past week. I am giddy every single time I open one. I am also overwhelmed with the wonderful and outstanding folks in my life. Holy cow, I'm a lucky girl. Please keep the love coming. I promise to write you back eventually.

All the love I have from Suriname!

there is no app for this

Man oh man how life has changed since I last had access to the internet. A lot has happened in the past four weeks and I am different, and for those of you that know me, I think you will agree after reading this post.

A few weeks ago, I went with half of my group to visit an eco farm to learn about sustainable ways of farming in Suriname. It was really interesting and the guy that showed us around his house was inspiring. Whether or not farming becomes a part of my daily routine once I am at site remains to be seen, but I like the thought of having a garden and growing my own food.

I ate a chicken foot. I was fine and really brave until I had to hold its hand. It was really tough and I thought maybe you just suck on it or stir it in soup or something. I thought that until I saw a girl at my homestay site put one away like it was a Snickers bar.

I moved to homestay and in with my host family on May 29. After meeting my host mom, Wendy, and going to the market to buy vegetables and eggs (which I dropped before we got back on the bus) I soon left for her village. After about a two hour bus ride my friend and fellow trainee, Jonathan, and I arrived and were greeted by about fifteen smiling, dark faces. One little boy took my hand and rubbed my white skin as he counted the freckles on my arm and led me to my house. I was overwhelmed and could not hold back my smile at that point.

After dinner and showing me where my latrine and wash house were, Wendy helped me hang my hammock and mosquito net in my house. I was in bed that night and covered in bug bites by about 7:30.  I wrote in my journal that night, "Life changes all the time. My life changed when I came to Suriname, but today my life became more different than anything I have ever experienced or could imagine."

After my first night at homestay, I decided I was going to be fine if I still felt somewhat rested after sleeping in a hammock in ninety degree heat, tossing and turning, and managing to keep my mosquito net off the ground.

My week at homestay consisted of learning how to wash dishes, clothes, and my body in the river. I watched my host mom clean and cut up the chicken that became my lunch one day in that same river. I slept in a 6'x 10' house with a thatch roof and fell asleep watching lizards crawl above my head. Jonathan and I walked back from a neighboring village and visiting fellow trainees one day in the pouring rain. I had a child throw poop on my porch, thought I had fleas, and ate a canned sardine sandwich for breakfast all in the same day.

I looked out at the landscape one day at the river. I could not believe that I was standing in a river in the Amazon looking at the jungle. I looked up at the sky one night waiting on my bath bucket to fill up. The sky looks the same, but the landscape beneath it is drastically different! I could not believe in that moment that Mississippi was only a two hour time difference away.

I celebrated one month of being in Suriname while I was at homestay. I remember dreaming about what life would be like once I was in Suriname, and while I cannot remember all of those dreams, I do know that something inside of me changed when I accepted that invitation to serve in the Peace Corps. That night as I celebrated my one month accomplishment, I sat in my house writing in my journal with a sunburn and the dirtiest hair and fingernails I have ever had, while ants crawled on my feet and lizards fought on my roof. I realized in that moment that all those folks that said, "You're brave, I could never do what you are going to do," were right. I never considered myself brave, but I definitely know folks that could not handle all that I have dealt with in the past weeks. I am tough and getting tougher. I know this now.

The day we left homestay our whole group had a safety and security lesson at the river. We had to jump out of a boat with our life vests on and swim about 100 yards to the shore. I think we had a little bit too much fun doing this, considering their are piranhas and anacondas in the river. Have a mentioned that I love my group? We are awesome.

I had a language proficiency exam when I returned from homestay. I scored intermediate low, which was the highest anyone scored. I was pretty proud of myself.

I left June 8 to visit a volunteer in the Interior. I will never forget my first boat ride on the Suriname river.  June 11 I went to visit my new home in Suriname. I stayed there for a few days with the volunteer that I am replacing. I was so excited to see my new house and visit with folks in the village.

My second day there a few women from my side of the village helped me wash my house. Literally. We scrubbed my house with water and brushes. I held back tears as I looked at this picture of what my life is now. These are the women that are going to love me for the next two years. I bought them cokes and cookies when we were finished and we sat and talked for a bit. They talked, I tried to figure out what they were saying. After washing off I sat down on the porch to rest for a minute, and that's when I saw it. The first tarantula I have ever seen not in a zoo or pet store. I looked at it and laughed for about five minutes, probably to hold back tears. It was the size of my hand.

Later that night I could not hold back the tears anymore. I cried for the first time in Suriname. It was a good cry though. I was overwhelmed, but in a great way. The reality of my decision and my life now hit hard that day.

I have learned so much in the past few weeks about life in Suriname and about myself. There have been times that I have felt ridiculously overwhelmed, but even then I felt even more ridiculously fortunate. I am so excited to see where my Peace Corps journey goes from here.

My life is unreal right now and I am changing for the better. I catch myself multiple times every single day in a wow-this-is-my-life-moment. The roads I take to visit my friends in the Interior are paths through the jungle. Some kids are afraid of me because of the color of my skin. My moisturizer now consists of bug lotion, sunscreen, and humidity. I accept the fact that my clothes are not going to smell very good for the next two years, and that at any given moment there are at least three bugs crawling on me. There was a spider on my ceiling when I took a nap the other day and I didn't bother to kill it. Six months ago I could not have slept knowing it was there. A couple of days ago I held a beetle the size of a baseball.

It was not love at first sight, but I am growing to love it more and more each day.  My life is something out of a book or movie. Fitting, since this is my version of a fairytale. It is not easy for people I love to not witness every ounce of my life, especially here and now. Life is good and so very sweaty.

That's all I have time to write for now. I leave next Wednesday to go spend one last week with my host family. I should have internet for the few days after that until I move to my site for good. Thank you for being interested in my life and thank you even more for the prayers and loving support. I have received mail every single time they have delivered it to us. I am loved and some of my fellow trainees probably think I am spoiled. I'm ok with it. I have extraordinary people in my life. I cannot say thanks enough, or begin to express how grateful I am for all of the love and encouragement. You people rock.