You can't find moments in a box

Some new and exciting moments of the week:

• not getting dengue yet (eating a clove of garlic a day really helps fight off those darn zancudos)
• teaching an english class to 7th grade students (and it actually being a great success)
• our first beach trip as a group! (Grilled cheese sandwiches, sunshine, swimming, cervezas, pancakes, king size bed, shower, beauty, grass, sand, the nicest beach house everrrr, etc..) Being at the beach reminded me alot of home (can't really explain it- I guess you kind of get used to the simple way of living down here, and forget about luxuries) but I made a list (because I love lists!) of what I miss most about being home (after family and friends of course!) : thai iced tea, seeing a sky full of stars, washing machines, being big spoon with my dog maggie, AC when i sleep, waking up on my own (not by the sounds of dogs fighting in the street or the cockadoodledo of the roosters), climbing/hiking/biking, not being stared and pointed at while I do my morning jog, a GOOD slice of pizza, american music and going to concerts, "blending in" (however, i feel like a rock star some days down here)
  

This has pretty much been a week of a LOT of spanish learning, and "community contacts" aka playing bull shit and rummy with my group (Apastepeque isn't the most productive group of trainees) 3 more weeks of training and then off to my new community, where I will be far away from the other gringos! Crazy feeling, but I'm ready and excited!!

Just a few things I've learned so far from being down here:

• Mainly, not knowing a language, has really taught me a heck of alot. Relationships with people go way beyond communication. It really is interesting to see how much love you have for other people and the love they have for you, even with very very limited conversation. -A good attitude really does go a long way. I'm just glad there is honestly no such thing as "akward" here. There isn't even a word in spanish for "akward". So me sitting in a room with a group of El Salvadorians not saying much due to my lack of vocabulary, doesn't even phase them as being "akward". They love you for just being there with them.
  "There is one language in the world that everyone understands. It’s the language of enthusiasm, of things accomplished with love and purpose…”
• Challenges are our biggest teachers.
• Don't be afraid to make mistakes.
• The more you put into something, the more you get out of it.
• It doesn't matter where you are (or how poorly the living conditions are), its the people.