In 5 days, I will have been in peru for a year. Save 2 weeks that I was in the states, visiting my family. Volunteers say that the first 3 months are the hardest, but month 10 in site sneaks up on you. I am definitely feeling that month 10 in site. I miss my home. I miss being able to get up whenever I want, and I miss the ability to just leave whenever I want. I can just take a car anywhere, arrive when I plan to arrive, and leave when I want to leave. No worrying about it being too late, people trying to rob or kill you, too much rice and potatoes, harassed or catcalled, or being "culturally insensitive". Being "culturally insensitive" is tiring after a while. Peruvians always expect you to eat. Sometimes I dont feel like it! Though my projects are up and going, and I am super busy, I still miss the flow of things in the states.

And because I have been missing the states so much, I have been feeling a strangely large amount of appreciation for things. For my host family, my family at home, music, the art of language and speech in all its ability to inspire masses, the art of skillful writing, my upbringing, opportunities, intuition, etc. You name it. Even the smallest smile from one of my peace corps friends is imprinted as a perminant memory. Lesson learned for me: When things get hard, happiness is so much sweeter. I appreciate more.

The new WATSAN volunteers get here in a few weeks. I think that will make things way easier. Someone to ask me questions will put things in a new perspective, and hopefully will help me realize that I have really and truely learned and changed alot in these last 12 months. Time is such a strange concept here. Things seem to be at a standstill yet fly by so fast. I do know that, after a year, I feel slightly more at peace and more accepting of things than I used to be. (a little hippy-ish, I know) I also choose my battles better, have become a bit more carismatic, and stick up for myself, principles, and people. And most of all, I have ALOT ALOT ALOT more pacience. Nothing like waiting around for peruvians to work on your pacience. But over all, I would say that the year is full of good memories, and some bads ones too. No doubt this next year will be unpredictable. But amazing none the less.

Happy travels,

Teigan