The first couple days...

Well let´s just say that this internet time was well needed!!!

Let´s start from the beginning! I always pictured send off as a more terrible thing than what it was for me on wednesday. i was so tired of waiting around to go that I felt a lot better to leave, of course I cried but with the amount of people there I couldn´t help but smile- they were there for me! As the bus pulled away and everyone waved it was a great sight that I had been waiting for for 3 years! Phew...I was ready to go!

On the bus I read a few letters from you all and talked with the people sitting around me! One of the main conversations as we traveled was...¨what do we say in spanish if we are in this situation¨ Later I came to realize that all of those conversations didn´t help and I knew no spanish at all. even when you tell them to talk slower (mas despasio por favor), they talk as fast as i would in english! GREAT! not to mention that they drop all the 's' in every single word. especially my family....I understand everyone else's family fine- mine is a challenge.

Anywho! It was a 3 hour bus ride to Chicago and then we flew to Miami, about a 2 and a half hour flight. We ate some food in Miami and watched CNN for an hour, updating us on the stinkin Swine Flu that has corrupted our lives! People were wearing masks all over the airport!

Then we rode on the plane for another 2 hours to Managua- the capital city of Nicaragua. But we actually arrived a half an hour later because of the time changes. weird huh! I watched the office and some scary-bulky-man that looked like he could snap me in half sat next to me, but he started watching the movie twilight so i stopped worrying! haha

We arrived in Managua and we felt a nice cool breeze as we met up with Gwen and Lisa- so we initially thought the weather was fine until we were rudely awakened and realized that we were in air conditioning! go figure. it was actually super hot and already dark. we piled all of our luggage onto a small yellow truck and all 28 of us climbed into the smallest bus I have ever seen! it was cozy!

Then we went to a retreat center there in Managua and spent the next 2 days going through orientation and touring a little around the city! there is a lot more trash and pollution here than in the US. you could probably see in our pictures sometime.

Then friday morning we left Managua for Jinotepe which is where our classes and Casa de Goshen (casa verde) is located! It is a sweet little town and we toured around for the day and went on a scavenger hunt for all the places we will need to use in the next weeks .

Then later that afternoon we left with out host families! talk about a scary time! I live in Diriamba which is about 5 minutes away from Jinotepe. I have a father you is a photographer named Magdiel and a mother named Noemi. I have a sister who is 17 named maciel and a brother who is 13 named magdiel jr. They are a really nice family but are already worried about me because I am sick! Go figure i would get sick in the first days. it is a combination of heat, citrus food, and nerves. Mostly diahhrea and i feel nautious! haha great! i will get better soon though. no one needs to worry!

but spanish is hard and it´s hard to talk to people right now! but as soon as i start taking class next week i will be fine! but my hour is running out here at the cafe but i will get on in the next couple of days as well! it is a couple blocks from my house! i love you all and thanks for the emails!

Joc- you´ll be fine without me!
Alli- eat up spain for me and i can´t wait to hear more about it!
hannah- i´ll call you sometime and laugh into the phone loudly- that´s all you need right?

and I miss the rest of you as well! I´ll talk more about my family next time! I´ve only known them 2 days! haha!
I love you all and be thankful you have the weather you have up there!

buenas!!!