I´M LEAVING Diriamba and headed to Jinotega!

So my last cyber time here in Diriamba has officially come. The workers here are going to be very confused when I don´t show up anymore...I´m a regular!

But today has been a crazy day, running around buying last minute gifts for my host family, working on the going away party plans, and preparing myself for my exam and speech tomorrow in class! Where has all the time gone!

But friday morning...bright and early at 6 in the morning....is when I officially head off to Jinotega. It´s going to be an interesting trip with all my luggage and a huge water filter for Jesse and I. I think i accidently turned the font italic...don´t ask me how i did these keyboards are wack!

But i thought for my last blog here I would list some of my favorite memories or things i´ve learned from this first half.

1. I like a lot of foods that I never thought I would....like cow toungue and fish right on the bone....that´s right I ate cow tongue twice.

2. I don´t know my alphabet very well because every time i look in my spanish to englsih dictionary it takes me so long! I´m getting better though! probably because i use it so much!

3. I adore ice cream and sweets! I can´t go one day without them! it´s probably because i am fed so much salty, oily, greesy, fried foods!

4. You can´t ever go into a trip or event here in Nicaragua with expectations. Everything i have imagined thus far has been completely wrong....you just got to keep an open mind and not have an imagination!

5. I am just as capable as decribing love in spanish as i am in english. My family didn´t really understand how meaningful my engagement and the song jordan sang for me was until jonna and I explained it for 2 hours....WITH translated lyrics to the song. Let´s just say that took a long time...but my family finally understood how in love I am....that was a good day! Que bonita!

6. Oh and I know that I can actually communicate in spanish now and have conversation! it´s a miracle!

7. I love having sisters! My sister in the states is my best friend and role model and it has been so nice to have sisters here to! They are just great and I love them! Also my brother here is a pest and without my sisters I would go nuts!

8. Worship songs are very similar here in Nica as they are in the states. All of the praise and worhsip songs i sing at church I hear in my house! It´s a nice familiar sound and also reminds me how great God is all over the world!

9. I love the little things back in the states and they are way more important to me than i thought: pools, tv series, long conversations, music, mirrors (especially mirrors....they like don´t really use them here!), cold drinking water, warm showers, soap ( they don´t really use that here either YIKES), air conditioning, toilet paper (its expensive and not in most public restrooms), couches( they are also expensive and not in a lot of houses), pickes, and RANCH DRESSING ( i am craving it so much)! And MUCH MUCH MORE! but it also shows how spoiled I am in the states...and i will never take those things for granted again!

10. BUT, the united states isn´t as great as it seems. With it´s foreign affairs, debt, war, and the crazy stupid things it has done for NIcaragua!

11. The people here are very family oriented and they are so close! They are very dependent on the family for everything but everyone is so willing to help! Also culture and history is very evident in every NIca....a lot of people in the states don´t know about their history! they should! it´s important!

12. There is not really any stress here or busy schedules....that is very new to me! very nice actually!

13. Nicaragua is a great country full of a lot more culture and heritage on the Atlantic Coast! it like a whole other world on that side, which there is actually a great divide between the 2 sids today! WHO KNEW!

WOWZA I think that is it! but I am really excited for a change in scenery and will update you on my new life and service assignment as soon as I get the chance! it will be probably be a week or so! But I love you all and thanks for the support thus far! I´m half way! YAY!

Love,
Ash