Preparaciones

I’m leaving in eleven days. That’s really soon. There’s still a lot to do, but I’m closer than I was before! So, here are some random and mostly unconnected updates.

Brazil: I have a visa! This is exciting. And to my knowledge, I won’t have to part with my passport again for some time. This is good for my nerves. Thanks again, Aunt Anne. You’re awesome.

The internship: I have a little more information! It sounds like my main focus while I’m there will be in the agricultural school that they have there. Farming, anyone? No, I’m kidding, I’m not going to be farming. From what I understand, I will be helping with the public health program, sex education, teaching English, and organization of the school. If you recall last time I mostly focused on microfinance. Like I've said, Fundación Paraguaya is a mainly microfinance organization, so despite my focus on the school, I imagine I’ll still have some exposure to the microfinance side of things. And, to be quite honest, I’m still really excited about what I’ll be doing. From what I know of the organization, everything they do is hugely beneficial to the community, and this is the most important thing to me. I have no doubt that I’ll have many great opportunities, be learning a lot and getting very valuable experience.

From what I understand, I'll be living in a house with other interns, who come from different parts of the world and stay for different lengths of time. I'm having a hard time believing it, but apparently this house has wireless internet, cable, and cleaning services. I'm just going to throw it out there, but of those three amenities, internet is the only one I have in my own home here in good old Boulder Colorado. Looks like moving to a developing country might actually improve my standard of living!

In other news, I can move my leg again! Oops. You didn’t know I couldn’t. I’ll back up a little. I injured my knee playing Ultimate Frisbee more than three weeks ago and after two weeks in a brace and on crutches which resulted in a shrunken atrophied right leg, I’m now doing intensive physical therapy so that I can be fully functional by the time I leave. I don’t have any pain anymore, I’m just trying to get my range of motion and strength back, and I’m almost walking limp-free now! Knees are tricky joints, so despite having been a difficult and sedentary month, I'm grateful it's not worse than it is. I’m hoping I’ll even be able to run by the time I leave since my bike obviously isn’t coming along on this trip, and I’m rather a fan of endorphins.

That's it for now. I'll try to update one more time right before I go with anything else I may have learned and how I can be reached while gone.