Onward

I've been thinking about posting this series of events for quite some time now, but lately I've been so distracted. Either by a 5-day movie marathon with P Daddy (which is a nickname worth explaining... another time, another post), shopping with Madre or creeping out on facebook. It is time, I have now been home from Nicaragua for over 2 weeks, and I like this story and think its worth sharing. Its a good example of bad times turned good times.

This is the story of how I ended up in Nicaragua in the first place and how I will be returning there in January for an undetermined amount of time (my guess is about 3 months, which isn't a super long time, but it kind of is). It all began when I graduated college last December. I was ecstatic to be done. Three weeks later I received a letter informing me that I had, in fact, NOT GRADUATED. Heart failure (not really). I was short 1 credit. Can I just repeat that?? I was short ONE STINKING CREDIT! How I happened to overlook that little detail, I'll never know. But this news along with another seriously shocking event in my life (a shitty break up) left me feeling pretty devastated. As a result, I made a panicked phone call to my college adviser/favorite professor and here were my options:

1. take a class at North Park and commute in/whatever for the whole semester 3x a week (uhhh... ok)

2. take a trip with with class and favorite professor to learn about the Prairie/Ranch for 2 weeks in the beginning of August. The Catch: the trip might not happen. Yikes. Then what?

Ultimately, I decided to chance it and take the Prairie/Ranch course. So, I waited. And worked on the farm through the winter, spring and summer (truly wonderful). I went to the beach. I hung out with friends. I tried to get a job teaching English in Thailand (consequently...no degree=no legit job teaching English in Thailand) Finally I got news saying that the trip was ON. Yesssssss.

I went on the trip, where Favorite Professor inspired me to do language course and where I also met Man of My Dreams. Sadly, though, MOMD hasn't realized that I'm the girl of his dreams. Yet. Anyway, this post really isn't about that. Although, Favorite Professor pretty much tried to get MOMD to ask for my hand in marriage on that trip. Talk about uncomfortable (but favorable).

When I returned home I immediatly started looking at language schools. They were everywhere. Costa Rica. Ecuador. Argentina. I researched for weeks. In the end I chose a school in Nicaragua that fit me perfectly. Who would have thought... me? In Nicaragua? Who even goes to Nicaragua? I emailed the school, bought a plane ticket and three weeks later I was on a plane to Managua, Nicaragua. The farthest away from home I had ever been, culturally and in distance (but ESPECIALLY culturally). I loved it.

A few days into the Spanish-learning adventure, our class took a trip into the mountains on the back of an old truck, up some very rain-washed roads (I don't even know if you could call them roads) and into the most acidic air I have ever breathed. And there, on top of a mountian, next to a sulfuric-air seeping volcano, was an elementary school. Here was a school where the attendance was nearly perfect because of one thing: lunch. Think about that. So I started asking Mariposa (the British Lady that runs the Spanish School and started this particular elementary school) why there weren't any gardens (because I think that organic gardens/farms are the solution to almost any problem. Obviously, I'm bias.) She nudges me (she knows I'm a farmer) and says that there isn't anyone around that has the time or the knowledge to start anything like that.

That night I thought a lot about what had gone on that day. What I saw. What I could see happening in that place. My ideas. The fact that the previous summer I had taken a Tropical Agriculture and Missions Class. Why in the world would I not come back?? The next morning I told Mariposa that I was making myself available for farming come January, and that when I came back I would like to live with a Nicaraguan family and keep taking Spanish classes. She was ecstatic and so was I.

My plan now is to go on vacation with my family and possibly (hopefully) [Lists from a College Girl] (wink wink) and then head off to Nicaragua come the middle of January. Who would have guessed that not graduating when I thought I graduated would lead me to farming in Nicaragua?? Life is good.

HOLA!! Como estas?!

I've been here now for 4 days and i feel as if my brain is going to turn to mush at any moment. 4 hours of Spanish classes everyday.... what in the world was i thinking?! Its good though. The people here are wonderful and all the Nicas (nicaraguan people) are very helpful and all the men honk and whistle at you (very good for building the confidence). I've already visited the rainforest, saw wild monkeys, almost got run over (people here drive like MANIACS and the roads are the WORST i've ever seen), attacked by a large insect, I've seen a coffee tree and a pineapple plant, went to mass in a cemetery for All Souls Day, used an Internet cafe (where i didn't understand a lick of what they were saying) and drank papaya juice from a plastic bag at a road-side stand. Tonight we are going on a night time volcano tour to see the "incandescence" as my spanish professor says it and into some caves.

Nicaragua...

Here I come. 

I'm not quite sure what I've gotten myself into, but I'm craving a little adventure and relaxation. And warmth. Don't forget warmth. I just booked my flight to Nicaragua, I'll be there for three weeks in November to learn some spanish and do whatever else I feel like doing while I'm there, which hopefully doesn't include getting lost. Or having my passport stolen. Or my money. Or my whole body. Or getting strange diseases or bugs. Slight anxiety. But I'll be fine. It'll be fine, right? AHHHHH!! 

Happy fall :0)

I love my life and I often wonder if it could get any better than this.

Granted, sometimes its rough and I can get tired and frustrated, but there is a deep-seeded joy

that comes from working with the land and knowing that I am a part of something that is helping the environment and not destroying it. Organic farming feels right. It feels right to be outside every day. It feels right to have my hands dirty. It feels right to eat something that I have just picked knowing that I helped to grow it and that it isn't laced with chemicals. 

People often ask me what my plans are now that i have graduated from college. Farming, I tell them. Most people snicker, but I don't care. This farm, this place, this way of life is where my heart resides and I wouldn't want any other way. I am content and joyful and satisfied. I spent my morning picking strawberries (and eating them), playing with my dog, feeding pigs watermelons, gathering sweet potatoes and watering plants. Life is good. 

In other news.... 

My after noon yesterday was spent cooking a 5.7 pound sweet potato into 3 pies and a mashed with butter concoction. And for your viewing pleasure: before and after pictures :0)

The Tick

"Early manifestations of infection may include fever, headache, fatigue, depression, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans." This, according to wiki, are the manifestations of LIME DISEASE. I have none of these symptoms. Yet. Although I did find a tick on my belly yesterday, it took me three tries to pull it off and I immediately threw it on my floor. Then I had to find it. Once found, I tricked it into crawling into a ziplock bag so it would be available for testing if  I suddenly was depressed or had a skin rash. Now, a day later the tick is still crawling around in the baggie. I can't bring my self to smashing it. And he or she doesn't seem to mind creeping around in the bag all day. He/she is pretty active and i'm pretty entertained/grossed out by watching it. Plus I need to keep it alive in case i have lime disease so the doctors can have a live specimen to dissect. I don't know.  

Air Recirculation.

iLike

Glamorous. 

Old Friend. Good Times.

Inside Jokes. Get Smart. Papa Johns. Jones Big Ass Storage and Truck Rental. Starbucks. Laughter. The Zoo. Art. Dairy Queen. Tom Petty and the Heart Breakers. Best Friends. Life is GOOD! 

yoga bear? 

starring problem. 

(fail)

I promise... to give them a really good home.

Weird. But fun!

Ok, I loved this idea. Therefore, I stole it. I know.... I'm a 100% dork having fun by myself. Oh well. We can't all be cool all the time. 

I Spy Shoes.

Baby Cow

Woke up. 10 minutes to get out the door. Cloths. Teeth. Shoes. Lunch box, no lunch. Pick up goats milk from friends. Drink Rockstar while driving to farm. Listen to Patrick talk the whole way. Get to farm. Punch in. Grab goats milk, and bucket-feeder. Feed baby cow. Fall in love with baby cow. Check boilers. Water plants. Fish smell. Ick. Look at tomato plants. Plant 800 eggplants. Visit baby cow. Go to farm store. Buy powdered milk. Taco Bell. Eat too much. Food coma. Farm. Untangle baby cow. Water plants. 95 degrees in greenhouse. Transplant 1600 tomato plants. Do pull-ups in greenhouse (4!!). Call from Patrick. Go to woods. Look at blueberries. Back to greenhouse. Mix baby cow's formula. Feed baby cow. Get formula all over self. Get more formula on self. Laugh when Patrick says he wants to drink the formula, it smells sooo good. Say bye to baby cow. Drive home. Listen to Patrick talk the whole way. Get home. Shower. Dinner. Hang out with friend. Blog. Bed. 

Thank you February...

...for letting me hate you less. 

who would have thought

that I could wear a t-shirt and get some sun. Today. February. 

... and the snow would be melted

... and i could look like a total dweeb while riding my bike. Oh well, I was wearing shorts!!!

but here is my favorite part of the day....

Wolfman.  AKA: mud puppy

And now a tribute:

Reasons I love my sister. No explanations are needed. 

love you Tate!!

Jose's Birthday and Some Goals

So.... today we took our employee, Jose, (who happens to be from Mexico) to a mexican restaurant for his birthday where Pat preceded to order in a mexican accent. We sat at a 6 person table (there were only 4 of us) mom and Pat sat next to each other and i was on the end across from mom... Jose sat at the other end of the table, a chair away from me (guess he didn't really want to be a part of the group). Pat wondered out loud if he should sit across from Jose. Hardly anyone talked as we ate. It was the funniest moment of my life. 

Goals: 

1. Paint something pretty

2. Make a bag (like Becca's)

3. Think of 5 things to do with my life over the next year. And Do 2 of them (at least). 

a. Move to Thailand and teach english

b. ??

c. ??

d. ??

e. ??

4. Play with Baily

5. Pet Bert

I love the rain the most...

...when it stops. 

I've been in a funk lately; in my world its been raining, and I wasn't really sure what to do about it. The boy that I loved told me last weekend that he no longer loved me and since then I have been waiting for him to change his mind so that I could get on with my life. Which, obviously, was the wrong plan of action. But what's the right plan of action? And how can I make my heart be reasonable? The truth is, I don't know if I can. I feel like I've been just keeping myself busy lately trying to distract myself from the chaos in my heart. 

This weekend pulled me out of my stagnant state, it pulled me out of my lovesick-what-am-I-going-to-do-without-a-man?!- funk. Thanks girls, for your support, adventurous spirits and inspiration. I couldn't ask for better friends/sisters. So I might still be a little broken-hearted and it might be hard to listen to Taylor sing White Horse, but I don't think its raining any longer in my world. I can move on with my life. I don't need a boy in my life to make plans and have adventures. And I'm really glad it didn't take months for me to figure this out. 

and did you know...

...Starbucks makes everything better :0)

Oh... and I bought new jeans this weekend!.... and shoes!.... and a skirt! yay!

Love!