Returning and Staying

Friends and Family,

It has been some time since I updated this blog, business and lack of feedback on the blog (it turns out people were reading) made me slack a little bit here. With this post, I hope to begin updating this blog at least monthly. The reason for this is the topic of today's post.

I have been accepted to extend my Peace Corps Service and stay for a third year as the ccoordinator for the Environmental Sector here in Paraguay. That means come December I will move to the big city, Asuncion, and start working in the Peace Corps headquarters here. My job will be to support volunteers in the field through technical support, peer support, and by assisting the Environmental Sector Director with site development and followup. In addition, I will assist with the implementation and presentation of a number of training sessions throughout the year.

I am excited for this opportunity to gain a certain amount of professional experience that may be valuable when I eventually do return to the US. It is an honor to be selected to support my fellow volunteers and do what I can to continue the success of the program here in Paraguay. After over two years, I have come to feel comfortable and not always completely lost here in this country, and with another year I will get to know a whole different side of it as I move from the deep countryside to the capitol city.

Extending for an extra year means that I get one month of home leave which I plan to take from the middle of December to the middle of January. Since I have yet to return home since arriving here, I can't wait to get back and eat all the foods that I have craved and see all of the people that I miss.

Tentatively, I plan to fly into North Little Rock to spend Christmas, then travel North to spend New Years in Springfield, and then continue North to spend the rest of my time in Fairflield before returning to Paraguay. If anybody would like to hang out, shoot me an Email of Facebook message. I don't have phone numbers anymore... or a phone.

Things I want to do/eat (while being with family and friends) (in no particular order):
Silverdollar City (Chile, and, everything else)
Papa John's Pizza
Pop Tarts
Movies in Theaters (All of them)
Bowling
Indian Food
Cashew Chicken
Play Ultimate
Watch Football
Eat Vegetables
Drive a car