Settling In

Hey y'all!

So, it feels much longer, but I've officially been with my host family for one week now! It's great because they're the parents of one of the Colombian staff memeber who works in the Peace Corps office.  They love the Peace Corps and it cuts down on my having to explain technical things in Spanish :)  Here is their son with his (pregnant) wife and young son...all named Alberto!

Things have been going really well down here! I live really far away from our 'school' where we are doing our language lessons and training and am the only one who doesn't have somebody in the Peace Corps living near them, but I'm trying get out and learn the city...would be easier with a map!!

So far its just long days during our three month training program.  The first part of the day is spent in language class that we were divided into based on ability.  Totes in the upper half of the PC group based on language ability (whoo-hoo!), but turns out no where near as good/prepared as I thought I was (awwww).We also have Saturday classes together (see above picture!).  It's *insane* how much my Spanish has improved in just a week! 

The second half of the day, Monday-Friday, is dedicated towards TEFL (Teaching English as a Foriegn Language) training, lectures from the PC Doctor, Security training classes, and any other bits of information they can throw at us.  Right now the PC Office is trying to figure out where each of us will be going in mid January for our permanent site!  Looking forward to knowing where I will be spending the next two years of my life and settling into a home a bit more. 

I haven't been able to get out too much in Barranquilla to hang out with friends and explore the city but loving the times that I'm able too!

This is how a gringa rolls this close to the equator: SPF 100 and and umbrella to block the sun at all times!

Okay.  Enough about me.  Hope you all are doing well and the next entry will be more about Barranquilla and the culture here (get excited!!)

Best,
Monica