My body yearns for travel. My eyes stray to the maps on my walls when I should be brushing up on my spanish. My taste buds crave pineapple and gallo pinto when I'm looking at apples and potatoes. My fingers inadvertently find latin radio stations when all I want to do is listen to NPR. My hands grab the sandals off of the shelf when there is still 6 inches of snow outside. Even my dreams are of far away wooded lands with high peaks and deep valleys.
I leave for El Salvador in 16 days and 4 hours but it might as well be 16 years and 4 months. The last time I had a good adventure was over two years ago and I am well overdue.
For the next 2 weeks I will be pacing and pacing impatiently waiting to go to El Salvador. Once I get to El Salvador I will be doing an internship through ESNA Village Networks, a US based nonprofit. I have yet to draw up the in country responsibilities (the job description) with the organization but I'm surprisingly not worried. Previous experience in Latin America tells me that you can plan and plan all you want but something outside of your control is always going to change your plans. If you could not tell already I am beyond excited. I bought my ticket, sunscreen and a few good books; I am ready to go work my butt off, immerse myself and pretend to be a Salvadorena if only for a few months.
I am a planner, a pre-packer and a slight worrier but for some reason the uncertainty of this trip doesn't bother me at all. I looked up the stats, El Salvador is a pretty rough place, but I realize that there is nothing but fate to protect me while I am away. This lack of control is slightly comforting. I can't say that I have ever lived in a developing country but I've visited and I hope I'm tough enough to stay for the full 12 weeks. When I visited the Dominican Republic I saw people drink from wells less than 5 feet from open sewage and I talked to depressed men who had no work. Each trip, city and person in a foreign country has a new story to tell, I don't know what El Salvador has in store for me but I have decided to leave expectations at home and let whatever happens happen. When I am in the States I take the simplest things in life for granted, food, rest, water, security, etc., it's time for me to embrace a little uncertainty and enjoy some latin days.
I leave for El Salvador in 16 days and 4 hours but it might as well be 16 years and 4 months. The last time I had a good adventure was over two years ago and I am well overdue.
For the next 2 weeks I will be pacing and pacing impatiently waiting to go to El Salvador. Once I get to El Salvador I will be doing an internship through ESNA Village Networks, a US based nonprofit. I have yet to draw up the in country responsibilities (the job description) with the organization but I'm surprisingly not worried. Previous experience in Latin America tells me that you can plan and plan all you want but something outside of your control is always going to change your plans. If you could not tell already I am beyond excited. I bought my ticket, sunscreen and a few good books; I am ready to go work my butt off, immerse myself and pretend to be a Salvadorena if only for a few months.
I am a planner, a pre-packer and a slight worrier but for some reason the uncertainty of this trip doesn't bother me at all. I looked up the stats, El Salvador is a pretty rough place, but I realize that there is nothing but fate to protect me while I am away. This lack of control is slightly comforting. I can't say that I have ever lived in a developing country but I've visited and I hope I'm tough enough to stay for the full 12 weeks. When I visited the Dominican Republic I saw people drink from wells less than 5 feet from open sewage and I talked to depressed men who had no work. Each trip, city and person in a foreign country has a new story to tell, I don't know what El Salvador has in store for me but I have decided to leave expectations at home and let whatever happens happen. When I am in the States I take the simplest things in life for granted, food, rest, water, security, etc., it's time for me to embrace a little uncertainty and enjoy some latin days.
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| This image was taken from http://excellentworlds.com/data_images/countries/el-salvador/el-salvador-05.jpg |
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