It’s taken me this entire week, but I think I am finally getting back into the swing of things here in Nicaragua. It really helps to be around other focused volunteers, because who wants to be known as the slacker? I have a ton of things to look forward to as well, which I will detail for you here:

1. My birthday. As many of you know, my birthday is September 3rd (cards are appreciated!). I’ve decided that I want to do something special for it, so that I have something to look forward to. So I’m planning a weekend trip to San Juan del Sur with a few other volunteers. I haven’t been yet, but supposedly it’s really beautiful and a great beach town. Like any major Nica town, there are hostels there that you can stay at for cheap, and lots of places to eat and of course, THE BEACH.

2. One-year in country. On September 2nd, I will be completing one year in Nicaragua. To celebrate this feat, we have decided to go to Managua and enjoy the all-you-can-eat buffet at the Intercontinental hotel. They have sushi, a carving station, and many other treats to gorge the palate. We’ll be doing this the same weekend, on Sunday the 5th.

3.  New volunteers coming in. The next group of Environment volunteers will be coming in right around that time as well. I’m really hoping to get to be a “greeter” which means I would go to Managua and meet the new volunteers at the airport and stay with them for 3 days at a conference center in Managua while they have their first meetings and debriefings about life in Nicaragua. There were 2 Environment volunteers there when we came in, and they were invaluable to me.

So that’s what I have to look forward to. Hopefully once September hits, time will fly. In the meantime, I am tirelessly working at the schools and gardens. More updates to come as all these wonderful things unfold!