Last night at the mall, while waiting to be seated at Ruby Tuesday's (yes, out of all places I could eat while I am home, I chose Ruby Tuesdays. You've obviously never tried their unlimited salad bar), I was able to count 41 identical looking girls in 15 minutes with their too tight jeans tucked into the unfortunately trendy ugg boot. I was hoping that I would come back to the states and not have to deal with this epidemic anymore, but its spreading like herpes. You should all be bitch slapped.

Back in the USSA

Well I made it safely back to the states. It's surprisingly not as strange as I thought it would be. I don't really know what I mean by that, but I guess I was expecting to go through culture shock all over again. The weirdest thing to me is being in public places and hearing the people around me speaking english. It's weird to actually understand what strangers are saying. The snow is nice, but I'm not dying from the cold like I expected. I surprisingly remembered how to drive. I was a little over whelmed by all the clothes in my closet. Its been a while since I've had to pick out an outfit, and with so many choices. I haven't even touched any of the clothes I brought home from Paraguay. I've found so many pieces of clothing, books, makeup, hair products, etc. that I miss/love/need and just have to take back to PY with me. Yes, I will really need my straightening iron in the campo, and my awesome hemp jacket that I forgot I owned in the 100 degree heat. Ooh and my 'lovely' perfume. I forgot how good that smelled. The mosquitos will love it too.
Anyway, being home is great. The time is flying by and I feel like I have so many things to do in such little time. Everyday I have plans to go visit a family member or good friend or something else I need to do (yes, i am that popular). I don't have much time to relax, like I was hoping to do, but I think seeing all the most special people in my life is the most important thing. And yes, it is necessary that I stay in Rhode Island for 5 whole days.
Thanks to Jackie for comming from california to jersey for a very short time, and taking the time to come and visit me in CT last night. I had so much fun with you and I'm so glad I got to see you! Thanks again for comming, and thanks for telling me that you actually read my blog. You are probably the only person besides my parents who does!
Tomorrow I'm off to NYC to do the whole tourist thing. After all, I am technically a paraguayan citizen now, or something. Sunday, the parents are having an "open-house party" thing for their friends and neighbors that "has nothing to do with me being home." Sunday night I have a date with Brea, my best friend since I was three, who I have not seen in soo long! And after christmas I'm off to visit Grandma for a night, then off to Rhode Island til new years, in which I will go back to NYC and close 2007 there, along with about 10 million other crazy people.
Oh, and I hear that there is this movie called superbad, and its super funny? I'm told that if there is one thing that I do while I am home, it is to rent this movie and watch it. Funnier than Napolean Dynamite you say? I'm not sure if that is possible. I'm so out of the loop.
Happy and safe holidays to everyone!

Video from my parents visit in June

take me home country road....

Well, I am already back in the city after 3 whole weeks in site. The three longest weeks of my life because I have been preparing to go home to the states for the holidays! I don´t know how I did it, and I will probably regret it when I get home, but I managed to fit all of my crap into a backpack that I´m bringing home. There was no way that I was carrying my gigantic rolling suitcase 45 minutes on muddy, sandy road to the bus stop, then hauling that big ass in buses around the city. No thanks. So instead I am bringing a virtually empty backpack home, that I plan to fill up with lots of good food and other goodies to bring back to Paraguay in January. I´ll just have to buy a whole new winter wardrobe for the two weeks that I am home. Daddy will be pleased when he gets the credit card bill, but I´ll already be out of the country, so mom will get in trouble. Anyways, its thursday now. I leave for the states monday evening and arrive in new york 8am tuesday morning, so i´ll be expecting a welcome party. and that means you, with posters and streamers, and balloons and whistles. You may have trouble recognizing me, as now I have a newly acquired double chin, long straggly hair, cracked blistered hands, and even though I have consistently gained weight these last 14 months, my clothes hang off of me like parachutes because of the consistent washing and scrubbing. Just look for the girl whos really tan (you´ll know i´m not one of those fake bakers because of the awful farmer tan lines) , has holes in her dirty ass clothes, and is wearing flip flops (because thats all she knows) in winter in new york.
So tomorrow our new sister group swears in, while our old sister group completes their service. Every year a new agriculture group comes, which means exactly one year from now I will have left my site for good and be preparing to come home forever (or will I?). It makes me sad to think about. I almost cried last night at the neighbors house, while we watching ¨bailando por un sueno¨for the last time this year on their brand new COLOR tele, and while I made chipa guasu with mom for the family to eat for dinner, and to take with me to the city, because I told them how much I was going to miss campo food. delicious fresh corn bread with lots of cheese and oil. Anyway, about sister groups. Tomorrow night is the despidida/swearing in party at some hotel in san bernardino (a city described by lonely planet as the town where the ´elite´paraguayans have their summer homes. I didnt know there were such a thing). It should be a wild time. Then I will have the rest of the weekend to recover and go shopping for christmas gifts to bring back to the states and as much yerba maté I can fit into my suitcase to keep my tereré and maté cravings under control these next couple weeks. Let me know if you would like any souveniours from paraguay. Santa Sara would be happy to bring you a giant clay rooster (a sign of good luck here in my country), your very own disco of all things paraguayan polka, a wooden penis, a bottle opener made out of a baby cows foot, whatever you like. Just let me know.
I suppose I should go shower. You know you are dirty when waiting for the bus, and there are melted popsicles all over the ground, and a child next to you that keeps farting, but still the flies choose to land on you and eat your grime. yeah im pretty nasty, i know. see you at the airport.

Well. Another long bus day today. 6 hours on a bus to get to Caazapa. The town nearest to me, that is supposed to take 45 minutes. Lets just say my alarm didnt go off to catch the morning bus, and what happened after that was my own damn fault.
Well tomorrow, December 8th is a super big holiday in PY. Dia de le Virgin Del Caacupe. People all over py walk to the city of caacupe to pray at the church. luckily, we have a little virgencita church about an hour walk from my house so i dont have to walk for three days to get to the city. The virgincita is an important spot too but i dont exactly know why. tomorrow there will be a rodeo and festivities and a fiesta in the evening. I wish I understood the holiday better, but if your really interested, research it.
Next friday I leave for asuncion. Saturday is my sister groups despidida. And the 17th I fly out of PY and head home for christmas! I am super excited to see my friends and family. Although the paraguayans tell me that no one will recognize me now because I am so tan and fat. Real nice. I can´t wait to listen to christmas music, take a reliably hot shower, sleep in a comfortable bed, eat seafood, visit good old rhode island and all my best friends that occupy that state, eat more seafood, watch a christmas story, see a christmas tree, see snow (hopefully), escape 110 degree weather and mosquitos, not be afraid that i will contract a disease if i touch a dog, and of course see my mommy and daddy! oh yeah, and to see my car, and maybe drive it! I got teary eyed on the bus today thinking about my car. haha im not even joking.
the computer is being super slow and i dont have the patience to upload anymore pics. But so far I have one of me super happy at the abandoned gas station trying to get to thanksgiving a couple weeks ago, the people eating rainbows, and my boyfriend juan dario. yeah i give up. this comp sucks.