Day 2 January 30, 2009

I really would have been glad to say that I woke up this morning happily adjusted and ready for all the new experiences I will have this semester. It's my last semester of college. But to be honest, it just was not like that at all. The only things I was excited about this morning was the bright, hot sun and the pineapple at breakfast. I was very uneasy. I, at this point am thinking that I will certainly never get used to any of this. It's too different and I don't want to be here anymore. I want to go home. I want to be with my boyfriend and family. I want to see familiar sights and do the things that make me comfortable. I want to be able to stay outside after the sun goes down which is about 6pm. Being here, I am forcing myself into things that make me UNcomfortable. Who DOES that? Honestly?? I wanted to cry all day, hoping I didn't make a bad decision. Well at least cry for most of it. We had orientation all day and it was just listening to all the things that are different and all the emotions that we'll experience. How dangerous some things can be and how cautious I must be. The boys seem like they're cool, calm and collected which is what I try to do but I know they feel like I do. Feeling like this is completely overwhelming all at once. The Nehemiah Center where we had orientation is really pretty. There are both North American and Nicaraguan people on staff. It's really cool. Very open space. It's an equal mix of indoors and outdoors with nature. It was a very long day of orientation and nervousness and hesitation but also encouragement because I know that I will survive. I just gotta be smart and remember all those things my parents have taught me about watching my surroundings. 

I also got an email from Dominic today that really helped me put this whole experience back into perspective. He's great at that even thousands of miles away. He's very supportive :-) (I love you...sorry everyone else but that was just for him) Your words put me at peace and God will watch over me, you're right.  Anyways, I also got to talk on the phone with my mom for a quick second. I'm just glad she picked up the phone. I LOVE YOU MOM and DAD and MO and MONEY and ADEOLA!! Don't be nervous, I'll be okay. You did your part by training up your child in the way I should go and now that I'm older, I won't depart from it. I'm praying for you just as you're praying for me.

Tonight, I met my host parents, Alex and Maria Suarez. I'm so lucky. I live in a good neighborhood and close to other people that work at the Nehemiah Center. They are great though and will totally make this experience richer. They speak little to no english so communicating is a bit challenging but I am learning and so are they. I have my own room. They have a niece and nephew who stay with them often, Emily and Nolan who don't speak English at all but we watch the Disney channel in Spanish together and bond. We went grocery shopping the first night. They have a membership at this grocery store called PriceMart which is like Sam's Club and WalMart put together. Then they got me dinner at Subway which is funny and completely unexpected. When I'm with them, people assume I'm either Latina, Haitian or Carribean because black people usually come from the Carribean coast and speak spanish. Even though people speak and I don't understand, it is nice knowing I don't stand out as much since I have dark skin like the Nicaraguans do as opposed to Dan and Stephen who are bright white lights and occasionally rich moving targets. :)

Oh and the photos I posted are of my room. I also have my own bathroom which is cool. Just some of my stuff and then a view out of my room into the living room. As hopefully you can see, the architecture leaves things very open. Even though it's about 90 degrees and will only get hotter in the coming months, there is no air conditioning. The air is natural and comes through the open spaces. Notice how the wall does not connect to the ceiling but leaves room like a big window should be there. This is how all houses are built. The breeze is beautiful. The birds are right outside and the sun beams down right into the house. See the beautiful palm tree outside my room, I wake up to that every morning.