Little Corn Island

For those of you interested in my post Peace Corps travels, I’m currently on Little Corn Island.  The smaller and more remote brother of Big Corn Island is 40+ miles off the coast of Nicaragua.  How little is Little Corn?  Less than 3 square miles.  How do you get there?  Easy:

Take an hour flight on a single propeller plane

Take hour ride on an uncovered boat

Wheelbarrow your stuff through the jungle

We are currently at Little Corn Beach and Bungalow, easily the nicest place on the island.  Since we’re on an underdeveloped island in the middle of the Atlantic, water and electricity are intermittent (but they do have satellite internet, yay!)  But that hasn’t stopped us from living the high life.  In the past 24 hours, I’ve gone kayaking and eaten a BBQ bacon cheeseburger, fish tacos, coconut pancakes and surf ‘n turf (filet minion and lobster tail).  Some of the best food I’ve eating anywhere much less in the middle of nowhere.

One more day here and then I head back to Managua (please don’t make me go, it’s paradise here!).

Mateo and I with our new friends Brit and EJ

It feels good to be the king!

Hasta luego Nicaragua

Today I closed my service as a peace corps volunteer.  Proof:

Done!

 There’s a cool tradition that on your last day you ring a bell in the middle of the office and everyone comes out and claps for you.  Watch it here.

DONEZO!

 I’m still at a loss for words so I’m just going to say it was an incredible experience.  Now off to Little Corn Island!

Thanks to YOU!

In my last full day as a Peace Corps Volunteer, I wanted to give some personal thank-yous to all of you who helped me through.  Not to be a Debbie Downer, but over the past 26 months, I’ve had some bad, no good, downright terrible days.  So I just wanted to thank those of you who called, texted, video chatted, or mailed me something at any point.  Truly, receiving a care package or a letter was sometimes the highlight of my day (let’s be honest, highlight of the week is probably more like it).  Also, just to know that some of you cared enough to read my blog with any sort of regularity was wonderful.  Hard to believe that over the past 2+ years I wrote 242 posts and there’s been nearly 12,500 page views.  Let’s get started.

Everyone who wrote me a letter: college friends Lexie and Melissa.  Mil gracias amigas mías.  Lo ha sido un placer para recibir noticas sobre que estaban pasando en tus vidas.  Les espero nuestras aventuras próximas!  Abrazos fuertes

Everyone who mailed me a care package: my family out in Florida and it Colorado (especially Vanessa), mom’s friend Laura, my favorite newlyweds Ryan and Angie, lifelong friend and sister-from-another-mother Amy, Andy from highschool, Kevin from SigEp, sister Amanda and Michelle’s parents Dave and Kelly.  THANK YOU!  You cannot possibly imagine the joy I received from your GENEROUS packages.  The credit that I’m not an emaciated pile of sticks and bones is rightfully yours, thanks so much!

People who came to visit me: Jon, Andrew, Kevin and Steve.  HERM FRIJOLES!  I’m so happy that you guys got the time to come and visit.  There were ups and downs but it’s a trip that I know I’ll remember forever.  Thanks for being overly generous and I’ll repay you somehow someday tenfold.

People who did all those things and more: mom, dad and Michelle.  Parents, I always say this was your entire fault anyway.  You should have known that raising me with “morals” and “values” and taking me to see the world since age 12 would come back to bite you.  And I’m sorry for getting sick so much and taking years off your lives.  But seriously, thanks for being so supportive throughout the whole ordeal and love you guys.  And Michelle.  Gracias por todo y todo más.  Nadie creía que pudiéramos aguantar la experiencia y la hemos hecho!  Todas las llamadas, chats, visitas, cartas y paquetes son invaluables y me has acompañado por todo – no pude hacerlo sin ti.  TKM!

In case I forgot anyone, I do apologize.  I’m grateful for all of you and can’t wait to thank you again in person in a few short weeks!

Moving on out

Quick summary of my weekend.  Friday and Saturday I was at the beach (for work) with all of the business volunteers in the country.  I sat on a panel about competition planning and helped organize the PCVs who will be coordinating with my professors to ensure that my students are included.  Saturday afternoon, we finished in time to throw a frisbee around on the beach.

If I have to work on a Saturday, at least it's here

Then I made the long trek back up to site.  And I was not alone.  No, I traveled with my 9 water filters.  It was difficult to organize safe transportation for so much stuff (some of it breakable) but everything worked out.  And by that, I mean I left 1 of the 5 filter pieces on the bus and had to coordinate with the bus driver today to pick it up the next day.

I swear they're happy they have filters...

Also, I’m moving out.  For the “casual” readers of my blog (shame on you), next week I start a 3 week / 4000+ mile journey by bus, boat, taxi, plane, foot, raft, kayak, swimming, hitchhiking and strategic falling around Central America and eventually home to Chicago. Therefore, I had to offload all of my things:

My Nicaraguan life in a pickup truck

Empty Nica home

Total price = $175.  I’m taking a loss but got a good use out of everything so I’m content.  I've officially moved out and am staying in Esteli for 2 night before I finally COS in Managua Thursday morning, AH EXCITEMENT!

The end draws near

The past few days I’ve been saying good byes to various people in my communities and school.  People having been asking me for weeks how I feel about leaving and I, being the mature and well-adjusted adult that I am, had been refusing to process it.  I mean how can you?  Most people never have to say good bye to someone you’ve built a close relationship knowing that you’ll most likely never see them again.  The closest (and most morbid) analogy is saying good bye to someone on their deathbed.  Needless to say, it’s emotional.  For the past 2 years, these people have been my friends and acting parental figures and this village has been my home.  I even have “COS goggles” (Peace Corps’ version of graduation goggles) for going hours without electricity and water.  I’m just glad I have exciting travels lined up or I would be a mess.

Anyway, the good byes.  My counterparts are kind of mad at me.  I know they wanted to throw big going away parties for me with food, speeches and gifts but that really isn’t my scene.  I prefer just slipping out unnoticed and letting the world move on.  Of course, that’d be a cultural faux pas so I’m reaching for middle ground.  Last week, I casually let it slip that this week was my last week.  Now I’m calling everyone and arranging private good bye hangouts.  It's been working pretty well.  Here is a foto of my students and I:

Yes, in the boonies my class has 9 students

Also, I lied.  I thought I had a free weekend but tomorrow I'm going back to Managua.  The entire business program (my group, 56, plus 59 and 61) is meeting up for a training.  We're going to start planning the business plan competition series.  Obviously, I won't be there when it rolls around but they would like to hear my advice.  Bonus, it's on the beach so I'm pretty excited.  Expect another post Sunday or Monday!

Staff presentation

Here is the video we made for our presentation to Peace Corps Nicaragua staff and the Ambassador.  After we showed it, our boss was speechless and thanked us between emotional sobs.  Madame Ambassador was also impressed with our work.

Any questions and can you figure out which parts were mine?