For those of you who live too far away for me to catch up with you in person and show you pictures... I have finally finished putting up a bunch on picasaweb. I know there are a lot of them, but when you get the chance- check them out! I hope they give you a little bit of an idea of where I was living, where I was working, the kids who I was surrounded by every day, the family who took me in as if I were their own daughter, all of the beautiful places I got to travel to, and some of the volunteers who I became friends with.

Enjoy!!

http://picasaweb.google.com/michaelawipfler

Missing Nicaragua

The saying sounds so cliche, so cheesy... but it's so true, that at times we don't know what we have until it's gone. Though we try to appreciate things in our day to day lives, we realize how connected we are to some people and things, how much they mean to us and how happy we were when we are with them, it sometimes isn't until they are more than a phone call or walk away that we realize their impact on our lives. I tried so hard to soak in every day with my students and with the families in the community who made me feel so at home, but there is absolutely no way to spend enough time or take enough pictures to make up for the time that will eventually be spent apart from each other.

I knew I would miss them all. When I bawled my eyes out my last few days, I realized how truly hard it was going to be to leave, not knowing when I'll get back to visit. My first few weeks here at home I have been so busy and focused on transitioning back, starting work, catching up with friends and family, that my mind has been preoccupied and taken away from thoughts of Nicaragua. But now all of my emotions and thoughts on them are catching up to me and I'm finding myself missing them more and more, thinking of them more often and looking back on my pictures.

Don't take the people in your life for granted. Soak up the time with them and make the most of it. Thankfully, I can look back and feel as thought I passed a ton of time with the families, made the most out of the time I had with each of my students every day, and accomplished enough in my every day work over all, that I can smile knowing there wasn't more I could have done to make my time more worthwhile or fulfilling.

for those of you who were not able to access the photo albums that I posted on facebook, I have finally been able to post some of my pictures on picasaweb albums!!

http://picasaweb.google.com/michaelawipfler

despedida

Three short weeks ago I was packing up my backpack, saying my goodbyes to volunteers and to Granada, crying from my going away parties and mentally trying to prepare myself for a transition back to the States.

For many reasons, I cut my volunteer stint short in Nicaragua and decided to come back home for a few months. Already having a job here waiting for me made my transition back easier, but even three weeks later... my Central American life is at the forefront of my mind.

Though I didn't feel all that connected to the house that I lived in or the small city that had been my home for more than five months, I created an unbelievable bond with my students and two families in the community that made it so difficult to leave. Heading in to my last week there, I thought that I'd have an easier time with all of my 'lasts' and goodbyes, knowing I was headed back to see family, make more money with the intent of traveling more, to catch up with friends, etc.

Not the case.

There was a going away party for me and other volunteers at our house before heading off to salsa dance the night away; at school, there was a going away party instead of classes with dance performances and a pinata; in the community where I worked, there was another going away celebration with all of the kids who I had become so close to over the months. It was a week full of laughs and smiles, of dancing and singing with the kids... and a LOT of tears. As my kids pointed to the tears rolling down my face, asking why I was crying, I tried to explain that I was leaving and would likely not come back. (Though I plan on returning some day soon to visit, I couldn't get their hopes up by telling them when.)

The handful of children who I created extremely tight bonds with made sure to sit on my lap that week, every chance they could. As I walked around the classrooms or school yard, I'd feel a little hand grab mine, and hold it tightly. I got more hugs than I thought was possible, and a pile of drawings and going away cards from nearly each student at the school.

It's hard to believe that this experience has already come and gone, that my life there is now just a memory.

My goodbyes were harder than I thought, and because of this and the impression that this experience has left on me, I WILL be back...

So long, farewell Nicaragua.... nos vemos otra vez, algun dia... pronto...