Saturday, October 2, 2010

Back in Gringo-land...

I miss Peru. And today it hit me like a ton of bricks how much I miss the kids and the entire family at Casa...;-(

While my time in Peru was not without challenging moments – at the end of the day, it was one of the most special experiences of my life. The kids of Casa de Milagros are incredible...I feel blessed to be considered part of the family, and to have been received with so much love.

In addition to working at the Casa, I was also able to spend some time in my country, and soak in my culture in ways I had never been able to before...spent some quality time with family and loved ones in Lima, traveled to regions of Peru I had not been to before, and experience two of Cusco's most amazing festivals: Corpus Christi and Inti Raymi. 

In addition to settling back into life back in the states, since being back – I have mostly been consumed with school. I was able to enroll in all five classes that I need and will finally be graduating in December! It’s been a 12 year journey – so graduation day will be super sweet ;-) What this means in a practical sense for me is that with five classes I will have a very full plate and have already begun the process of “clearing the decks” so I can focus on school and get the most out of my final semester. As you all know – I like to juggle many projects and interests – so this is no easy task ;-) I am super excited about my classes! My Political Communication professor, Joe Tuman is running for mayor of Oakland, so our class gets to live an actual campaign with him. Also, I am taking a California Food, Wine, and Culture class, which totally sucks since you guys know how much I hate food, wine and culture...;-)

One of the major decisions I have made recently is to step down from my responsibilities as a Board member of Casa de Milagros. I will continue to be involved in the kids’ lives, and will be returning in December and January to visit, volunteer, and help with some big projects that are in the works. However, due to my school and client responsibilities, I do not have the space to commit to the Board at this time. Once I graduate in December, the Board and I will reassess where things are on both ends and how I can continue to stay involved, what role I will play, and what projects I will be involved in. I will keep you guys posted! In the meantime, if you guys want information on how you can help Casa or any other volunteer opportunities in Peru - contact me and I will send you information.

I have posted all of my pics up and you can see them all HERE

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hey sweety, we are missing in at the Casa also, the kids talk about you often. love