December. In. Mexico.

Horse back riding with the Presidente, Zack Visiting, fireworks for Guadalupe, fireworks for Jesus, fireworks just because and fireworks to bring in the New Year, tamales and ponche, piñatas, posadas, birthday parties, other volunteers visiting (Jill and Arpan, and Wanda), going to visit other volunteers and friends (Paola in Mexico City and Andrew and Brittney in Tlaxcala), homesickness and complete happiness, hiking, rock climbing, and kayaking, a new haircut, food, family, and friends. To sum up December.

 December was a crazy month to start out our Peace Corps experience, and I mean crazy in a good way. Although most of the parties have come to an end, we still have 3 Kings day later this week and the Calendaria in February to go. So today I’ll be shopping for little gifts for the kids (since in Mexico, kids get gifts from the 3 kings AND from Santa) and hoping that I don’t pull the little Jesus doll out of the cake on Thursday, because if I do I have to make tamales for the event in Feb.

New Year’s was low-key but one of the best New Years I’ve had. Lindsay and I went to a party thrown by my host dad’s family in our local mercado. It was about 6 or 7 long tables set up to make 1 really big long table, and the food never stopped coming. In fact we went back yesterday to eat some more! There was music, piñatas, and a gift exchange. And what impressed me the most was my grandma (Mami Luz, mother of 12) was up and about the whole night, warming tortillas, serving ponche, and all with a smile. That lady has still got it. It really was the perfect way to bring in 2011 and I was so glad to have the people I love with me, Lindsay and my Mexican family.

    

So it’s now 2011, and I have never been more excited to start working. Not that it’s been a total breeze since August, but if I can be honest I can’t exactly call it “work” either. I’ve learned a ton, met a lot of amazing people, and now I’m ready to start serving them. I know as I’ve heard from many volunteers and staff members to be prepared that it will be a slow start. But it’s a start. And we have so many potential projects from helping fund greenhouses, to teaching English, to helping support local tiendas and restaurants, to ecotourism, and any other small business or tourism venture.

I guess what I’m saying is BRING IT ON!!!