Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to el campo we go!

After visiting my permanent site last week, a lot of my fears (housing, family, community, food) have been assuaged and replaced by excitement to start my project. It will definitely be challenging at times - for instance, I'm really not sure how I will get all my bags there right now as there's a mandatory motorcycle ride - but I have lots of ideas for projects, especially with my Brigada Verde youth group. I had only been there two days on my site visit, talking about forming this group, when the "jovenes" decided to call our first meeting! They are energetic and smart, and are longing for something to belong to. Hopefully I can incorporate environmental education while keeping our activities fun!

My house is modest, but comfortable. In my room there was only a bed, but I found a broken chair in the woods and converted it into a bookshelf - it's amazing the resourcefulness that necessity fosters! My host parents are an older couple, and my host father is also my project partner, the President of the Junta de Vezinos, which is a neighborhood association which currently operates more like a weekly Bible study - religion is very important in the Dominican Republic.

My house is surrounding by fruit trees, from which my muchachas have collected many delicious treats for me, beautiful mountains, and a flowing river which is refreshigly clean. During my visit last week, a group of 20 kids took me to the river - check out the pictures at: http://community.webshots.com/user/jynx24

I have a few small activities, or "quick wins", scheduled for my return, including composting with a community member who has an impressive garden and several "charlas", or conversations/lectures at schools in and around my community. Other than these small projects, I'll have to do my diagnostic to make a decision about our big projects, which will most likely be latrines, improved cook stoves, and gardens.

Our swearing in ceremony is this afternoon and all 36 of us made it through training, which rarely happens! It would be even more extraordinary for us to all make it to the end of the 2 years...here's pulling for Peace Corps DR, group 08-01!