#TOTALSOCIAL - My Favorite Travel Moments

This month's theme of the link up with Helene at Helene in Between and Sarah at Venus Trapped in Mars is favorites. This is such a broad topic, there are so many options, favorite foods, favorite movies, favorite books, this list goes on and on. Finally, I decided I wanted to do my favorite places I've traveled too, which can be hard because I've honestly loved every place I've been. So I thought I'd take it a step further and tell you about my favorite travel moments. On several trips I've been on there have been these little moments where I just sit and think, wow, this is my life and it is pretty awesome.

1. The summer after my sophomore year of college I traveled to Europe with a college tour group. We spent two days in Paris (definitely not enough time). One day we had a group ticket to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower but, that wasn't until later in the day, so a few girls and I spent the day wandering the city, seeing the sights. About an hour before our tour was supposed to start we were tired and hungry so we grabbed snack and sat on the grass in a little park right next to the Eiffel Tower. I can't explain why, but that hour sitting in the park underneath the Eiffel Tower, eating, talking and taking a nap was my favorite part of my whole time there.

2. I had traveled to Guatemala with my mom, sister and a group of volunteers to work in a village up in the mountains, helping at their primary school and clinic. After our week spent there we spent a few days in Antigua before heading home. I love Antigua. It is one of my favorite places I've ever traveled too. It is a colonial influenced city with cobble-stoned streets and Spanish architecture. One rainy afternoon my sister and I were sitting in a cafe, escaping the weather, when we noticed through the frosted glass window a small child playing outside. He kept pressing his hands against the window, so we started to do the same. We probably sat there and did that for at least 20 minutes until the rain stopped and we could explore more of the city.

3. In that same trip to Europe with the college tour group, we visited Venice. I don't know how it happened but, I ended up getting separated from my group of friends. So I ended up wander the streets, alleyways and canals of Venice by myself and it was amazing. I let myself get lost, which is very easy in Venice, and spent a couple hours shopping, eating gelato and exploring.

4. In college I did a winter semester abroad in Ecuador. One weekend while I was there we traveled to a town, high up in the mountains, called Patate. We stayed in a old colonial house that had been converted into a beautiful hotel. At night after dinner we were sitting out back in the yard, when we saw this flash of bright orange light off in the distance. The owner of the hotel explained that Patate was in the foothills of Tungurahua an active volcano and at night it has several small eruptions that spew lava and ash in the air. We ended up sitting there for hours just watching the small eruptions off in the distance, it was amazing. (Sadly, I don't have any photos.

5. Recently, I traveled to the Sand Dune Islands off the coast of San Cosme, Paraguay in the middle of the Paraná River. These small islands are shrinking every minute and in the next few years they will be gone completely. I remember sitting there on the dunes, it was a beautiful, cool day, feeling like we were in the middle of no where and how quickly things can pass us by and disappear, it was a beautiful moment. 

What are your favorite travel moments?

#TOTALSOCIAL - My 9-5

This month's theme for #TOTALSOCIAL is my 9-5. Right now I'm on a little real life hiatus or you can say I'm funemployed. I recently finished my Peace Corps service (in April) and have stuck around here in Paraguay, mostly to spend time with my boyfriend and well I wasn't quite ready to leave. I'll be headed home (for now) in August. 

So I thought I'd talk about my last 9-5 ... the Peace Corps. But, if I'm going to be honest the Peace Corps is not your normal 9-5 job. Its more like 24/7.  The tagline for the Peace Corps is that "Its the Toughest Job You'll Ever Love," and it couldn't be more true. When you are are a volunteer even when you aren't working you are still "working." 

*at my Peace Corps swear-in ceremony with my host mom

I was a Community Health Volunteer, which meant I spend most of my time teaching health lessons in the schools on things like nutrition, dental health, parasite prevention and in the high school, sexual education. I also taught healthy cooking lessons for families in my community and led a weekly exercise class which consisted of walking groups and volleyball games. I also taught English classes and Computer classes. One of my biggest projects was helping plan a national boys sports and leadership camp that taught young boys, ages 13-18, everyday values, morals, self-esteem and gender equality through sports. 

*first annual Camp Deporte y Vida!

However, some of my most meaningful time spent as a volunteer was when I wasn't officially working on any of those projects. Instead it was the time when I was drinking tereré (the national beverage of Paraguay) with my neighbors and telling them about my life in America. Or it was the times I was painting my nails with  my host sisters and talking about the importance of school, planning for the future and self-esteem. Or finally, those hundreds of times when my 3 and 5 year old neighbor would come over and we would read books and draw pictures and I would show them that it is ok to be creative and think outside the box. Sometimes it's hard, because when you are in your community you are always "on." You always need to be sure you are being a good representation of Peace Corps and the United States. So even when you aren't working you are "working."

 *after reading a book about cats we made cat masks

So, yes Peace Corps is not your typical 9-5 and it can be incredibly difficult and isolating. It lives up to its reputation being the toughest job you'll ever love because I won't lie, it is hard, but, I wouldn't trade my time as a Peace Corps volunteer for any regular 9-5 or for anything.