RIP PCPY loss

Nov 30, 2011


Thanksgiving was amazing. I ended up going to my friend's site on actual thanksgiving. We ate pasta and garlic bread. Then on Friday we waited for the campo bus (30 ish volunteers) to pass. We jumped on and went 4-5hrs down to Encarn. Started to drink a little on the bus. And I jumped into the pool upon arrival. 

We spent Friday afternoon in the pool. Friday night we had a full thanksgiving buffet which was delicious. On Saturday we spent the whole day at the pool, drinking and tanning. A lot of games and hanging out with volunteers was great. On Sunday we got back into the pool, hungout and ate lunch before heading back on the 7hour bus ride to Asuncion. Overall a great weekend. 

But with everything good there can be a bad. During the end of lunchtime on Sunday. We found out that another fellow peace corps volunteer got into a car accident and died. I'm not sure if it has been a part of the news in the USA. But Emily Balog was a volunteer in a group that arrived 9mths before me. When another volunteer announced this at thanksgiving weekend I was sad that another volunteer passed away. She was on her way back from a volunteer thanksgiving get together. It wasn't until Monday morning that I realized Emily was my neighbor site. 

I was walking down the street last month in Emily's site. It's about 9km from my site. I went there to get my haircut and saw a blonde girl speeding by on her bike. I said to my py friend, that has to be the peace corps volunteer here. If she passes again I must say hi I told my py friend. So well Emily passed by I waved her down, and introduced myself. We chatted for a few mins and exchanged numbers. Said we would hangout in the new year. So when I found out she passed away I am not at a loss of words. I'm disappointed and confused on how this could happen. 

Peace Corps Paraguay had a memorial service tonight and it was great. A lot of volunteers traveled in and a lot of Peace Corps employees showed up. We are a family here in Peace Corps Paraguay. We will continue to support each other and help each other through our great loss of a great volunteer, friend and coworker. my prayers go out to the Balog family and friend back in the USA. 

But to end on a happier note. I love my friends and family back in the USA. I am sweating my ass offf down here. It's between 90-112 degrees daily. I drip sweat, but got a termo for my terere. so now I travel everywhere with my terere and it saves me on buses and walking. It has my name, the peace corps symbol and 2011-2013 printed on it. Can't believe its Dec soon! Xmas? Crazy... 


Until next time...