Mini Viaje y Gran Sitio....

Alright... I have a bit of news to share. The latter of which I am far more excited about, but the former ain´t bad either.
This past weekend we had free- so just about everyone made plans to get the hell of dodge and explore. I decided to make a trip to San Salvador with a group of Municipal Developers (¨Munis¨ for short... our training group is divided between the Munis and The Rural Healthers (¨RHs¨)). For the most part it was quite enjoyable, I spend most of my time with other RHs- so I was happy to get to know some of the Munis a little better. But... having said that, I could certainly tell that I was the only RH there. Usually, the difference between our prospetive payoffs for our groups is that Munis get to enjoy more of the classical amenities (indoor plumbing, internet, even electricity!), but have a harder time building confianza and getting work done in there bigger sites. While we RHs do without a flushing toilet, but have an easier time getting to know the gente and getting shit done. Anywho... I still thoroughly enjoyed spending time with the Munis, even though I left my hair dryer at home.
On Saturday, we walked from our hotel to the far more lavish Sheraton. A 6 mile walk- not everyone was happy toward the end of it (ahem... a Muni symptom)- but I enjoyed it, (I always think walking around a big city is the best way to get to know it). The pool there was gorgeous (waterfall and all), the water felt perfect for how effing hot it was.
That night, after sharing a few drinks, I was certainly happy as I gorged on a delicious dinner (that had no rice, beans or tortillas!). I didn´t realize how wonderful having a few drinks with friends can be... especially after it´s been a while, and I´m sure in the future it´ll be a monthly or so tradition.
Sunday was fabulous- 2 of the Munis and I separated to visit Mayan Ruins called Cihuatan, North of San Sal. I was happy to do something that you couldn´t do in the States. There isn´t much left there, but the ambience is certainly still prominent... there´s still a bit of a pyramid left where sacrifices were performed. I could only imagine what life was like back then. Those are probably the oldest remnants of former civilization I´ve ever seen.
By the weekend´s end- I was satisfied and exhausted. But the rest of this week has been spent in unbearable anxiety, because Thursday, we were told where our future sites will be!
I just re-read my entry entitled A Glimpse (and maybe you should too for this entry), all about the site I visited for Immersion Days. Remember how much I loved it? Remember how sad I was to leave? I kept thinking... man... if my site´s like this I know I´ll love it. Well... I´M GOING BACK BABY!!!!!!
It all seems so obvious now, and I´m ashamed I didn´t connect the dots (I did´n´t even think of asking the current volunteer who´s leaving, Mike, if someone was replacing him). Well that someone is me! And I couldn´t be happier. I almost teared up when I heard I´m returning there. The vistas are breathtaking, the climate is much nicer, and the people... oh the people... they are amazing.
There´s a picture I posted of me and a bunch of girls in Illustrating a better Glimpse... Xulma´s is the super affectionate one in red... who I said would probably be my best friend if I lived there... well... even better, she´s going to be my new host sister. I can hardly believe it.
And, even though my site is pretty out there (it´s not remote by distance per se... it´s just really high up), I´m in the state of Morazon, wherer 8 other voulunteers will be located, and who won´t me more than a couple hours away. Apparently, there´s a once a month meeting in Gotera (the district´s biggest city) with all the current volunteers in Morazon... so I´m sure I can join that party.
I talked to Mike on the phone expressing my excitement... and he told me that he think´s this site is perfect for me and I´m perfect for it. So already, I feel as if I´m ahead of the game and the light is shining bright.
Seriously, I can´t believe the kind of luck I´ve had here thus far. Truth be told I´m a little nervous that my expectations are going to be too high for what´s ahead. But I feel almost as if my experience here has been served on a silver platter. I already know I´m going to love my site. And yes, there will be difficulties for sure... but I think I´m dodging a lot of apprehension and won´t have nearly as hard a time as others.
So... in a week´s time, training will be over, and I´ll be in the capital swearing in as an official volunteer. After that- I´ll be moving to my new home for the next two years. And something tells me I´m going to love it...
I don´t know what I´ve done to deserve this kind of luck (maybe I was a philanthropist and a martyr in my previous life) but baby, Life is Good from where I stand.