SUNDAY FUNDAY...

Today's Sunday Funday was bumped up to a whole new level.

While Buela packed, Momma taught one of the most beautiful but saddest bootcamps. Anita, one of my bootcampers, left this afternoon back to Germany...for good =(. She has been an amazing friend and student! Some momma friends came out for the workout too. We wanted to get her nice and worn out for her 17 hour flight!

 WORK IT GIRLS and Jan

ANITA!!! We'll miss you!!!

After Abuela said bye to Nico....

Abuela and Momma got quick bite at the Farmer's Market before heading to the airport. Abuelita was sad to leave Nico but was happy she got to spend a whole week with him...and help him get better. We'll be paging Nurse Abuela more often =). Gracais Mami por venir a ayudarme con Nico y a visitarnos. Te quiero muchisimo.

The afternoon was NONE STOP action.

Nico got to bike at the park with Peter  while I played volleyball with running friends and took a nostalgic walk through memory lane with other returned Peace Corps volunteers here in LA.

 Thanks Mary Lynn for the Invite =) see ya for 16 miles next weekend.

I have been trying to get into this office for the past year that I've been living here in LA.So this weekend I decided that I wasn't going to let one my event go by without attending! I'm so glad I went!

 I got all excited being around people that had such amazing stories to share of a life that seems to be such a distant and faint memory...almost a dream now. I loved hearing what people missed most about their communities and what they were most excited to come back to here in the States.
What people Missed most about their comminities:
The people
Their Pets
Peace Corps Volunteers
The LIFE of a volunteer
the joy in the simplicity

Things they were looking forward to coming back to:
friends/family

Almost everyone agreed that having had the chance to live such a unique experience they found that when they returned...NO ONE UNDERSTOOD....they felt that after the initial whopla of coming home...people didn't want to hear scorpion encounter stories or crazy community member confrontations, or small project successes. That's what this group was for...basically emotional support for returning from a 3rd world. It's a group of people that have stories of their own to share and are excited to hear your stories too.

I for one really miss the simplicity of life....being able to look around and FIND creative uses for EVERYTHING, I miss my waking up to the sound of roosters and MY HORSE, I miss the smell of the air at 5:45 in the morning as I would stand on the top of the hill (where my host family's house is) and look all around....and felt simply happy.

What I was most excited to come back to besides all the people that I missed while being away...was definitely BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS from the grocery store!!! Ahhhh such a commodity!

 Definitely had a little of an AA meeting kinda feel....not that i would know but i'm guessing.

Returned Peace Corps Volunteer: Hi my name is_____. It's been ____years since I've served as a Peace Corps Volunteer. 

Everyone: Hi ______, welcome.

 To top if off....Today were BOARD ELECTIONS! And guess who made it onto the Board for 2012....yup, yours truly!

There are days that I pray to God for a sign of what I need to do...Then the very next day, I see this one. I don't think this sign is telling me to actually go back (where I would in a heartbeat if it was possible for me to do so with a 2 year old) but I think it's telling me to look for that HOPE that the Peace Corps gave me. This sign may be telling me to rid my life of excess...just as I prepared almost 3 years ago for a big change. I have to do the same now.....in order to find that happiness that has just been lost under piles of "LIFE".

 Let the purging begin!