I got to run a couple races at the beginning of the year; ING Miami Half Marathon, Palm 100, Nautica Celerity triathlon, and the Mardi Gras 5k (Austin).
As Obama was sworn into office, I received my Peace Corps Invitation to serve in Panama as a Sustainable Agriculture Systems Volunteer. From then my focus became my preparation for my trip...A trip that I thought would change my life.
I thought right! I arrived in Panama Mid April. Difficult, hot, and harder than what I expected, the first day at my training site, Santa Clara de Arrijan, was almost unbearable. I fell asleep on a cot, under my bug net in tears wondering what I had gotten myself into. Everyday was a battle to stay positive and learn to accept the things that I couldn't change, and work hard to improve those things that I could change. It was difficult to see how an entire people could conform to such a way of life. It was hard to help people who had given up on helping themselves. But at the same time, it was rewarding to connect with people that never believed in the power of change. It was incredible to feel that I represent HOPE to so many people. When I graduated from UF, I was just one of a couple hundred that graduated that semester and one of millions that had graduated from UF....in Panama, in Santana, I was the only American College Graduate that they had ever met. That trip made me value so many simple things in life that we take for granted. I learned to appreciate the diversity(cultures, ideas, types of people, careers, and ways of life) that the melting pot of our country exposes us to everyday.
Throughout my time in Panama, I met a lot of interesting people who taught me a lot about themselves and about my-true-self.
When the Peace Corps told me that I would refer to my life as B.P.C. (before Peace Corps) and A.P.C. (after Peace Corps). I didn't believe it when I heard it at first but now I do. However, not for the reasons that they meant, but I am a believer.
One afternoon in August I found out that I had been a mom for 18 months. When I told Peter, we knew our lives had changed forever. Leaving Panama was difficult, I knew that the life that awaited me was the beginning of the greatest life-changing adventure. By the end of August, we were engaged.
In September I moved to Austin with Peter where we began to prepare for our babies arrival. We started Bradley Classes, and we picked our OBGYN. Manuela, my mom, and Veronica threw me a Baby Shower in Miami with friends and family that was a day to remember.
In November, Peter, Ashish, and my dad ran the San Antonio Half Marathon where they all ran great, and I longingly cheered along on the sidelines...envisioning my return to running as a Mom with her jogging stroller! Towards the end of November Peter's family and mine came to Austin to visit and witness our Civil Wedding at TOWNLAKE.
In December, we went shopping for our 1st Christmas tree. We finished preparing for the arrival of our baby boy as we decorated our home for the holidays! Manuela showed up as a birthday surprise for me has been here since. Kelly, one of my best friends, got engaged. Together we celebrated Christmas! Santa was great to all of us!
I crammed a lot of milestones in this year. Thanks to Peter, who made it his job to make each event as special as possible, I enjoyed each and everyone of them.
2009 was a year for the BOOKS...FOR SURE!!!
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