Hey I’m a little behind on the updates so this week I’m going to do a post about last weekend and another one about the weekend before.
The weekend before last weekend was the “adjustment orientation” for AFS. All the AFSers who arrived in February that are doing the high school program went. After school on Friday I went to the post office to pick a package from my grandma (thanks Mamaw! It made my dayJ) and then went home to get ready. On Friday at 1:00 we all met at the AFS Paraguay headquarters in Asuncion. Some people had to take the colectivo (the bus) all the way from Ciudad Del Este. They had to catch it at like 6 in the morning to get to Asuncion by 1 pm. Asuncion is only about a half an hour away from Luque and my host mom was nice enough to drive me there so I didn’t have to take the bus.
When we met at the AFS office it was like the first day of school. Everyone was so excited to see each other again and you could hardly get a word in edgewise. It was great to see the other Americans that I met in Miami. All five of us were there except Maggie because she’s doing the community service program. There was also one new American from Pennsylvania named Lauren. She arrived a week late because of the east coast snow storm.
It was great to talk to everyone and see how their experiences are going so far. We talked about all the things that surprised us or are different from the US, any problems we are having or had, and about our schools, our towns, our friends, and our families. It made me realize that we are all going through the exact same thoughts and feelings, even if our experiences are different. Overall, it seemed like everyone is having a great time here so far J
By about 2:00 all the people (there were about 20 total) had arrived. At around 2:30 we ate lunch then left Asuncion in a charter bus. About 2 hours later we arrived at the resort, Mamorei. Wow, it was amazing. It is set on a property with a pool, tennis courts, a volleyball court, soccer field and trails for bike rides or riding horses. When we got there, the owner and his son came to welcome us and there were popcorn and fresh juices for snack. We had some time to swim or relax and then we had our first session. Over the course of the camp we would have six sessions discussing everything from history, to school, to family life. After that session we had dinner which was delicioussss. All of the food at the resort was SO good. Later we went to bed because we would have an early morning the next day.
Saturday we woke up, ate breakfast and went for a hike. We took the bus about a half an hour away to Ypycui National Park. The hike was beautiful. We saw rivers, waterfalls, butterflies, spiders and frogs. After the hike the owner of the resort and his son came and made us a picnicJonce we were back at the resort we had several sessions broken up by lunch and a chipa making demonstration. Chipa is a traditional snack here and it’s kind of like a mix between a jumbo pretzel and a biscuit. After the afternoon sessions we had some free time and I got to play tennis! The owner’s son had an extra racket so I played with him for awhile. That was really fun because I hadn’t played tennis in awhile. After dinner we had another session and then went to bed.
In the morning on Sunday we had some free time so I went for a walk and took some pictures. Then we got back on the bus to Asuncion. After we got to the AFS office my mom and dad came to the AFS office to pick me up. My mom’s birthday was Saturday but she was at a church retreat and I was at the AFS camp, so we celebrated Sunday. My sister, Ali, made her a cake and I gave her earrings. Later Sunday night, she had a huge birthday party at a pizzeria near our house. About thirty of her friends came and it didn’t end until 1:00 in the morning!
I had fun reconnecting with my friends from America and wishing my mom “feliz cumpleaños!”
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