September has come and gone-its October already! The common saying here in Peace Corps is that the days are long, but the months fly by-and boy is it true. Things are moving along with my park project-I have three weeks now to prepare for a summer camp i'm offering to the school kids during their vacation. The school year in Guatemala begins in January and ends in mid-October.

I'm fairly excited about this summer camp program i'm trying to organize. My goal is to get a group of 10 kids together, and take them up to the park to learn about various aspects of the ecology and biology of their park. If it goes well, I would like to continue offering guided hikes on saturdays once or twice a week. I like this idea because for me, the information that has stuck with me has always been the lessons learned outside of the classroom, and I want to pass that on here.

It has been cold and rainy here for at least a week. As a result, I've been feeling especially restless, bored, and I always get a little depressed not seeing the sun for extended periods of time-What can I say, I'm a California girl. I received a package yesterday from Mom with flannel sheets and a nice wool blanket-Thanks mom-I was snug as a bug in a rug last night. It's funny-when I was packing I think my fuzzy Ugg boots were one of the last items I was debating on, but (thank God) they made the cut. I also made a very last minute decision at the airport to take my heavy fleece lined hoodie with me-another lucky decision.

I have turned to comfort foods in all the cold rainy dreariness-I made a sublime tomato dumpling soup Wednesday night and right now am making a vegetable soup-more beets than anything else. i've always been a big fan of beets-but always bought them canned. They intimidated me at first, but i've successfully cooked them a couple different ways now. Tonight I peeled and sliced them and tossed them in my soup-they turn the broth red but the beet taste isn't too overwhelming-just the color. It is also alarming when you go to the bathroom the day after eating beets and see blood red urine or...the other... Until you remember what you ate for dinner the day before. I also indulged and bought some of the famous Sija cheese-fresh cheese probably made that day from fresh milk... This goes good on tortillas, bread, or just eating it in chunks-I don't indulge very often but when i do... Yumm.

For those of you who don't realize-being so close to the equator means 12 hours of darkness, or possibly more right now. Being a light sleeper, I find myself with a lot of down time indoors after work. Miraculously, high speed internet started working a few days ago and I got to talk to a few friends on Skype, which was awesome. Technology makes this whole experience easier, although at times I question whether the ease of connectivity I have with everyone back home really makes it easier or just makes me miss everyone more. Its a bittersweet/catch 22 type of thing. But i am grateful to be able to stay in touch with family and friends while down here. Can you imagine writing letters back and forth? Now that seems ludicrous, but for Volunteers of old (and many in other parts of the world i'm sure) thats how it was. So, long story short, my newfound skype capabilities may make at least some of my nights go by faster... one can only internet surf/watch movies/read so many hours. IT results in me trying lots of new complicated recipes, including a lot more baking than i used to do. That was going to get me introuble, but now I have a puppy who helps me eat what I make so I dont eat, like, a whole pan of lemon bars for example.

Speaking of the puppy-she now knows how to sit, lay down, shake hands, and roll over! who'd have thought I could train a dog?! I think I have to give credit where credit is due though-she's a smart cookie. So the dog-owning thing is going well and I think keeping her was a good decision.

As most of you know, I have an Awesome boyfriend who is still studying his master's at Cal Poly. He also works seasonally on an island off the coast of Honduras studying the Boa Constrictors there and has been trying to get me to go there with him since we met practically. Well I received the go-ahead from our safety coordinator this week and finally the time and place have come for me to be able to make that journey-the week of thanksgiving I will be accompanying him and other colleagues, including my adviser, from Cal Poly to the island for a week of jungle trekking, boa hunting and at least a little drinking rum out of coconuts ;) Be jealous...be very jealous.

This post is starting to ramble. Now that October is here, I officially have a year and a half left and have to ask:what do i want my legacy here to be? Its kind of a heavy question. I have some ideas that I think will take up the rest of my time here....I ask my fellow Volunteers-what will your legacy be??

peace and love,
amber