If you visit me in Uruguay, don't come in June or July

It is freezing cold today! Right now I sit, clad in three different long sleeve shirts, long john's underneath the pants and several pairs of socks. It is about 30 degrees Farenheit outside with rain and icy wind that struck my bare face and hands as I braved the walk home form work tongiht. I can hear the wind whistiling and the rain pelting the windows. It's not pretty here right now so if you'd like to visit I suggest you pick another month! It's quite gorgeous in the spring, summer and fall. ;)

If you take the elevator to the top floor then climb two flights of stairs you reach the top patio of Adrian’s apartment complex. From there, you can climb a tiny medal latter up another flight, hop a wall and open your eyes to a breathtaking view of the city I call home, Montevideo, Uruguay.

This place, this view is where an average Jane like me turns into a philosopher as I begin to ask myself age old questions about life and ponder about how far I’ve come and what it is I want next.

It’s never easy to figure out what the next step is in life. I’m starting to think that after you graduate from college it’s just an endless battle of worrying about what’s next, where you “should be” in life or what you “should have accomplished”. Sometimes I feel as if I am futilely shouting at the top of my lungs “it’s what makes you happy is what is most important in life!” and the flood of noise that drowns out my voice is the sound of those “shoulds” and “should nots”…

It’s hard to believe how happy I am right now. Maybe I “should” be continuing my studies or working in a job that pays a decent wage but there is always time, and if I waste energy thinking about what I should or shouldn’t do I’m going to miss out on all of the fun right now. This all may sound cliché but I honestly don’t care if it means I’m happy. This doesn’t mean I want to avoid all responsibilities and throw all cares to the wind. Actually, I feel like what I am throwing to the wind is an imaginary checklist constructed by society that says I have to have this and that by such an age. Living in Uruguay for a few years was never on the checklist but I know it’s the right thing to do for now.

My favorite view

If you take the elevator to the top floor then climb two flights of stairs you reach the top patio of Adrian’s apartment complex. From there, you can climb a tiny medal latter up another flight, hop a wall and open your eyes to a breathtaking view of the city I call home, Montevideo, Uruguay.

This place, this view is where an average Jane like me turns into a philosopher as I begin to ask myself age old questions about life and ponder about how far I’ve come and what it is I want next.

It’s never easy to figure out what the next step is in life. I’m starting to think that after you graduate from college it’s just an endless battle of worrying about what’s next, where you “should be” in life or what you “should have accomplished”. Sometimes I feel as if I am futilely shouting at the top of my lungs “it’s what makes you happy is what is most important in life!” and the flood of noise that drowns out my voice is the sound of those “shoulds” and “should nots”…

It’s hard to believe how happy I am right now. Maybe I “should” be continuing my studies or working in a job that pays a decent wage but there is always time, and if I waste energy thinking about what I should or shouldn’t do I’m going to miss out on all of the fun right now. This all may sound cliché but I honestly don’t care if it means I’m happy. This doesn’t mean I want to avoid all responsibilities and throw all cares to the wind. Actually, I feel like what I am throwing to the wind is an imaginary checklist constructed by society that says I have to have this and that by such an age. Living in Uruguay for a few years was never on the checklist but I know it’s the right thing to do for now.

La Rueda de Oro

Last Thursday my Rotaract club and I saw the realization of months of hard work for the event, "Wheel of Gold" or "Rueda de Oro".

The event was a type of Academy Awards for the Rotary districts 4980 and 4970 here in Uruguay. It was an innovative idea that brought together Rotarians from both districts while raising funds for a good cause.

Prize categories ranged from best service project in the community to best project to raise funds. Clubs submitted the service projects they realized throughout the year, there was no limit to how many categories they could enter. When the awards were presented for each club the nominees were read off as well as descriptions of the projects they realized within the category. Thus, my rotarct club not only did a great job of bringing rotarians together but also of creating an awareness amongst Rotarians of Uruguay of what each club is accomplishing.

Dia del Patrimonio

Last Saturday, the old city of Montevideo came to life with music, dancing and a variety of spectacles. There were so many people dressed up and out to celebrate a day of cultural heritage. In reality it was a whole weekend but I spent just Saturday seeing all that there was to see. Not only were their street performances, choirs singing and people dancing tango, all museums and antiquated, historical buildings were open to roam around and discover.

Peru!

Two weeks ago I arrived home to Uruguay from an exciting trip to Peru. My sister organized everything to ensure an exciting stay. I toured Lima, flew to Cuzco, treked along the inca trail for four days to arrive to Machu Pichu at Sunrise, visited ancient ruins in smaller pueblos in Cuzco and ate amazing food!

And even among all of our adventures we still found time to attend her Rotaract club meetings. When Katie came to visit me in Uruguay, she brought with her a cultural exchange box that was filled with gifts that represent Peru and so when I flew out to Lima, Peru, I brought with me gifts from my Rotaract club that represented Uruguay.

DIA DEL NINO!

In Uruguay there's your typical mother's day and father's day, but there is also grandparent's day and kids day. I think I remember celebrating--or at least ackwnoledging--a grandparent's day when I was younger...but a kid's day? And one in which you get gifts? It's like another Christmas! What kid wouldn't want that?

To be honest, I wasn't too thrilled to celebrate "kid's day" as I knew my mischevious and rambunctious host sister would enjoy reveling in "her" day. I love this little eight year old host sister of mine but at times she can really try your patience!

However, my Rotaract club turned "kid's day" into a great experience for me. We celebrated the day with kids from two organizations. The first one we celebrated the day with was an organized soccer club in an at risk neighborhood. The club boasts a membership of 100 kids that joined to stay out of the streets. The other organization we went to is a shelter for teenage mothers and their children who come from extreme poverty situations and have often faced abuse in their lives. We spent the day playing games with the kids, handing out gifts, sharing stories with the moms and just having a blast!