We live, we die, and the wheels on the bus go round and round.

As I sit looking in my 13x14 sq. ft. room and ponder on my day. I see my blue bucket in the corner that I have bathed from, done laundry in, washed fruit in and ate fruit out of, all in a days work. I think to myself about the reasons I am here and what I want out of my service. I am here to grow, be fulfilled and enjoy life by giving to others. I have always been a planner and had lists for everything, so I thought it was fitting to compile a bucket list for Guate!

• Improve my spanish 
• Learn to cook healthy, inexpensive food from scratch 
• Cook Guatemalan food
• Learn to sew or knit 
• I don't have the patience to knit. I can sew minor repairs to my clothes. 
• Grow something in a tire garden
• Build a bottle project 
• Start a girls group
• The group started with 6 girls and ended up be a kids club of about 15 on my door steps. 
• Climb a volcano or two
• I climbed Tajumulco for New Years 2012. One down, one to go. 
• Go to a soccer game
•  There are soccer games for just about every holiday in Guatemala. 
• Zip line through the jungle
• Take a salsa class
• Read lots of books at least 5 or 6 in Spanish
• I'm making my way up there. None is Spanish yet. 
• Make tortillas (from beginning to end)
• From Nix Tamal to tortillas, this girl has got it down. 
• Find out what I want to do when I grow up
• Ride a feria ride
• Rode a feris wheel for the first time. Never again. 
• Simplify my life 
• Learn to ride a moto
• This will have to wait post Peace Corps. Non-negotiable. 
• Judge a beauty pageant
• Go to Belize
• Sailed the Cayes of Belize and ate amazing fresh seafood. 
• Paint something ( a wall, a bookshelf, a picture)
• Go sky diving
• Make friends (Guatemalan or not)
• Dar palabras like a chapina (public speaking)
• If standing in front of a class of 30 14 year olds counts. check. 
• Build a better relationship with God
• Maintain a journal 
• I tried, its just as hard as keeping up a blog. Will give this another shot. 
• Exercise and stay in shape
• If walking to school (cardio) and camioneta rides (strength training) count, I am definitely exercising and in shape. 

Some things on this list are more important than others, but none the less the most important thing for me to do is appreciate everyday. I may add to this list in the future, but I am ready to start throwing things from this list in the bucket. 

*updated 6/2012

- nos vemos