I'm Coming Home...

Before leaving Bolivia, a friend made a list of things she will miss about Bolivia, as well as things she is excited to see and experience in the States. I thought it was a great idea, and a way to wrap up my time here.

It's difficult to write this because as excited as I am to go home and begin a new stage of my life--finding a job (Hopefully, this will happen soon), becoming a North American again, and eating every variety of food I missed in Bolivia--I will miss the land-locked country, and especially the wonderful kids I have worked with. I probably have said this more than 5 times a day recently, but I really wish I could be in two places at once.

Below is a very short, succinct list of things I will miss about living in Bolivia:

• First and foremost, the Children, the Tias, and the Staff of Ninos con Valor--they have all brought so much love and joy, laughter and enlightenment to my life. I will never forgot the amazing memories I shared with them--hiking in the Andes Mountains, laughing until I cried, sleepovers and movie time, putting the kids to sleep, carnival days, amazing hugs and kisses...I could go on forever. But, these very important people are what made my Bolivian experience so wonderful and life changing. 
• The amazing fruits and vegetables. Now, I know most people don't eat this type of food while in a third-world country, but I just couldn't help myself! The very sweet, succulent flavors will remain on my taste buds forever. 
• Celebrating birthdays with the kids is always fun, especially all the traditions, including getting the first, big bite of your cake! 
• The Cancha (The huge outdoor market). You can buy anything and everything, and every time I go, it's a new adventure, which usually means getting lost and wandering around until I find myself in a familiar area. 
• Fresh-squeezed orange juice on the streets, and yes, it's parasite free and amazing! 
• The wonderful friends I have met while here, and the amazingly hilarious times, including riding in the back of pick-up trucks at 2 AM and climbing into dump trucks to visit small communities in the mountains, terrace nights with beers and cacho (A typical Bolivian dice game) and nights spent at Casablance, Na Cunna, and Fragmentos. 
• The public transportation system--it's cheap, easy, and amazingly convenient! 
• The beautiful, green parks and plazas where you can sit and chat, or play and run with the kids. 
• Traveling and exploring the beautiful, diverse, culturally rich country of Bolivia! I greatly enjoyed visiting the different departments--from jungly, humid Santa Cruz to cold, mountainous La Paz! 
• Taking pictures of every little thing to ensure I won't forget what it looked like, what I felt like when I saw it...Pictures for me are a way to continue living a memory--a hug from one of the kids, paragliding in the Andes Mountains, a exotic new food like tongue, dancing traditional Bolivian dances....

This is an extremely condensed version of everything I will miss, but some of the most important things. 

These are the things I am excited about and looking forward to once I hit the ground in Miami: 

• Hugging, catching up, and spending time with family and friends I have missed so much! I can't wait to hear stories from the time I have bee gone, and spend hours chatting. I can't wait to laugh and giggle with my friends! :)
• Eating a variety of foods not found in Bolivia--Thai, Indian, really good Chinese, amazing Mexican, good Italian food, sandwiches (Especially from Genova's), and North American breakfast food. Oh my! 
• Finding a job I am passionate about, which hopefully, happens sooner than later. Because of my time working with NCV, I want to give children a voice, especially those who have been abused and neglected, abandoned and forgotten about. 
• Hot showers that have good water pressure! In Bolivia, the pressure is absolutely horrible, and it takes about 20 minutes to get the shampoo out of my hair. 
• Being able to drink tap water, especially since the water in the Bay Area is from the Gods--It's amazingly delicious! NO MORE BOILING WATER! :)
• Being able to eat fruits and vegetables raw and without cleaning them with chemicals and boiled water. 

It is very strange that this is my last Bolivian blog post. But, I know there will be more in the future.

In a little over 24 hours, I will be in Miami, filled with mixed emotions--yearning to be heading back to South America, but overjoyed and excited to be boarding a plane to California. I may not be able to see the kids everyday, but their smiles and laughter are burned into my memory, my heart, and my soul, and I will see them in my dreams. It will be impossible to erase these wonderful memories or forget the little faces that greeted and bid me farewell with hugs and kisses. 

Oh, Bolivia, you are a special, magical place, and you, along with the children of Ninos con Valor will hold my heart forever.

Until next time, Chao, Bolivia, and chao ninos! Van a estar en mi corazon por siempre. 

Goodbye, Bolivia and My Favorite Children

The goodbye party for some of us volunteers at the boys' home--they are too cute! 

Saying goodbye to the girls and the CdP Tias on Sunday--one of the hardest days of my life. 

Sitting here in a hotel in La Paz, the capital of Bolivia, feeling worlds away from the children, the tias, and the staff of Ninos con Valor. As excited as I am to go home, I miss them already, and feel this weird, empty void. The kids of NCV have taught me so much--undying love, endless compassion, true bravery, unconditional love and joy, and helped me reach a new understanding of my religion. I can't imagine my life without this experience, as I have been changed forever. Thank you to the wonderful kids, and the amazing tias and the staff for the most wonderful memories.

Yesterday, we left Cochabamba in the morning, and it was sad looking out the window at the familiar scenery--barking street dogs, women washing clothes and cooking street food, children walking to and from school in their "guardapolvos" (White coats worn to school), and remembering the amazingly beautiful smiles of the NCV kids that have been burned into my mind, my heart, and my soul.

The girls who have school in the afternoon and the boys at the airport with me--what a wonderful surprise!

We arrived at the airport, and I was trying to push down the feelings of sadness while talking to the airline check-in desk. I turned around, and saw Celia, one of my good friends, and a tia at Corazon del Pastor (The girls' home). She talked to me as I walked to pay our airport taxes. As I turned around, I saw the girls and boys walking in holding hands and carrying signs. I started to cry, since I thought I had seen their beautiful faces for the last time the previous day. We spent some time chatting and taking pictures, and I dreaded when the time came to enter the "boarding room." Giving them hugs and kisses, and having them whisper, "Tia, don't leave," broke my heart. These kids have been my little siblings, brought so much laughter, love, and joy to my life, and taught me lessons of the heart over the past two-and-a-half years. However, despite the sadness, it was so wonderful to see their faces and give them hugs one last time. It was just as difficult to say goodbye to the tias--they have become my friends, invited me to holidays and family parties, and helped me with my Spanish and understanding the Bolivian culture. A few of the tias had tears streaming down their faces, and made me promise to return soon.

We arrived in La Paz, and took it easy, as the altitude had affected all of us. After dinner, I called the girls' home for the last time, which was bittersweet. It was wonderful hearing their voices, but made me sad as they asked where I was, what I was doing, and exclaimed that they all missed me. However, the worst part was talking to one of the older girls--over the past 2 years, we have become good friends, and she was the first older girl to open up and share her life with me. She asked where I was and how my parents and I were doing, and as she started to say "I miss you, Tia," she began to cry--my heart literally broke. I told her how much I loved her and missed her, and we exchanged a very tearful goodbye. It was most difficult to hear her, and know I wasn't close enough to give her a hug and a shoulder to cry on.

Today was a little better than yesterday, but I still think of the kids, and tears come to my eyes. It's difficult to imagine that I'm still in the same country as the children, the tias, and the staff, but I feel like I am millions of miles away, in a whole different world. And, this makes me worry about heading home, which puts thousands more miles between us. I only hope the kids will remember me, and that I can return soon to see their smiling, happy faces, and visit the tias and the staff, who have supported me and shown me friendship and support.

Thank you to my Ninos con Valor family for everything--wonderful memories, love and joy, countless hours of laughter and smiles, friendship, etc. I will never forgot my time in Cocha, and will hold every child and every memory in my heart forever.