Embrace the awkwardness

It felt so great stepping off the plane into Nicaragua today.  My group and I are already forming a great bond.  It’s hard not too when you realize that we will be our main support system for the next two years of our lives.  We are in this together and I think that creates instant closeness and unity.  I am really excited to be here and proud to be a part of this organization.  

We have four current volunteers spending the next few days with us to answer any questions that we have.  They have been giving us great advice all day.  The best take away from a long day, “embrace the awkwardness” and “get used to being uncomfortable”.  Apparently, for at least the next few months of my life, everything is going to be awkward and uncomfortable.  And according to them, this will become normal.  So the goal is to just embrace it and accept that it’s inevitable.  So I am determined to just make light of the moments where I completely fail at communicating, get extremely sick, get stung by strange bugs, having little to no personal space, or get frustrated because I am trying to be a professional while speaking like a 3^rd grader.    

After a long and informative day, I am exhausted and finally get to check into our ‘fancy hotel’.  There seems to be a little ant problem in here, and by little I mean a big problem.  I’ve already been stung on my arm by something that felt like a needle while I was lying on my bed!  While I've been typing this entry, two more bugs crawled across my computer screen.  Dah!  Bugs, uncomfortable... Adjusting.  Cold shower... adjusting.  I feel like the ‘problems’ I will be complaining about for the first few weeks will become my new normal in no time.  I’m sure I’ll look back in a few months and think ha, were you really complaining about an ant bite and a cold shower?

To top off this eventful day, my sister’s water broke tonight!  Of course, this sent a wave of emotions through me and made me miss home already.  I am so excited, wishing I was there, sad to be missing this milestone.  Sweet baby Jack, you just had to start your entrance into the world 48 hours after I moved out of the country!  Now I already miss my family and this little beautiful boy that I won’t be able to meet until he is at least 6 months old.  I know this experience isn’t supposed to be easy.  It’s supposed to challenge us.  I guess it’s good to learn this reality on the first day.  I am going to miss important events and my family and get sad sometimes.  But my beautiful sister, brother in law, mom and Becca all squeezed their faces onto the screen while we skyped and completely made my night.  It was wonderful and I felt like I was there with them to experience this exciting time.   

Good luck tonight big sister, I can’t wait to see your sweet baby boy’s face!