The Simple Life

I have never before been to a place where you walk down the road and say “hello” in so many ways to every single person you pass, every person who passes you, and any person who may be off of the road but outside their home. In the Northeast hardly anyone greets you let alone a random person on the street. In Georgia people are much friendlier but even in the small towns I’ve been to I have never observed the people greeting every person who they passed.

Greetings and good-byes here go on for a while. I mean who can blame them. Salvadorans are friendly people and when you have as many words for hello and goodbye as they do, you want to use them…All. The list I have compiled consists of:

For hey and in passing:

Hola

Adios

Que tal?

Como esta

Vaya

Salud

Vaya Pues

Que le vaya bien

Ciao

Adios Pues

I am sure I am missing a few but you get the point. I mean even I get excited to see people as I walk along the road here several times a week so I can use this wide range of vocabulary. And when you say one of these it warrants a response like “gracias” or another in the list and so you continue to talk even after passing. I love this. Yes Santa Clara is a very small town with close to of 1300 people and regardless of friendships, enemies, and all the in between everyone is friendly.

Sidenote: Ember, Sivia’s 5 year old son who is now our buddy has just come out of our room holding a rooster by its feet up in the air looking proud. It was hilarious! He was so proud because all afternoon that damn rooster has been in our room getting stuck behind the tv. So after watching us chase it out a few times, Ember took on the task for us and has been awesome. He just now walked toward me with the rooster in hand and then threw it up in the air in the other direction! The stupid thing ran like hell! Earlier Ember also plucked a bunch of feathers out of it and emerged from our room with a smile saying “plumas”! So cute!

We have officially been here for 4 weeks now! I cannot even believe it. Like I have mentioned before time is so strange here but 4 weeks is so much. Kayla and I were just talking tonight about how we have not really been homesick thus far but we sometimes just want to spend one evening back in the states and then come back. For me it’s to have a fun night out and sleep in my lovely bed. I miss the fun nights out or in with my friends’ family in DC. I do look forward to a trip home to see some family especially to GA. My country music is making me miss GA. Oh and how I want to skype with my sister but an in-person visit will be so much better! This coming weekend a group of a few of my best friends is converging on DC for 1 epic night. This is what I miss, the excitement, the dancing, the hilarious stories, the Cactus pitchers, and the photos the next day! Yet while I miss these things I also don’t in some ways because I know that when I return I can still have and partake in the things I miss with the people I love. ES is a nice break or pause from the fast pace of DC life. So all in all I miss you all and I expect a Cactus night when I return and ya’ll return as well!

I will leave you with a few thoughts..

When you hover to use the bathroom, you should acknowledge the awesome skills you have

When in ES greeting someone with “you look fatter than last time I saw you” is not offensive

When you jam out, Corey Smith is THE MAN in all countries

When you work out do not put your arms in chicken shit while doing planks…it smells

When you don’t drink alcohol for a while, 2 glasses of wine makes you way tipsy during dinner

When you meet a creeper, a creeper is always a creeper

When in ES, POINTS are not the same, in fact you never know when you are earning them because Gringas are unheard of so you get stares no matter what…No worries I am def letting the Points add up and get to my head!

20 days until my birthday!!! And no worries to those who know how much I LOVE the time change. ES does not change time at all so I am now 2 hours behind East Coast time now. I will be returning to the US on May 5th...just when HS is in full swing!!!

Nicoley

JLS…you got it girl! I want a call from you soon:)