Ok so I do´n't have my camera with me and that is bugging me because I can't add any of the beautiful pictures I took while hiking around the hills in northern Morazan last weekend. I was there to celebrate Angie's birthday which happens to be on the same day as my father, his two sisters and one of my cousins. That is a lot of people for one day, but it makes it easy to remember. Anyway, so a bunch of us descended upon Angie's site and crashed in a hotel for two nights while we hung out and hiked aound. I have to admit she got a beautiful area. She lives way up in the hills near Honduras and from looking around you would forget you are in El Salvador. Everything is Pine and Oak and it reminded me quite a bit of the higher areas in California like Yosemite and Tahoe. Its also fairly cool, which was a big surprise seeing as how its El Sal and all. But alas I don't have my camera with me so none of you can see these lovely photos and bask in what I am describing.

On the home front I've paid for a house for this month, which solves the issue of finding a house. Unfortunately simply having a house opens many more issues, like buying a bed and other such necessities as well as the little things you never think about needing. For example, I now am set out on the task of acquiring various sizes of guacals, enough dishes for myself and maybe a guest or two, some cleaning items, various hardware items like lightbulbs and whatever else comes up. Its more work than I thought, but its something to do. It gave me an excellent excuse to run of to the closest city and I plan to spend the day here.

I am personally torn about how I feel to be going to the States for Elie's wedding. Of course I want to see my family. And of course I want to get some much needed items while I am in the States. The problem is that I don't know how I am going to handle being in the US again after so short a time and knowing that I will have to come back here. I mean I am just now getting used to life here and this may soil that. In addition I feel just a tad guilty for leaving my site and flying off so early in my service, I mean its not usually done, but its for a good reason and I gave lots of warning. I know I shouldn't feel too bad because my Alcalde will be out of town too, but I am leaving on independence day. That could mean horrible flying conditions or an open airport, I am hoping for the latter. Either way it is what it is. That leaves me trying to figure out what to pack and how to get to the airport by bus.

I am still just sorta tagging along on the various tasks that the social promoters currently have going, but now I am starting to have a little more input and I am actually being invited for various tasks not just asked where I think I want to go. I am looking forward to the time after I get back from the wedding because the promoters will be changing their focus from the Civil Protection Committees back to ADESCOs and they want me to help them build a curriculum to teach the boards leadership. And they have plans to continue educating these boards afterwards, so I will most likely help develope future topics and curriculums as well. Additionally I need to do my entry into site event, which is basically a charla to community leaders explaining who I am and what I can do, then inviting them to do the same. That should get my face out there a little more and introduce me to some new people in my town. I don't need to do it yet, but now that I am settling and my personal needs are getting covered, I figure the sooner the better.

For my brother who is very impatient, you should know that in order to update my blog I need to find a good bit of time and an internet cafe. The two at the same time are hard to come by and for the most part I plan to update whenever I am in one of the cities here, which I am hoping to do once a week, but it may be less. I also may be able to find an hour here or there at a closer internet cafe if I can't make it to a city every week. But the point is that internet is a rarity here and I've gotta find time to travel to somewhere that has it. Also to my brother, thanks for taking care of stuff for me while I am gone.