New Beginnings!

On the 6th of December 2013, I swore out of Peace Corps Paraguay and became a RPCV! WOO HOO!   After the ceremony, I went out with my best friend, Miss Paraguay, Hannah N. Johnson.  We went out  to lunch and then brought in my next week in Paraguay with a toast and a last day together in the big Ol’ city of Asunción.  I went on to Cerrito to spend the week with my Cerrito family and to go out with friends and family as you saw in the previous blog.  The minutes were long, but the days were short. It was mentally taxing trying to express myself in a second language.

Before I knew it I was waking up after the last block party to the chirps of Paraguayan cicadas and the moon shining brightly at 3 am to catch the first leaving Chaqueña. There was no electricity or water, so  I took two last city buses all the way to the airport with my host sister Mirna and niece Milena.  We brushed our teeth at the public restroom and refreshed our faces and said our last good byes. We met up with Hannah and Gladys’ family and off I went to the sweet mother land all by myself.

I was given many beautiful heart warming letters to accompany me on the way to America making me bawl the whole way home.

Rio Paraguay

I landed in LAX to the sweet embrace of my Uncle Louis! The next day I went to San Francisco to meet up with my uncle Tinh and his wife aunt Viet to begin our road trip to Seattle, Washington!

Enjoy the highlights of the trip in my new blog soon to make its appearance in the upcoming weeks! I thank you from the bottom of my heart for going on this adventure with me! I have learned that it is never fun alone and you made it possible for the trip to be soo enjoyable!

The name of the Poem below is called “Two in the Campagna” written by Robert Browning an English poet.  Campagna is a small town just outside of Rome, but the title reminds me of the spanish word  “Campaña” meaning country side.  It was a complimentary  poem in the first chocolate bar I bought myself in America! Enjoy this Love Poem that so beautifully describes my feelings for Paraguay.

The champaign with its endless fleece
Of feathery grasses everywhere!
Silence and passion, joy and peace,
An everlasting wash of air-
Rome’s ghost since her decease.

Such life here, through such lengths of hours,
Such miracles performed in play,
Such primal naked forms of flowers,
Such letting nature have her way
While heaven looks from its towers!

How say you? Let us, O my dove,
Let us be unashamed of soul,
As earth lies bare to heaven above!
How is it under our control
To love or not to love?

To LOVE!

I end this Blog with the notion that Love wins all.  And that I am certain.

With All my love,

Michelle J. Lam