We have spent the past 2 weeks orienting to our new town and our new home! With Davie and Sarah (current volunteers) as our fearless leaders, we have learned so much that will help us in transitioning and our 2 years in San Nicolas. Between meeting people that they have worked with, friends in town (and outside of town!) and learning the basics of how to turn on the water, how to care for the myriad of fruit trees and plants in our backyard, and how to navigate new cultural norms we feel well prepared for our next two years here. We also have been able just to sit and talk with Davie and Sarah about their experiences here and some of our expectations, fears and hopes. It’s been great to reconnect after going to Goshen College together and feel like we have trusted friends and co-volunteers to skype/call/text if we have questions or concerns. We have so appreciated this transition period and are so thankful to Davie and Sarah for the insights they have provided. They allowed us to move into their house on Wednesday so that we could overlap a few days in the house and learn as much as we could. We loved our host family and the time we were able to get to know them and practice our Spanish, but we are also very excited to get settled into our own space and routines. Davie and Sarah will leave on Monday for the next adventure and will be returning to the states. (Eek! We’ll be on our own!)
We are excited at the prospects of relationship building and work to be done in this town. San Nicolas is a beautiful town with some of the friendliest people! A place we will definitely enjoy making friends and building relationships.
Here are a few pictures of our time orienting to our town and work:
Some of the views as we drove into town
Working in the Kitchen—cooking together
The entrance to our new home! Davie and Sarah on the left.
Cleaning carrots at La Garnacha, our Thursdays will most likely be spent cleaning veggies to get ready for the Farmer’s Market on Fridays in Esteli
More views from La Garnacha
Orientation to the bus: Kyle’s legs don’t fit!
Friday at the Farmer’s Market in Esteli
Despedida y Bienvenidos (Good-bye and Welcome party!)
Davie and Sarah know how to throw a good party!
Volunteer Twins!
Our walk/ride to La Garnacha (about 3 km)
Kyle Stretching in the middle of the road…weird gringo alert!
Another despedida at La Garnacha
(I hate good-byes—even if they aren’t my own!)
Two AWESOME volunteers with their favorite—Chincharones!! (yet to be cooked)…We have big shoes to fill.
Davie and Sarah have also blogged some about our time together (with maybe some more coming) and have some wonderful pictures on their blog, check it out here:
Thanks Davie and Sarah (and VMM) for an AWESOME orientation period. We have enjoyed getting to know you better and look forward to seeing you in Nicaragua when you come back to check on us 
House tour coming soon!
Love,
Alli+Kyle
Kyle will quickly get a headache if he doesn't duck when he goes in the house. Thanks for sharing the pictures. Looks beautiful!
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