It's not always sunshine and rainbows on your year abroad!

       Well, hello everyone!!!  Yes, I know it has been a long time since I made my last blog post, and yes A LOT has happened in between that time.  I'll start from where I left off last time and then fill you in on everything that has happened.  Here goes...
       One day I was going to work; walked to the plaza to take the bus (as usual) , got on the bus I always take (as usual), and started my 45 minute ride to work.  When the bus didn't turn where it was supposed to, I thought to myself, "gosh I sure am lucky today! The bus is going to drop me off closer to work!"  When the bus failed to turn at the place that would take me closer to work, I started to get a little nervous.  After a while, I called my host dad and told him I was lost and didn't know where I was or what to do.  He told me to give my phone to the bus driver so he could talk to him and explain where I needed to go.  Soooo, I awkwardly just kind of shoved the phone at the bus driver from behind and said "talk to my dad please".  I was getting really nervous and worked up, so when the bus driver started talking to me, I really couldn't understand a single word.  After a while, the bus stopped.  We were in a neighborhood type place (there was a cow next to us) and the bus driver gave me some money and told me to get off.  I was like...okkkk but I don't know where I am or where to go...am I supposed to walk?!  It was very confusing and scary.  Then all of the sudden, another bus pulled up and was headlight to headlight with the first bus.  I was standing in the middle, extremely confused as to what I was supposed to do.  I looked at the first driver and her pointed at the new bus; then I looked at the second driver and he did the "come here" motion.  I had hope and trust in the Paraguayan bus drivers and got onto the very crowded second bus.  I said "CCPA San Lorenzo por favor"
and took my standing position on the bus.  Finally, I saw a street that I recognized and got off and walked the rest of the way to work.  It was my first getting lost experience...and I think the driver went another way just because there were almost no passengers on the bus.  They just kind of do whatever they feel like. 
       My second adventure was when I was going to a party with some afs friends.  My friends from work were going to take me to my friends house but first I had to go home and get ready.  My friend Pamela came with me to my house while I got ready and then I went to the bus place to catch the bus to the university where our other friend was going to pick us up.  We went to the bus "stop" and were waiting.  It was 7 pm and we weren't sure when the last/next bus would be coming.  Then the police were coming around and Pamela asked when the next bus was coming and they said 8....they also said the neighborhood is really really dangerous and we shouldn't be waiting.there alone.. they told us that they were making rounds and would pass the university and offered to take us.  We.got.in the the car and they took us to the university.  I guess we were lucky because many people told me after that you can't trust the police and it understand isn't safe to go with them.  Luckily for us Paulo and Nestor were very nice and took us to where we needed to go.  Long story short, I made to to my friends house fine and learned not to take rides from the police in the future. 
      Now the stuff you want to hear about...my family and work change.  For reasons that will benefit my experience here in Paraguay on my gap year, I decided it would be best for me to change both my host family and work place.  I changed families of Sunday after my first orientation (which was a blast).  I am now living in a new city called Capiatá, it is a neighboring city to San Lorenzo, so I'm not terribly far from friends or Asunción.  I now have 3 sister's (2 who are twins, 19....and a younger sister who is 14) I have 2 brothers who are 21 and 27.  They love to learn words in Spanish and ask me questions.  I share a room with my twin sisters which is actually really fun.  All of our beds are in a row and we stay up really late talking and watching movies.  It's so different than anything I've ever been used to!!!  I will be starting my new job in Tuesday after the holiday.  I am working at Don Bosco, which is an international organization that sponsors children that need help.  My job will be to help kids write letters to their sponsors and then to translate the letters for their sponsors.  I also might be teaching some English, and on Saturdays just playing with the kids!  My schedule is Tuesday-Saturday 8-12.  Depending on how I feel, I might ask for more hours...because 4 isn't a lot.  But at least I'll be doing work at the new place!!!  I'm very excited to start working and to be working directly with kids.  So that's that about my move. 
       On Sunday I'm going camping with a group of people and my host sister at a place called Salto Cristal.....it looks so beautiful, I'll attach a picture and then later put my own photos up!!  I'll post more soon and tell more about how the new job is and everything that I'm doing!  Hope you enjoyed!  Stay tuned.  Besitos <3 xoxoxo