Boliva Update

Hello, Hola, Sup, (insert any other greeting you like here)!!
I´m sitting in an internet cafe, and trying to focus on writing instead of just saying it out loud. Anyways, it's been a week since my last blog, and i'm so sorry! This keyboard is pretty different than the ones that i am used to, so please excuse any typos!
Yesterday we returned from Uncallamaya, a village about two hours by car aways from Rurrenabaque (where I am currently staying with the rest of the team). Very poor, cold, and not too clean, these people were opposite of their conditions. Although they were shy at first, we made a few friends, and started a game of volleybal, but we all stood in a circle. The girls and I soon realized how very loud we were, but we hammed it up. We matched my horrible volleyball skills with goofyness and soon had the whole village laughing. It was my first time ever playing volleyball, and let me just say it was SO FUN!!
The next morning, we set off throughout the village checking water filters. Surprisingly, out of the houses we were suppossed to visit, we only saw three filters. Two houses were across a flash river, so we couldn't reach them. The first house we visited didn't have a filter in site, and second one had two non-working ones. The houses had upen cracks in them, and the palapas were rotting away. It was heartbreaking, and the water was filthy, as they had not used them.
*The majority of the village was at the clinic w set up in the school house, so we couldn't talk to anyone about how to work them, except for one man who's filter was died from iron in the water, and had two cockaroaches living in there.*
Again, the heartbreaking sight of how poor these homes were was, well... shocking. We returned to the school, which is the center of their community, and ate lunch. We played one more game of voleyball, and said a sad goodbye to Uncallamaya.
This has been an amazing experience, and I can't wait for more. I'll try to write more later.
Much love,
Heather

TODAY IS THE DAY

Well, I'm leaving. Right now. My bag is pulled closed, and emotions are swelling up. I'm going to miss everyone while on my lifetime experience. Or, as my mom calls it, a "deep soul journey". I agree completely.

Don't forget that I will update as often as possible, so please keep reading! And leave comments so that I know that more that one of my amazing friends, Michaela, is reading this!

Here's the URL for the other blog: http://elpuente2010.blogspot.com/

Well, it's time to go. So many mixed emotions, it would be easier to find and sort the ingredients in a Blenders just by our tongues. OK, I'm running out the door now. Don't forget to Carpe Diem it up while I'm gone.

Bye,

Heather

Almost Gone

I leave Sunday. Today is Friday. My best friend (well, one of them) Morgan left for Cairo today. She called me from NYC at around 1:30 PM, and I miss her already! Another bestie (the first one to follow this blog), Michaela, is in Australia for the rest of the summer. And my boyfriend is at camp. I'm about to head over to my friend Christina's house, and Marandah will be there as well. Those last two are going to Bolivia with me.

Here's a URL for the team's blog in Bolivia: http://elpuente2010.blogspot.com/

Anyway, my life is getting kind of crammed, thanks to my procrastinator self. Grr, evil procrastinator! I need to pack for Bolivia. I also need to wash mom's car. ACK! I have physical therapy for my knee in, like, twenty minutes. I can't wait to get my license!

Sorry I'm really random. But please continue reading!

xoxo Heather

Preparing for Departure...

Hey ya'll. OK, so I have five days until I leave for Bolivia. I have to be at the airport at 6:30. AM. Whoopie! Then we fly to LAX, then Miami, then La Paz. Whoa, man... It's all coming so quickly!

The past few days: Friday I went to the Maritime Museum (then downtown) with Drew. Saturday... hmm... oh yeah i was really lazy and stayed in bed all day... [hello summer!] Sunday was fourth of July! WOOT! FREE COUNTRY! Anywho... oh yeah Monday: I spent most of my day downtown. Or shopping for Bolivia. We finished that shopping today. At Ross. Where I got really nice Nine West Sunglasses for like $6.

Again, five more days (four more nights) until I leave. I'm going to miss everyone, but I know that this experience will be life-changing. I can't wait to Carpe Diem it up! (Carpe Diem means Seize the Day)

More later,

xoxo Heather