aproveche

A month ago, I was having dinner with my friend Connie (also a PCV and my personal lifesaver). We were talking about how life felt after one year and we both felt as though we hadn't accomplished much in PC terms. When a bunch of PCVs are put together, things tend to get a little negative. It's difficult because we are looking at the small scale rather than the big picture, only because our day to day life gives us so much free time that sometimes we have nothing to do but think and ignore the big picture. The statement I remember best from that dinner was when she said, "Maybe we're building character right now even though we feel as though we're doing nothing".

Flash forward to Friday the 13th. There were no classes at the grade school and some of the 6th graders asked me to go to the river with them. (From what I can tell, the river has no name, it is just always referred to as "the river".) There were classes at the colegio but since most of the teachers weren't there and classes were going to end at 11 am....

Williams was supposed to be in classes but he came too. I said my requisite, "Shouldn't you be in school?" But none of his teachers were there anyway, so he'd just be sitting around until 11 am. (have I justified his deliquincey yet? and my acceptance of it?) "How did you get out of colegio?", I ask him. "I'm all that." (that's how I'll translate the phrase, "Soy completo compai")

At the river there is a huge rock that's about 8 ft high and Williams and some of the girls were jumping off the rock into the river. The spot they were jumping into was about 6 feet deep but they were carried to a more shallow part of the river by the current. I wanted to jump was really scared.

Scared of what? The unknown? That I might get hurt? That I may drown? The height?

The unknown? A year ago, Honduras was the unknown, yet I had no problem jumping then. For me, the unknown is the most exciting part. (which is why I am all about the chase but have no idea what to do if I actually get the guy!)

That I might get hurt? For the time being, no amount of physical pain will ever compare to how I felt after Nikolai left me.

That I may drown? A little bit.

The height? Tambien.

Uno, dos, tres....ya!

Williams said after, "See? You need to trust me."

Not a big deal when I look back on it but all the fears that ran through my mind, the terror, the adrenlaine...that made the first one really good. There's nothing like the first time. For everything. That jump was so amazing.

I think I built a little character on that jump too. And if not, it was fun.