I’m Back Blog World! Personal update :D
I’m in the process of revamping my website, stay tuned for updates! Now that I have finished my Peace Corps service, I’m continuing blogging post-Peace Corps about my adventures, reflections, political and … Continue reading
Galapagos Tour Guide on a Budget: $600 to 900
Galapagos is an AMAZING UNFORGETTABLE ADVENTURE! it is a must for any nature and wildlife explorer backpacker’s bucketlist! I will focus on how you can go to Galapagos, Ecuador cheap the way … Continue reading
SUCCESSFULLY FINISHED MY PEACE CORPS SERVICE!! BACK IN THE USA!!
Just arrived home in the USA!! Ya llegue a EEUU!! (Mira abajo para Español) Two years with the Peace Corps in Paraguay is officially done! Made it back home. Can’t … Continue reading
Close of Service Conference with G42! What does it mean to be a member of a Peace Corps G?
We had a Close of Service (COS) Conference about a week ago, although that is not our official end of service (will be August 7th), it was an informative meeting … Continue reading
Appreciate Everything Always
I saw this moving story from Humans of New York´s (HONY) Facebook page that hit true to home. Made me think we must always appreciate everything always every moment of life … Continue reading
The Typical Cycle of Feelings of a Volunteer During 2 yrs of Service – Ups and Downs, More Ups!
I first saw the graph of “The Cycle of Vulnerability and Adjustment” during training, and I didn’t quite know how true it would be, but as I’m approaching my end of … Continue reading
Peace Corps/Caveman Diet! Where I’m at
At least I’ve lost 6 pounds in Paraugay since Christmas and the holidays after putting on quite a bit in my trip back to the USA (thanks Five Guys and … Continue reading
HeForShe Campaign on the Ground!
I had a great day getting friends at my site to sign up for the HeForShe United Nations campaign! The campaign is based on grassroots efforts and social media outreach to … Continue reading
Our 4th JOPA Leadership camp! One more to go!
The youth group in my site, Jóvenes Por Caazapá (JOCA) and I went to this great bi-annual leadership camp, Jóvenes Por Paraguay (JOPA), a Peace Corps national initiative, in January. … Continue reading
HeForShe Paraguay! An United Nations-Peace Corps Initiative
Everyone please LIKE our FB page HeForShe PCPY. Sign the pledge at http://www.heforshe.org to support gender equailty! HeForShe is a solidarity movement for gender equality that brings together one half … Continue reading
I got my personalized terere equipo!!
Mi equipo nuevo de terere com mi nombre y trabajo Cuerpo de Paz o Peace Corps en ingles y el logo!! Tambien tiene el grupo de Volutarios que soy parte, … Continue reading
Countdown clock to my end of service!
I´m loving my Peace Corps experience but just fyi, I got 6 months left to the end of my service! See this live countdown clock down to the days and … Continue reading
Logo Development for Youth For Caazapá
I made this logo below using Adobe Illustrator with a community youth development organization I’m guiding, Youth For Caazapá or Jóvenes Por Caazapá (JOCA), that some friends and I started in my … Continue reading
Meeting the President of Paraguay, Horacio Cartes!!!
Meeting and having a laugh with the President of the Republic of Paraguay, Horacio Cartes!!!! Along with the Governor of Caazapa, Avelino Dávalos Estigarribia!! I met him at the business … Continue reading
Hakueterei, what a hot summer! Is Paraguay the hottest place on Earth?
Haku!! Guarani for hot, or hakueterei, it’s so hot or the hottest, are the words you hear most all year round especially during December to February, the PY summer. Overall throughout … Continue reading
Happy New Year and Merry Christmas!! In Guarani!
As Paraguay is a bilingual country with Guarani and Spanish, this is how you can ring in the holiday spirit in both languages. Terevy’aite ko ary pyahupe!!! Feliz año nuevo!! … Continue reading
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!
I thank God, family and friends for everything, can’t do it without the support and love. :0) I’m thankful for the great people of Paraguay and the amazing staff and … Continue reading
Beautiful PY hills and German Beerfest! -A brief historical look on immigration to Paraguay
Here I stand behind beautiful Paraguayan hills in Colonia Independencia, a town with strong German influence and culture as many Germans have crossed the Atlantic to immigrate here. This town is just a … Continue reading
These Mark Zuckerberg’s quotes are great for my business clients/students!
Very inspiring and true! I have used these quotes to help motivate the youth small business owners that I help here. “In a world that’s changing really quickly, the only … Continue reading
The importance of small community social interactions VS Digital relationships
This article from NPR.org is very true! Something I have learned being in PY in my small town/pueblo! Forget Facebook, Abandon Instagram, Move To A Village “We need to recognize … Continue reading
Giving three new English classes this spring! Clase de ingles!
Hello todos! Tengo 3 nuevo clases de ingles en Caazapá! Mira los afiches aqui para mas infomacion! Todo gratis, empieza en 2 semenas, plazas limitados! Seran 2 clases en la … Continue reading
Spring!
Its almost spring time in Paraguay! These beautiful flowers are starting to come out now :0) Spring starts at the end of Sept.!
Country life!
Visited Tajy for the day, a small very rural town a few miles outside Caazapá.
Fun Caazapá weekend!
Bueno fin de semena en Caazapá! Fun Caazapá weekend, awesome pork bbq and got to meet two great former Peace Corps Volunteers from about 15 yrs ago from San Josemi, … Continue reading
Winter weather, up and down
Nice weather today, although I still don’t understand PY winter, one day it feels like 15 degrees and now it feels like the summer at 84 degrees, ha.
Paraguay Emprende National Workshop!!!
FELICIDADES PARA LOS ESTUIDENTES DE CAAZAPA QUE FUERON AL TALLER DE PARAGUAY EMPRENDE!!! Fabiana Cardozo, Shirley Zoraida Bogado Martinez, David Rivas Ullon, y Cesar Davalos!!!!! Era un experience ESPECTULAR compartir … Continue reading
Vacation in Brazil!
As Paraguay is the “heart of South America”, we Volunteers are lucky to be able to travel all over SA! PY borders Brazil to its east, Argentina to its south, … Continue reading
Getting mandarines from my backyard tree! Eating healthier and more natural in PY!
Ran out of food in my fridge so usually in the US I would drive over to the nearest McDonalds for the $1 menu or stretch over for a bag … Continue reading
At the Peace Corps office in Paraguay! Oficina del Cuerpo de Paz en PY!
VIVA PARAGUAY!! Happy Independence Day Paraguay!!!
Happy Independence Day Paraguay!!! In the annual Caazapá parade! Great time!!! Feliz Dia de Indepedencia Paraguay!!! En la desfiela de Caazapá!
With my 1 yr work anniversary May 30th, I updated my resume to show my Peace Corps service! Every bright PYan smile along the way has made it more than worth it!!
With my 1 year anniversary with the Peace Corps approaching on May 30th, I’ve updated my resume with my work! I’ve not included everything, and I’ll still have to perfect … Continue reading
How I lost 40 lbs? Eating healthier in Paraguay! Dieting with natural fresh food, cooking at home, no fast food, and daily regular exercise
For not knowing how to cook, and hardly ever making a salad before, I just made a pretty good salad for dinner! With cabbage, tomato, bell pepper, apple, carrot, onions, … Continue reading
Traditional Paraguayan foods for Holy Week and the most typical PY dishes
Happy Holy Week, almost Easter! Having great traditional Paraguayan food all week in Caazapá! Feliz Semena Santa! Todo la chipa y sopa es muuuy rico!! The round shaped food is … Continue reading
27 things you’ll miss about the USA when aboard!
Check out this funny article from the Huffington Post, 27 Thing You’ll Miss About America When You’re Aboard, very accurate!! Haha I miss the US so much! Sometimes the little … Continue reading
Forming the new group Youth For Caazapá – Jóvenes Por Caazapá, about youth leadership in PY and our first GB meeting of the year!
We had our first general body meeting of the year this past week to start planning our events, went great! This is the flyer and logo I helped them make … Continue reading
Countdown to one year!
So I’ve got abouttt 1 yr 3 months left in Paraguay with the Peace Corps! Almost at the one year mark…then it will start going downhill quickly! In abouuut 1 … Continue reading
Youth For Caazapá! Jóvenes Por Caazapá!
Danos un ME GUSTA porfa! =D http://www.facebook.com/jovenesporcaazapa Give us a LIKE please! This is a new youth group I’m helping start as a Peace Corps Volunteer, Youth for Caazapa! JOCA … Continue reading
Wow my Peace Corps blog has reached all over the world!!! Haha :D
According to stats on my blog, 23 countries (I assume by seeing where the IP address is from) have viewed my blog, with an all-time of 757 views from 371 … Continue reading
Love this quote!
“Nunca volveres esta en tu casa completmente de nuevo por que un parte de tu corazon estare siempre en otro lugar. Eso es el precio que pagas por la riqueza … Continue reading
First day teaching my business plan class in PY!
Exitosa primera clase de negocios, “Construye Tus Sueños” en la Coopertiva Ycua Bolaños. Tuve 100 estudiantes entre los dos horarios! 😛 Had a great first day of teaching my business … Continue reading
I’m teaching two new English classes!
Hello, how are you? What’s up?? Voy ensiar dos nuevo clases de ingles! Cada miercoles en la Gobernacion y cada viernes en UTIC emepzando la primera semena de april, inscribite … Continue reading
On the PY radio!
I was on the local Paraguayan radio channel in Caazapá a few days ago promoting my business class/consulting program I’m doing with the Peace Corps “Build Your Dreams” on Yeruti … Continue reading
G42!!! My Peace Corps Paraguay group I’m part of. During Project Management training! =D
Starting to teach my new business plan class, ”Build Your Dreams”, March 10th! – Clase de Plan de Negoció, “Construyo Tus Sueños”!
My new class will help youth start up their own business by learning how to make their own business plans. After the class, there is a national business plan competition … Continue reading
Small business consulting two tomato farmers Edgar and Giovanni with Paraguay Emprende in Paraguay!
Since last August , I’ve been small business consulting two farmers Edgar Ojeda and Giovanni Bogado as part of a national Peace Corps initiative, Paraguay Emprende. I’ve been helping my friend Giovanni … Continue reading
Giving certificates to my English students who finished my course!
Finished up my English course! Was a great secondary project to do, beside my business projects, because it was an excellent way for me to meet new people, integrate into … Continue reading
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Paraguay!!
In the picture below, we did a nativity play all in Guarani during my Peace Corps re-connect training! I was one of the three kings! 😀 As almost all of … Continue reading
Why is teaching English important development work? – And giving my English final exam to my students today!
Gave my final exam for my English class (as an oral interview) today in the governorship, everyone passed! It was the last day of class too! It was an excellent … Continue reading
15,000 hectares of oranges threatened by HLB (Huanglongbing) disease
Here is an interesting important article about the typical challenges agricultural farmers face in Paraguay. I need to stay updated with current news to keep the clients that I consult … Continue reading
Having to hand wash and dry laundry
So for the first in my life, I need to hand wash my laundry here in Paraguay. Ha. It really isn’t too difficult or time consuming though, takes me about … Continue reading
Countdown!
Wow, I’ve been in Paraguay 6 months already! Been loving everything about it! Given that my service is a total of 26 months basically, I have 1 year and 8 … Continue reading
Halloween in Paraguay and promoting leadership and creativity!
Halloween was an excellent opportunity to have a cultural exchange of American traditions. It also was a great way to encourage leadership and creativity among the youth by helping them … Continue reading
UNVES Interfacultades Torneo!
UNVES is a local university of the Dept. of Caazapa where I teach business to 70 freshman students! Ha. Last week, they had a regional intra-campus soccer/vollyball/handball tournament/beauty contest/pep rally … Continue reading
Caazapá Youth Festival for the Dia de Jueventud!
A few weeks ago, I went to this fun festival with concerts and a parade for the Dia de Jueventud (Day of the Youth- a national holiday in Paraguay) and … Continue reading
My Peace Corps English class started this past Thursday- MI CURSO DE INGLES!
My Peace Corps English class just started this past Thursday! In the governorship building/gobernacion- Already pretty much all filled, got 90 students =D ESTAN LISTOS PARA EL CURSO DE INGLES? … Continue reading
3rd blog post! Work at the agricultural micro lending credit unions and teaching English this week!
In this post, I’ll give a snapshot of some of the work from the past week at the local credit unions (or here know as financial ”cooperativas” or ”coops”), the … Continue reading
2nd blog post! Summary of my 2 month training in Paraguay! NEW UPDATE: Come back every Monday for a new blog posts!
Here are a few collages of pictures from our training! Training was a very fun, dynamic, participatory, informative process of learning how to be Community Economic Development Volunteers. Training started … Continue reading
My first blog post! New blog posts every Monday, come back! Thanks for visiting!
The goal of this website is to share the experience of serving in the Peace Corps in Paraguay with the world! Please share any comments, questions, ideas, jokes or anything … Continue reading
