IT

IT's coming down. I don't know who decided for IT to come down, but it is. Sometimes IT's coming in flutters and sometimes IT's coming in droves. There seems to be a lot of dodging but that just makes people look a little ridiculous because there's no dodging IT. Tall people, short people, fat people, children, old men, gaggles of women, classes on field trips, lawyers, real estate agents, shoppers, homeless, dogs, birds; no one can avoid IT. "Stay at home", they say. "Take advantage", say others. 

I'm inside where IT can't get to me, but eventually I'll have to be brave and go outside.

Ironically, I try to take a picture of IT to send to my husband, who has yet to experience this phenomenon. Then I try to take video. IT foils my attempts each time. And yet, I see IT piling up outside. The cars are furtively trying to navigate through IT. It's almost like they, too, don't want to be outside in the thick of IT. They sit so patiently, waiting for their owners to come and move them to a garage, or a shed at the very least. But we take them for granted and leave them out, alone or in groups, to brave IT all by themselves. And brave they are.

All the while, IT's piling up. I'm watching from my desk. IT's so beautiful, so entrancing, so terrifying, so intimidating. I know my time is clicking down... 13 more minutes until I leave the office and go into IT.

12 minutes....

On my computer I've been playing "Gipsy Kings Radio" on Pandora all day, failing in my attempts to pretend I'm in the Caribbean or at least Mexico on a tropical day, even though I've got a sweater on. Some don't seem so daunted by IT, though and just shrug it off. This guy just pulled up in his car. He gets out and I realize he has a T-shirt on. A T-SHIRT! He throws on his red leather jacket, flips the collars one time, zips it up so smoothly, adjust his cap and slams the door. Beep Beep. And he's off. Just like that in IT. I shake my head. Well, I guess I could be making a bigger deal out of IT than I should. IT's easing off anyways.

I may have to move. IT must have heard me thinking about the tapering off. Now IT's coming in droves again!

Oh well, IT's just snow.

A Taste of My Most Recent Year of Life

My father and mother. Their smiles and love are truly represented here. Wonderful parents!

My brothers and I. Although I am the oldest, I am also the shortest.

One of my friends who has not only been a support to me but also flew her and her daughter to my wedding.

Mehendi on my hand and my mom's.

Mehendi on my feet... don't mind the yellow skin tone. I had been dyed to ward off evil spirits.

My husband and I, mere minutes after getting married. Happy and exhausted all at the same time.

Just one of those days sitting at home in the hammock.

My husband and I off to mandir.

My true blue friends while in Guyana. Two of whom I served in the Peace Corps with and one of whom joined our little circle of White Guyanese Girls!

Yeah, I know...cats! These lively and funny creatures kept me company every day and grew to be just one of the many loves I had while at home in Guyana.

My older nieces in law. We spent a lot of time goofing around and being creative. Sweet, smart and beautiful, they are true lights in our lives.

The baby of the nieces! Just turning three soon and already a social butterfly (just like her Aunt) and growing more intelligent by the second.

My nieces in law and their granny (AKA My Mother in Law). They all look radiant here on their way to a Diwali celebration.

These are only some of the photos of selected moments in time over the past year. They represent important people and memories I want to capture eternally and they remind me of so many other memories, tangent memories if you will. 

The last year of my life has been a roller coaster to say the least. It started when I came home from a nearly 4 1/2 year service with the Peace Corps in Guyana South America in May of 2013 and has come full circle to my return to the States in, you guessed it, May 2014. I had a mere three months to gather my family and friends and ask them to help me plan my wedding, decompress from my time as both a PCV (Peace Corps Volunteer) and a Response PCV, visit with people and do as many American things as possible before my return to Guyana as a soon-to-be-married-woman. It wasn't easy. It was full of emotion, confusion, frustration, tears (both happy and sad) and purchases. I'd say the months before getting married were the most hectic and stressful (and I think I'm not the first to say that either). 

Upon my return, I was in PC (Peace Corps) mode and had to stop myself from behaving so because I wasn't a volunteer anymore. I was a regular Joe Shmoe out in the real world and on my own. My wedding was the main focus and getting there was like a snail-creep, or so it seemed. It snuck up on me in the middle of the night and was right in my face the next minute! The time had come! My family and friends flew in and were mashed with the Guyanese family and friends (and might I commend them, they were amazing!). Time flew and suddenly, I had gotten married. WOW!

After the wedding and celebrations died down (oh, only three weeks worth) it was real life that slapped both my husband and I in the face. Could we do this? Look at how different we were! How are we going to go about being married? What did you say and what does it mean again? We have to do what? Ohmygosh! Needless to say, we have stuck it out and are close approaching our 1st year anniversary and although we are currently living on different continents and in different time zones (I'll explain in a later post), we are still going strong. 

So, CHEERS! to making it through a year termed "The Crazy Fly-By" and only looking onward to more adventures!

Welcome!

Although I am not new at blogging, it has been a while since I was active. I first created a blog before I left to go to the Peace Corps in order to chronicle my experiences for the duration of my service, but I soon found that my lack of internet availability and access hindered my input time and quickly affected my motivation to continue writing on the blog. My adventures as Peace Corps Volunteer are over and I am now onto a new chapter in my life, hence the new blog.

As I move on in life to bigger adventures, harder challenges and new beginnings (as well as endings), I have a new-found sense of purpose to start my blogging again. Although no one can know what is in store for our futures, I hope to keep this blogging up as a way to chronicle my thoughts and experiences. Who knows, maybe this will be a beacon of light for someone else or a way to connect with others in similar positions. Either way, I hope each of you readers enjoy my blog!