I´ve been in Bolivia for over 48 hours now. While the culture is not too different from my home culture of Venezuela, I definitely have noticed that I have become quite americanized and that makes me stand out, besides the fact that I have a Venezuelan accent when I speak spanish and also that I am significantly lighter than the majority of the population here. For example, it is customary in the states to allow whoever arrives first in line to partake first in whatever event/transaction/ordeal before those who have arrived later, it´s politeness. However here everyone rushes to the front of the line regardless of whether they arrived first or last, and several times I´ve been left at the back of the line after arriving first. No matter, I am in no rush. My host mother treats me quite well and makes a lot of wondeful food, but I am still a bit queasy in the stomach and have the need to vomit the majority of the day, I think it´s altitude sickness. My placement is actually in the mountain, and I went there for the first time today. I felt incredibly lightheaded and short of breath, but within a week I should be fine and good to go I believe. I really want to try the streat food but after getting worms and food poisoning a couple times from eating street food in Venezuela, I think that for now I will avoid doing so until I see my advisors actually recommending that I try specific stores. Overall, I believe I am adjusting well and that this will be a good summer, I just have to make sure not to let my shyness get the best of me and put myself out there to help during my time with the Nutrition Project.

In two days, I will be hopping onto a plane to Cochabamba. I’m feeling a mix of excitement and terror for this experience. Excitement to be in something completely new. Terror that, in fact, it is something completely new (ish). I am trying to go in without expectations, but quite frankly there are a few expectations I cannot discard. I expect it to be overwhelming, awkward, and stiff for at least the first 10 days of me being there with both my host family and my project. I expect that my project will scare the living daylights out of me in the beginning, as I am still learning how to work with children, and patience is a virtue I am still developing. I believe that my role as an outsider/volunteer/Loewenstern fellow is to come in with an open mind and set myself to work where I am shown to be needed, not on extraneous projects I believe will benefit the community. I believe it will take quire a lot of listening, compassion, and selfless-ness to make the greatest impact and get the most out of my experience.