proud home-owner :)

11/8/2010
Hello, hello… it’s been a while. The past month has been a whirlwind of housework, terere, and project planning. Biggest news is that I finally moved into my house and I am in fact lying in my very own bed, not feeling bad about using my laptop or the internet because I am completely and totally alone, free of Paraguayans. Not that Paraguayans are bad of course, but it feels awfully nice to be in a place that I can now call home. Tonight will be my first night in Paraguay alone… after 6 whole months! I reached the 6 month marker which is crazy to think I’ve been gone for half a year already. Do you guys miss me yet?
So, I’m really achy. Housework is hard and I’ve been doing it for 2 whole weeks now. It took a lot to get this house “liveable”. It was a mess, but now it is beautiful! I have become a professional painter (I painted my room light purple!), a handy-woman (I brought light into my kitchen!), a gardener (I made my plant beds and started planting all kinds of goodies), annnnnd a cleaning lady (I spent at least a solid week just cleaning). I finished up some last odds and ends in my bedroom and moved all my stuff here. I now have at least double of what I came with thanks to packages from home! Pictures are up, bed is comfy, and everything is in place! I love it. As for the kitchen, eh… it could be better, but I’m waiting for my refrigerator and gas tank. Once those come, I’ll be able to start cooking and then I’ll become a chef as well. While preparing this house, I was frustrated, mad that only Sandra and my 8 yr old buddy were helping me, and tired of killing cockroaches and spiders. But now, after all my hard work, I’m so proud and happy. Obviously this is only my first night and a lot of things could still go wrong, like leaks in the ceiling which I’m pretty sure exist, but for now, I am very content and can definitely see myself living here for two years. I also have a lot of older neighbors who have invited me over for terere, mate, and fruit whenever I want to. They only speak guarani, so it will push me to continue learning even though it would be so easy to quit and give up because it is possible to get by with only Spanish, depending on the person.
So anyway—after a few scrapes, bruises, nasty surprises in dark corners, and paint-stained hands, I am officially a first time house-owner. 