I´m still here! Sorry I haven´t been too faithful to updating my blog. Things down here are still going well, we have Reconnect coming up in a few weeks. Hard to believe we´ve already been in country six months and at site for four! I will be helping finish some composting toilets in the surrounding communities this coming week and hopefully helping a community with their failed community bank. I´ve successfully become a guide for the caves so that is exciting! Now when I wear my shirt that says ´guia´on the back, I´m not just pretending! The other volunteers in Tena cluster have had visitors in and out all month so its exciting to get some people from the states (although none of YOU have come!!). My puppy has grown so much in the last few weeks and continues to run the chickens out of the yard. I have discovered that there are rats that like to play in my kitchen at night so I might conseguir a cat! We´ll see. It is definitely more exciting to have pets around when you live alone but I´m sure my neighbors probably think I´m nuts. Luis finished installing my shower and water for my washing rock so that is super helpful. He´s going to build me a better shower later in the year so maybe I will have hot water (just in time for the fam!) Buy your plane tickets people, I need visitors! (fotos: tena girls during sarah´s visit, pet snake at caves, tena cluster and family go to the caves)

Hello all, I am still alive. I moved into my new house and got a puppy, nina. ´Nina´is a Kichwa word which means fuego in Spanish and fire in English. She is super cute and was rescued from the street. We had a busy weekend here because it was a holiday weekend and school starts back soon, so lots of tourists at the caves! I am the new member of Peace Corps Ecuador´s Gender and Development committee so I am excited to start working with them. I have attached some pictures of the caves, my puppy and my friends in Tena cluster. Miss and love you all!