Last days of my homestay #1

Sadly, I'm done with my homestay in Cedro Galán. I moved back into the Manna house a few days ago (but I'm not feeling too nostalgic just yet because I'll be living with another family in Cedro over Christmas and New Years)...

Top 10 list of my time with the Solis family:

(10) walks with Gregoria (my sister) around the community to meet her friends and learn all the "secret paths" in Cedro
(9) hand-made tortillas cooked over the open fire
(8) speaking Spanish all day, every day
(7) washing clothes in the concrete sink with mi madre, Racquel and then hanging them out to line-dry
(6) drinking coffee with Marcos (my Nicaraguan dad) under their guava tree
(5) the smell of the soap we used in our outdoor bucket shower- like clean linens and baby powder
(4) dancing with Yuvi to "Daddy Yankee" in the living room
(3) coloring and reading Disney books in Spanish with my sisters
(2) nightly conversations with Racquel and Marcos under the bright Nica stars
(1) truly being part of a family, even though I'm thousands of miles away from my own


Gregoria teaching her 6-month old cousin (we call him "Gordito") to walk


Racquel, my Nicaraguan mom, with Gregoria ironing in the background


The Solis home, with the little red cocina (kitchen) on the right


Yuvi and I and her peluche (teddy bear)


Yuvi and I


Yuvi peeling frijoles (that we just picked from the field!)


My clothes, freshly washed and line-drying


Typical meal: beans, rice, tomatoes and plátanos (plantains, kind of like bananas)


moving out


Last day with mi familia (missing Anielka and Yuvi who were climbing a tree in the yard)