December always disappears.

Nothing really gets done in December, yet it's somehow the busiest month of the year. I'm still trying to figure out exactly how that works.

***Warning: This post contains a picture of my feet. If you don't like feet, don't read this post. Carry on.***

This year, December's gone like this:

Week 1
--Helped paint a school with some of my teen alums.
--Visitors at my house.
--My cat pees all over the house.
--I am extremely embarrassed.
--Flashmob on the Malecón.
--A mustache party.
--Learned recycled crafts with the women's Saturday class.

Week 2
--Cat gets spayed.
--Sleepover with a friend at a hotel downtown: Air conditioning; cable; hot showers; heaven.
--Day trip to help an acquaintance fill out the request for a Peace Corps Volunteer to work at their organization. I am treated as the guest of honor all day long. (My favorite part was the ceviche they fed me for brunch: YUM.)
--Convince the high school principal of one of my teen alums to let her miss a week of school so she can attend a Peace Corps workshop in Quito.
--High school principals are scary.
--But it wasn't hard (see first clause of this post).
--Hit the Guayaquil pavement, apartment searching with/for a friend.
--Visitors at my house.
--More visitors at my house.
--I like visitors.
--Oh look! Here's some more!
--Traveled with some PCV friends to nearby Santa Elena to run my first ever half marathon. This, like the run in Esmeraldas province, was another run to support the preservation of Parque Yasuní.

I'm the one in the sparkly baseball cap.

After the run we were pretty much ready for it to be Christmas. (More photos of the run can be found on the 21kx24provincias blog.)

Week 3
--Traveled to Quito to spend the week at Peace Corps' "Brigadas Verdes" workshop! A number of volunteers working on environmental projects were invited to come and bring a youth alum along. We attended sessions on the state of the environment in Ecuador, how to form an Eco Club and plan activities, and recyclable crafts.

--Being at this workshop with a bunch of teenagers to keep an eye on was akin to what I imagine being a camp counselor is like.
--I'm glad I'm not a camp counselor.
--But the workshop was fun!
--Except for the last day, when a few of us woke up with food poisoning and had to travel home feeling rather ill.
--I threw up on the bus.
--While in Quito, I also visited the Peace Corps Medical Officer because my foot's been bothering me of late. She diagnosed tendonitis. No more running or wearing flip flops for a few months.

Goodbye, flip flop tan.
Hello, yoga.
Ommmmmmm.

Week 4
--So far, I've read a lot; nursed myself back to solid foods; and cleaned my house.
--My bathroom is the cleanest it has ever been, ever.
--Even though I've only lived in this apartment for a year, I am 99.9% sure that the above statement is true.
--My sister flies in from the States tomorrow!!!! (Er...later today.)

In honor of sisters and Christmas, we bring you this Public Service Announcement, circa 1954: