One month down...

I have conquered a fear. A fear I didn´t even know I had! But a legitimate one nonetheless. I have conquered the fear of standing on top of a deforested mountain in the middle of a thunder storm. And believe me, thunder is that much more terrifying when you´re practically standing in the clouds, and can feel the rumble building. And seeing the lightning strikes from that close, some originating at a point lower than you are, does not make you feel safe. It´s amazing the difference a little altitude can make. And I can now say I have felt down right COLD in Panamá. :) But don´t worry, everyone made it back down safe and sound, no worries. It´s not like we meant to be up there in the middle of the storm. When we started I could tell it was going to rain, but it´s rained every time we´ve been out. It is the rainy season after all. A little (or a lot) of rain isn´t enough to stop us when this has to be done. The lightening was unexpected. But wow, it was definitely an amazing and fantastic view, to be able to watch the storm moving in. See the solid wall of raining moving across the valley. Overtaking the view of the ocean. Amazing. But hopefully I won´t have to do it again. :-p
Things are still going well. Emily left on Sunday, so I now have my site to myself. :-p It was so nice having her there for that first month though. It definitely made it easier, made me more comfortable faster, so I feel better about doing things on my own. I´m in town right now to go to a conference this weekend about youth groups and how to talk to parents about starting one and all that. I´m going to try to start at least one youth group in my community, but hopefully two. For different age groups. So that´ll be fun.
I´ve had some good, quiet days lately of lying in the hammock and just reading for hours. And let me tell you, that never gets old. I just don´t understand why hammocks are not more universal. I love them! :) I have almost finished reading all the books I brought with me, and have borrowed some from other volunteers. But if anyone wants to send me books that you´ve read already and don´t want anymore, or at least that you wouldn´t mind, say, donating to PC Panamá, send them my way! They will be read by many, after I read them and donate them to the PC library in the city.
So yes, my first month has come and gone, and it was good. Only 23 left to go! :)