New Year. New Pres. New Place. New Me.

¡Feliz 2009 a Todos!

The first thing I did when I got back to the DR on January 1st, was go pick up my sweet little pup who was staying with my best friend Lenis. It was so great to see both of them and it felt pretty nice to be back “home.” Abbie Mae was super excited to see me, especially since I brought her some sweet gifts from Santa. She ran in circles around me and buried her long snout in my neck. Lenis was also very happy to see me. Although she didn’t put on the show that Abbie did, she asked me to spend the night with her, which I gladly did.

The next day she helped me pack up my old house and move into a new one. It’s just around the corner from her place, which is so nice. The neighbors are super friendly and helpful and so far, trustworthy. The area is quieter and in a better location (closer to the center of town and my favorite beach). My house is bigger, which both Abbie and I appreciate. It still only one room, but has a bigger kitchen counter that’s tiled and beautiful wooden cabinets. The house is brand new, so everything works well and it feels fresh and good. My spirit is definitely a lot happier there.


Right now, things are pretty slow here – that’s just the way it is through December and January in this country. There have been a lot of one-day holidays and traveling lately, so people aren’t quite back in the work groove, but I’m trying to stay busy. My daily schedule looks something like this:
6:00 – early morning walk with Jovanny (a new employee to the association) and Abbie Mae
8:00 – shower, tea and morning read
10:00-6:30 – go to the association, work, run errands, various activities
7:30 – Run in circles on the baseball field
8:30 – Shower and fix dinner, meetings
Then in the evening I read, visit friends, watch a movie or lately (and this has been so much fun) I've been going to the discoteca (club) and dancing the night away.

Things that make me happy these days are:
- Abbie Mae
- Good books (I’ve been reading more than I’ve ever read in my life; check out my goodreads.com page – www.goodreads.com/tarita)
- Dressing up to go out - “Pero tu estas linda.” (You look pretty), “Si, esta linda. Para mi, Tara esta enamorada porque siempre esta linda ahora.” (Yes she does look pretty. To me it seems like Tara is in love because she’s always pretty these days)… always nice to get a compliment.
- Perfecting my bachata skills
- My exercise routine
- The Genius feature on iTunes
- Exploring the aisles at the grocery store for new and different food options
- Making my new house more homey

- Inventing new meals
- The friendship and support I get from Dilana and Erica
- My dad’s visit in February
- Long phone calls from Mom
- The renewed love I feel for my brother and sister, after spending such quality time with them at home

At some point in early January, I made a list of my 10 New Year’s Resolutions, and for the first time in my life, I feel certain that I can accomplish all of them. Here’s a sampling:

- Be more dedicated to my projects
- Take better care of my body (exercise more, eat healthy) - isn't that everyone's?
- Stop drinking
- Stick to being a vegetarian
- Read more
- Be more careful with my heart
- Don’t compromise or do things I don’t want to do
- Have a better year than last year

I am excited about this year and what awaits me. I’ve been sticking to my goals and really trying to take care of my physical and mental health. I am convinced that if I can do that, everything else will fall into place. It sounds selfish, but I’m determined to focus more on myself this year instead of investing so much of myself in situations/people I can’t control – work, project partners, Peace Corps staff, gossip, other volunteers. It will be challenging, but I think it will be good for me.

2009 is going to bring a lot changes for me, for those back home and for the world. We have a new president, one that encourages us to put aside our differences and come together as a nation to rebuild our strength and reputation. I think his intentions are good and his character is strong (and I grow more convinced of this the further I get into his book Dreams from My Father, which I’m currently reading), and I expect great things from him. If you don’t agree with me, that's fine. You can at the very least be happy that we have a change in our government, which most would agree was needed after 8 years of a declining economy and destructive decisions. You can at least be hopeful that this change will bring us only good things. I’m sure it will.

So, I’m pumped about this new year, our new president, my new house, and a new me. I think I have a lot to look forward to with finishing my service and deciding on what to do with my life after Peace Corps – yes, I’ve thought about it; no, I don’t know what I’m going to do yet. The options are endless and I want to do them all. It’s okay though; I still have time.

I hope everyone back home is happy, healthy and safe. Special thoughts go out to those in Arkansas who are stuck in the ice storm right now and facing all the frustrations that it brings and especially to Emily Cole-Chu and her family as they deal with their loss. I love you all!

Here’s to a peaceful and better 2009!