My home away from home...

Andy and I moved me into my house today.  It was really hard watching him leave this morning, but he left me in the best possible hands.  My new family is wonderful.  We met Soledad, the mom, who is sweet and young, along with her husband, Roger, and her two girls.  The little five year old was really curious about me, and I think they hung the picture I painted them of cherry blossoms up in her room already.  Too cute. :)

They live in a sort of compound of the whole family - her husband's mother, brother, and sister all live in homes surrounding a pretty courtyard that you enter through the gate on the street.   My room is adorable; the photos really don't do the character of this place justice.  I even have my own little kitchen area and bathroom - sort of my own apartment within their home.  The kitchen area is open to the outside.  You can see in the pic.

Every day the family (like, the WHOLE family) eats at 2 PM.  I'll join them for our first lunch today.  When I get to know them a little better, I'll post some photos of them.  Today, Sol is going to take me on a tour of the city at 5 and then I will meet Dr Isabel (who coordinates my rotation with all the clinics) at 6.  I start work tomorrow, and every day at 4 I have an hour and a half Spanish lesson.  In addition, Sol assured me that the only language spoken by the doctors and the clinics is Espanol, so I should get plenty of practice!

I feel so incredibly blessed to be here.  Nervous, definitely, but beneath it all a feeling of deep gratitude.

Con Brillo de Sol,
Stefanie