La Llegada!

I am here in Nica! I have a really nerve-wracking night in the Miami airport hotel, and then met up with 6 other students in the airport before taking our group flight. All of the other students met with us here. There are only 11 in total! We took a bus to the Casa San Juan hotel, which is very nice. There is actually air conditioning in the room! and cable tv! Insanity. We had a great moment before dinner sipping cervesas on the patio of the hotel under the stars on rocking chairs with a nice breeze blowing. I can get used to this country.

We started our orientation stuff, and our program director, Ayn, seems really wonderful. I am exhausted and sticky from all the sweat already, and apparently it is still really cool. Can't wait for the hot months!

Okay, I will write more details about everything when I can, but for now my roomie I think would much rather chat (and get a chance to use her computer). Tomorrow we get to check out our barrio and the program center, and Sunday is our HALF HOUR LONG interviews (which are taped!) for spanish class placement. terrifying.

love you, Walla Walla and Los Angeles!

8 days?

I am currently in walla walla, washington, and my brain can't quite comprehend the fact that I am leaving the country a week from tomorrow. Well, I guess I am not technically leaving the country til a week from Friday, but on Thursday I'll be flying from LAX to Miami to spend a (probably sleepless) night in a hotel in order to catch the group flight out the next day at noon.

Back home I have a new internal frame backpack, a huge daypack, malaria medicine, more clothes than I probably need, an empty moleskin, and a ton of nerves. In the meantime I am bumming around walla, spending time with people and trying to get my head on straight before I take off. I'll have a few extra days in LA next week to help with that, too,

I won't be bringing my computer along, but there will be tons of internet cafes and I hope to keep this blog well updated! I will also be checking my school email (hahnrc@whitman.edu), and I have two mailing addresses:

Postal Mail (Letters and Non-express)
Rachel Hahn
c/o Aynn Setright
Apartado Postal 181
Managua, Nicaragua – Central America


Express Mail (UPS, FedEx, DHL)
Rachel Hahn
c/o Aynn Setright
Colonia Miguel Bonilla #143
(Detrás de la UNAN, del Bar “Esquina Fiel” 2
cuadras al sur; 1⁄2 cuadra arriba)
Managua, Nicaragua

If you write me letters, I promise to write back!