I know, I know, I’ve been neglecting all of you for the last five weeks. But I’m here now and I have a moment to breathe and to update you on my adventures!

I’ll start at the beginning. I left home five weeks ago today (woah! It seems like only a week!) for Nicaragua to work as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Small Business Development. If all goes according to plan, I’ll be here for 27 months. Unless I decide to stay forever, which I haven’t ruled out. I am in training for three months in Nandasmo, a small town (human population 3,000, stray dog population 300) about 20minutes away from Masaya, and two hours south of Managua.

I am living with a family in Nandasmo which consists of mom and dad, two brothers, a sister-in-law, a three year old niece and a 12 year old nephew. In comparison to the other trainee host families, mine is small. I have electricity and running water about 6 days out of 7 but there was a week of storms where we didn’t have either for a few days so I’ve become adept at bucket-baths. I’ve got it down to a science. Science can be messy, right?

I have two other trainees in my town with me and we have activities from 8am-4pm 6 days a week. We have “language class” in the morning but it usually turns into more of a culture class with some grammar and vocab thrown in for good measure. In the afternoons on Tuesdays and Thursdays we have a youth group at the local high school. We are working on an entrepreneurial project in which they are developing a product or service, conducting a market study, writing a business plan, etc and then competing against the other youth groups that the other trainees are working with. Our town won last year and our kids are great and high energy so this is one of my favorite projects. I’m also teaching one day a week and a private, all-girls, catholic school on business basics. Last week we taught them how to conduct a feasibility study for a business. I had initially thought that this would be horrible because when we went to visit the class room to observe the girls, they were completely out of control; passing notes, talking on cell phones, talking to each other, getting up and leaving the class room, etc. HOWEVER, when we taught they were well-behaved, engaged, and they all participated (for the most part). Which lead me to believe that perhaps the teacher who taught the class that we sat in on had created that atmosphere by not laying any ground-rules. On Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays we have technical training which can range from anywhere to cultural adaptation, to the economic history of Nicaragua. It usually sounds painfully boring but the presentations end up being really interesting.

The climate here is quite nice once you get used to it. The first week we were here it was HOT and muggy but I’ve acclimated and when it gets down to 80 degrees at night I usually put on a sweater. I had flu last week and I’m still trying to get rid of it but its getting better. I had a fever, chills, body aches, tingling extremities, cough, congestion, headache, eye pain, nausea, diarrhea, and I was really dizzy. BUT one of the other trainees has already gotten Dengue, so I’m doing pretty well in comparison. Also, I figure that it was a seasonal flu so maybe I won’t get it again this year? I am becoming stronger!

In all, I am having an amazing time. Training is taxing but the Peace Corps folks have it down to a science so I feel like I’m in good and capable hands. I’ll try and update this page more frequently and please let me know if you have any questions! I do have skype and I get to an internet café about once a week. Also, I have a phone now! 505-8438-0635 If anyone had a hankering to send me….oh, I dunno, jelly beans for example….or a letter on Lisa Frank stationary….my address is:

Vanessa Krueger
Apartado Postal #3256
Managua, Nicaragua
América Central

I love you all very much and I can’t wait for you to come and visit me!