Finally, a simple answer!

At long last, I can finally, wholly truthfully, answer that I am a Peace Corps Volunteer.  No more 'applying for', 'nominated', 'invited', or 'trainee'- all of those stati that I've been trying to explain for the past year and a half- I am an English Teaching Volunteer in Peace Corps Panama, as of about 3:30 on Wednesday afternoon.  (Note on times- in the we don't do Daylight Savings time here, so unless I miss my guess, we're on Central Time now.)

This is a Tire Toucan- they're all the rage here in Panama- old tires cut and painted to be hanging planters; super cool, and we have several!

I live about an hour and a half of bus rides from the Geographical Center of Panama!

 ~This is my new Host Family~

 Another view of my Primeria (Primary School, K-6)

There's a banner that they made from me, and there are potted plants and murals all over the school.

Also, those seats and the end table are as you may have guessed, more old tires :-)

Starting on Sunday, I'm going to be living and working in Santa Rita de Anton, working with my counterpart, the primary school English teacher, and my 3 ciclo/premedia/media (7th-10th grades).  I'll have pictures of the Ciclo eventually, but it isn't nearly as pretty!

(and this is a pretty picture from a Rio that my new family took me to)