Year 3 in Photos

Our third year in Paraguay was a great one. We are excited to move on to our next adventure, but will always have fond memories of the strange, isolated, and beautiful place that is Paraguay.

The number one word used to describe Paraguay is Tranquilo - often there is just not much going on. We found lots of ways to occupy ourselves, but hanging out in the backyard by the grill and the pool was always an easy, enjoyable option. 

We also loved getting out of the city and found kayaking Paraguay's many rivers to be another great pastime. The rivers are the original highways of Paraguay and getting in a boat is a great way to enjoy fishing, see wildlife and experience parts of the countryside that are otherwise inaccessible. 

Rio Ypané, Paraguay

Ben paddling the Rio Paraguay near Conceptión, Paraguay

Kristi works some magic in our kitchen. Cooking was another enjoyable pastime that kept us occupied when living in South America. A very limited national palette was further incentive to take on new cooking projects.

Baking Chipa (a traditional Paraguayan Bread) in our brick oven called a Tatakua ("fire hole" in Guaraní). We also figured out how to use it for smoking fish and pork.

When eating local food, lomito (Arabe pictured above, or sandwich) is a great unhealthy option.

Korean is another delicious option for eating out in Asunción.

Local fish dishes, like this piranha soup, are another good culinary option in Paraguay.

Finding good beer is another challenge to living in South America. Fortunately, craft beer is quickly becoming more popular. Left: two of Paraguay's better artisanal beers Herken Pale Ale and Sajonia Pale Ale. Right: imported beers are also showing up. This Lagunitas IPA was Kristi's birthday miracle we stumbled across at Ninjas con Apetito in Asunción.

 

We also took two trips to Brazil this past year, which among other things involved visiting lots of nice beaches, like this one in Florianópolis.

Or this one near Salvador

Old Salvador

 Kristi Swimming in Parque Chapada Diamantina.

River scene, northern Patagonia

Pet coati Ben met while camping with a fishing family on the Paraguay River

 Poolside at hotel Altagracia in Caacupé

 Ilha do Campeche, Brazil

Driving the Paraguayan back roads in our tiny Toyata Vitz is something I will not miss. We were able to go a surprising number of places, but would have much better off if we could have afforded a car with more clearance. 

 Capybaras, the world's largest (cutest?) rodent

 Cows

Foz do Iquazu

 Road side vegetable stand near San Estanislao, Paraguay

 Kristi with our small friend Juniper

Exploring the Paraguayan Chaco

 Camping on the Rio Aquidabán

 Road side scene ruta 9

Dorado flies, Paraña River

 Rural scene in northern Patagonia

Peccary for sale in the Paraguyan Chaco (also the reason wildlife is rarely encountered).

 River scene, Paraguay River near Asunción.

 Esteros del Iberá, Argentina

Rural Scene, Ayolas, Paraguay

  Flooded cattle ranch in the Chaco Paraguay

Ciao, Adios, Nos vemos....

In one week, we will be leaving Paraguay and moving to Kuwait (with a short interval in the US!).  As with every major change in life, the transition is overwhelming, sad, exciting, and scary all at the same time.

I'll be leaving friends that in just a short 2 or 3 years have made a huge impact in my life.  I've discovered that growing friendships internationally (especially in a small community like ours) is like speed dating; you decide quickly who you have something in common with and you spend a lot of time together over a short period of time.  You share experiences of living abroad that only you understand and the result is a bond that is just as strong as if you had been friends for 15 years.

Celebrating Thanksgiving in 95 degree heat

The Zombie Mud Run

Our weekly Ultimate players

Paraguay has been an incredible experience. Living in a developing country has given me an appreciation for where I come from, while at the same time some perspective as to how the US is viewed abroad.  Living in another culture and dealing with its idiosyncrasies (like the way they push grocery carts out the back of the line instead of through the checkout...who does that??!!)  has made me a more flexible and patient person. While on the surface, Paraguay does not have a lot to offer, I have grown to love this country.

We have had the unprecedented opportunity to travel widely in the last 3 years and for this I'm incredibly grateful.  We've seen the world in a way that we were never able to while living in the US and this has, for me, been the best reason for continuing our journey of international teaching.


As a teacher, I've had the opportunity to work with an entirely different population of students and to have an emotional break from the heartbreaking work of teaching kids in poverty.  While I know my journey will take me back to public school some day, teaching in a privileged community has been good for my mental health and sustainability in my career.  I've also had the opportunity to experiment in my practice, which was not always possible in the US.  I will miss my students, who are funny, thoughtful, and have so much potential to be agents of change in the world.

 
These are my students playing games they created themselves and then taught their classmates to show their learning.  I loved learning how to implement project based learning.


One of the highlights of my time here was my weekly visits with my friends Ali and Adrianne to a small orphanage.  We visited most weeks for over 2 years. The kids were all under 7 and I got to play and color, something I don't get a chance to do very often.  It was also how I learned a lot of Spanish, as I was at about the same level as the oldest girls!

 

They can't stand still for a photo, but they sure are cute. 

While I will not miss the heat, the mosquitoes, or the driving, I will miss Paraguay and the life we built for ourselves here.  Hasta la proxima y Rohayu Paraguay!