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I have found the one holiday that tops Thanksgiving. I know right, what could possibly top the mounds of buttery mashed potatoes, the juicy turkey and sweet pumpkin pie? Think Thanksgiving that lasts for three months! It’s fiesta time here in the Philippines and Anthony and I are sure to gain a few pounds during this eating frenzy.

Remember when I said this summer promises to be a busy one? Well, this past week Anthony and traveled (are we EVER home?) to the mainland to participate in the annual Bicol Mobile Education Tour, aka BMET. Myself and another PVC, Kim, planned and organized BMET. What a project that turned out to be!

Hello all! Summer has finally arrived in the Philippines! This summer promises to be a busy one. We have been so busy these past few weeks and there is so much to tell you about! Life in Catanduanes is good and work has been busy. Anthony and I finally finished "The World Map" project at my school at the end of March. In the beginning of April we participated in a Peace Corps program called Tudlo Mindanao and we were able to visit the second largest city in the Philippines, Cebu.

Our one year Peace Corps anniversary is coming soon! I can hardly believe that we have been in-country for an entire year. The year passed at a snail's pace and in a flash both in the same time. Our work was slow, slow, slow in the beginning but we are both busy now! The summer months are here which means temperatures spiking to 105 degrees with 98% humidity. Ugh. Anthony and I needed to get away and it seemed like the perfect time to go for a swim. We headed off to the mainland to a small town called Donsol.

At our staging in Detroit, before we came to the Philippines, a RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer) described her experience as a roller coaster ride. She said, "I started off climbing really high and then dropped as fast as I had climbed and after that it was twists, turns, loop-da-loops, upside, inside, topsy turvy craziness. And as I came around the bend and the ride was coming to an end, all I wanted to do was get back in line and do it all over again!" Peace Corps is exactly like a roller coaster ride. One minute you're gripping the handles, scared to death you are taking your last breath, and the next your laughing and screaming thinking life doesn't get much better than this. And in the end, it was all the dips and twists that made it the ride of your life.

So everyday I'm here I try really hard to find something that I'm thankful for and everyday it's a struggle. There are the obvious of course, the beautiful surroundings, the warm weather, and living right on the beach are just a few. I guess I've hit a downward slope right now in this journey. I'm frustrated, tired, and upset.

Have you ever been in two places at once? Well, after tomorrow Anthony and I will be able to tell you what it feels like.....

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving that was filled with family, friends, turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie! I think the holidays are the hardest time to be away from family and friends, so we are both feeling a bit homesick. However, we had a Thanksgiving that I will certainly never forget, even if we didn't spend it with our families.

I'm sure everyone has days in their life where they look back and say, "that was one of the best days of my life". I know I have a few of those days in the back of my mind. They are certainly rare and few and far between, but when they come you know that you will always remember that day. The sights, sounds, and smells will forever be locked into your memory. Anthony and I went on a mini-vacation to a town north of Virac, called Puraran and we spent a couple of days that I will never forget.

This week is the semester break from school. No kids but teachers still must report. Anthony and I have been busy planning for workshops that we will be presenting during this week. I will present on Critical Thinking and Anthony is teaching the teachers how to input their grades on Excel.