Puppy goes to the Dog Park. Mayhem Ensues.

So, we took puppy to the dog park today. It was pretty snowy....but surprisingly there were a lot of faithful doggie parents there with their pups (including kimmich and wife!). Pecas....was a little brat. She is really defensive of me, and would freak out when other dogs would come near. So when we first walked in, a few dogs came to play and she was snapping at everyone. The dog owners quickly called their dogs back. They weren't allowed to play with our kid anymore :-(. So then we took her away to an open area so she could play fetch on her own. Too bad the tennis ball kept getting coated in snow and she didn't want to pick it up (too cold!)....

Eventually she warmed up a bit and played with a few other pups....but was terrified of the St Bernard that was circling the place (gentle giant). This one bulldog ran up to me and jumped on me with both paws- almost knocked me over. Pecas didn't like that. She ran to my defense. Also, I was walking around with the tennis ball in my hand when a yellow lab ran up all excited and was trying to take it from me- even though he already had a ball in his mouth. Greedy.

So. Cute day. But our kid's a brat!

we got hitched!

Welp, we did it. We got hitched! More photos to come but.....here we are, Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Berry! (goodbye, old last name....)

10 days!

Here's a wonderful family I met in El Sal, with Matt and I, on our last night in town....
This was my attempt at our Christmas picture. Matt doesn't like pictures, so he wouldn't pose any more after this one.... hahaha....

Hello hello!
10 days until the wedding! I am thrilled. And so I was cleaning out my emails, and walking around the house trying to stretch out my weddin' heals, and thought I'd put up a quick blog. The planning is all starting to come together, the wines have been tasted and chosen (the champagne has been tasted, but not chosen) and at 2:42 in the afternoon, I am sitting, unemployed, on the couch, with a glass of wine about to paint my nails. It's a rough life, I tell ya. I have applied for what seems like a billion jobs, and there are a couple I'm really hoping for....but we'll see. I'm not so keen on working at Panera, but it's within walking distance....and I might just end up there! OR at the Sycamore mall movie theater with a black bowtie and a dull face, taking tickets. (hopefully not).

Mom & friends get here in a week, and then comes all the fun with the meeting of the families and the eating and the drinking and the trying to find some things- blue, borrowed, and old....(all I've got is the new so far, hmmm).

Anyway, I'm super excited and can't wait to see everyone and have one fun party. Be prepared for the bbq, the wine, and the ice cream......

It's beginning to look a lot like....

...the south pole! It seems like our world is now covered in a two inch thick blanket of ice. That's a far cry from El Salvador, even though we've got a fire in the fireplace. Pecas is taking it well, what with prancing around in the ice-encrusted back yard and trying to dig her way back to El Sal. Wedding planning is coming along, although it still seems like we have a long way to go. Even if parts of Iowa City lost electricity today, the ice hanging off all the trees is gorgeous. I should be out taking pictures! But the only reason I go out walking is to let the dog drag me around (I can't get her to heal for some reason!) across the icy sidewalks of the neighbors who are too lazy (or perhaps busy, I suppose) to shovel the ice and snow in front of their houses. Speaking of neighbors, ours came over last night to say that the new dog was barking at her dogs, who in turn were keeping her baby awake, and could we please keep the dog inside. Really? Maybe, Matt's mom later said, she should consider getting rid of her dogs, since they were the ones keeping the baby awake. Maybe, I said, she should just get rid of the baby.

Our Christmas tree is up with the start of our ornament collection and the holiday beer is in the fridge. Hope everyone is warm and happy! Cheers...

Homebound Impressions

Homebound Impressions:

Boarding the plane in San Salvador, everyone had a ton of luggage. And everyone had Pollo Campero (like KFC I guess. No Salvadoran leaves home without it. – What’s more, I’m now in LAX awaiting my connecting flight to San Diego, and a man just sat down across from me with a large box of it.) There was so much luggage, not all the carryons would even fit. So we took off. The food on American Airlines, by the way, was pretty tasty. It was pretty weird hearing stewardesses speak English again.

So we get to LAX. And I’m super worried about my puppy. I book it through customs (welcome home, Melanie, always sounds good). Exiting customs, I go to get my bags to recheck them, and Pecas is sitting by herself (in her kennel) in the “oversize bags” section. Poor thing. I said hi to her and then took off to get a cart and she started whining and cry. After 15 minutes or so, I collected my black, unidentified bags (not sure what I was thinking there) and headed to the customs baggage thing. They asked me one question: “Do you have any dog food?” And when I said yes (I thought they wanted it to give it to her…I had literally a handful, along with some dog treats), then sent me around the x-ray machine (hence they neither x-rayed nor searched my bags. I’m such a rebel.) and someone else asked to see the dog food. When I showed her, she said “I’m really sorry, but since it’s not in a sealed bag, we’re going to have to ask you to get rid of it.” Uh, ok. Throw it away, I don’t care! After 15 more minutes of waiting for some guy to enter something in the computer about me bringing a dog (he didn’t ask to see her papers or anything though), they sent me off. The baggage guys were like, “Whoa dude, a dog. I dunno where that goes, man.” I said, “oh yeah, and how long have you worked here?” “Uh a while, but I jus’ deal with bags, never seen a dog.” Finally after asking a few other people, they agreed I had to take her upstairs to the “oversize bags” room. There, they told me to take her out of her kennel so they could inspect it or something, and then asked me to put her back in. She did not agree with this, and resisted with all her effort. I felt pretty bad about shoving her back in there.

And so now I’m waiting for my flight. It’s supposed to board in about 15 minutes.

As for being back in the states….it’s super weird. I have replied to every official person I’ve spoken to in Spanish, I felt like such a dork. It wasn’t intentional, I just got so used to having to explain and defend myself in Spanish that it just comes out. It’s kind of funny though, because it really seems to confuse people. Also the fact that I was speaking to my dog in Spanish, hehe.

I’m half ashamed to say that, seeking immediate holiday flavor upon arrival, I purchased a Starbucks Pumpkin Pie Frapuccino. For $4.22. That would buy more than a meal in El Salvador. I don’t think I’ll be doing it again. And it’s sooo weird to see all these white people again. I feel like I stand out, even though when I think about it, I know I don’t.

It’s so weird. I miss El Salvador, even though I was ready to leave, maybe just because it felt normal. Hm. Well, at least it’s the holiday season, so I have family and festivities to look forward to. And my dog, who completes our happy trio of a family in her own quirky way.

It’s good to be back.

it's official!

Water was too cold to swim....but Lake Atitlan was still gorgeous! Check out www.lacasadelmundo.com

Pecas is in a box right now about to board a plane. I bet she's still cute though.

Host Sis Yulissa just turned 8

Ok so I had to leave really early and we'd just woken up. We don't look our best. She's my best Salvo friend though (Aracely).

View during a hike up to some active lava in Guatemala. I was scared to death, but it was fun in retrospect.

Hm. Not sure how to turn this photo the right way. Matt was mad I made this supposedly touristy photo too artsy.

Melanie/Matthew.

Finally, I can post this.

It's official! I'm coming home. As in, I'm currently sitting in the San Salvador airport, hoping my dog isn't too scared in her kennel in whatever holding room they have her in before we fly. So, this past Tuesday, I quit Peace Corps. Matt had been visiting for a while (we visited gorgeous Guatemala), and after one last HIV/AIDS charla (chat) in the middle of the countryside, to mostly women (which Matt helped out with, along with Health Promoter extraordinaire, Misael), I told Misael I was leaving. He wasn't too happy...and I think he burned a hole through Matt's head with the look he gave him. My boss happened to be in my area that day as well, so I was able to officially quit in person. She later talked to Misael and assured him she'd try to get him another volunteer come April. She also told me he wasn't mad at me, just confused.

Why am I coming home? In a nutshell, I'd say because I joined Peace Corps looking for sort of an escape from American culture, and from all the things my liberal education have taught me to dislike. El Salvador is incredibly American, and it seems like everything I dislike about the states is worshiped here. So I became sort of disillusioned about Peace Corps. I still think PC does amazing things and allows people to make connections that will forever remain a part of their hearts. It just wasn't for me anymore.

Leaving wasn't easy. My host mom and sisters had tears in their eyes (as, of course, did I) as Matt and I walked to catch the bus. My boss ended up taking our luggage to the capital for us, which saved us $100 we would have had to pay a driver, so we went in bus first. When the dog arrived, she was disgusting. Thanks to "the crazy roads" and Bri's (my boss) driving, she puked all over her cage. Then she rolled around in it. So the bath that my neighbors gave her before her departure didn't do much good, and I had to take her to the shower immediately to get the stink off. Needless to say, she didn't get food before today's flight. Hopefully she's ok when I see her in like 10 hours.

So Matt, the dog, and I spent three days in the capital so I could get cleared up of all my PC stuff. This included about 7 medical appointments, checking everything from teeth to .... well everything. And I'm clear. No parasites! This was a true Christmas miracle...I really thought I'd have at least something...but no, I'm good to go. (thus have no stories to gross you out with).

In other news, I'm getting married soon....so that's exciting too.
For now, off to San Diego to spend some time with my mom (and to finally introduce her to Matt), and then back in Iowa for a few months at least, on Nov 27.

Cuidense mucho, y nos vemos pronto!

a few pics

I was trying to put up more photos...but they aren´t loading at the moment. So here are the only ones I could get to. Quick update, I recently visited Mexico City (DF) to see Matt. That basically involved a soccer game, and lots of good food and walking around. And cheap dvds! (hello, fourth season of nip-tuck, only 10 bucks!) Then he got some random extra vacation and came back to El Sal to see me! Fun times. Sorry this update sucks. I´ll try to put up more photos and stories soon!

A bit of a walk to one of the highest parts of my immediate area..it´s pretty. And I, as usual, am pink-cheeked!
My lovely dog.
Sittin on a rock with Matt and me...contemplating life, I´m sure.