Nicaragua: Capture it, remember it

On some occasions I think it would be nice to have a 9-to-5 office job where I could be sitting in front of a computer screen all day long, pent up in my own little cubicle decorated with pictures of loved ones and their cats. There would be structure. My schedule would be predictable. "Wouldn't that be a nice change from this Peace Corps gig?" I wonder. And then I reconsider.

The liberty which a Peace Corps volunteer has to create his or her own schedule and projects is a perk not found in a whole lot of other jobs. Granted, it can take some time to figure out the feasibility of project ideas and to decide how one's time will be utilized to its fullest potential. Once that happens, however, work starts to pick up, time begins to fly by, and that desk job looks ever-so-unattractive in all kinds of aspects.

What exactly is on my work agenda these days? 

1. Continuing to co-plan and co-teach an entrepreneurship course in six different high schools.

2. Developing teacher workshops for said entrepreneurship course. I've designed and delivered two of my own workshops so far.

3. Advising small business owners in my community. My number one advisee is my host mother, and we are all set to celebrate the grand opening of her new business (a coffee shop) this coming Saturday.

4. I've been working with a primary school to design and implement piano lessons. We have a list of 30 interested students, and as of last week we have a piano. Lessons start next week.

5. We successfully held a career fair for the senior students at one of my schools this past week, which will hopefully be replicated at my other schools.

6. Committee work. I'm involved with Team Emprende (a business sector committee which organizes the national business plan competition), Peer Support Network (a group of selected volunteers that reaches out to other volunteers), and the VINE (it stands for Volunteer Inter-Nicaraguan Exchange and promotes cross-cultural education projects).

So there you have it. Maybe sometimes I covet that office job because of bonuses like air conditioning, but let's be honest: I will brave heat and humidity over monotony, hands down. I'm hoping to be successful with all this stuff I have going on for year 2. The potential is high and I'm feeling optimistic.