Some of my favorite things:

There are moments where I love living here and don't want to think about living anywhere else. I thought I would try to savor one of those moments now, by sharing some of my favorite things about living in Cochabamba, Bolivia:

1. I love going to the market. Every Saturday, I spend many hours walking around trying to find the cheapest price for a cuartilla of tomatoes, carrots, onions, and green beans. Its a bit crazy, with not much room to walk around aimlessly. But, its amazing to be able to walk in between women yelling in Quechua, be squished by the crowd all trying to go in different directions, and come to recognize the people in the market too.
2. I love eating off the street. Although warned against this by many, I feel like my father trained me well. The best food is on the street. From fresh squeezed orange juice, to hot cheese empanadas, to yummy Italian ice cream, and of course the famous saltenas that are impossible to eat without making a mess.
3. I love that I can go out, and almost always see someone I know. Between school connections, Church, and other friends, there is always someone I run into.
4. I love that we live just outside of the city so we miss the smog and nastiness of big city life. Instead, we live in a place where most roads are blocked off, to the point that the grass in the roads is knee high. Up here, the sheep and cows walking by are a part of daily life.
5. I love that when I come home in the afternoons, I hear "mandarina, mandarina, platano, platano, papaya, papaya, uva, durazno" from the daily fruit truck that passes by. It saves a lot of trips to the market.
6. I love the fact that the kids in our neighborhood just walk into our house. They are always over playing ping-pong, borrowing our water guns, or playing with our dominoes or jenga pieces.
7. I love the fact that I get to walk to and from school everyday with a view of the magnificent Mt. Tunari (which on good days has snow on it)
8. I love the fact that the weather here is PERFECT (for me, at least). Since the rain has died down, it is cool in the mornings, warm in the afternoons, and cool again in the evenings.
9. I love the fact that we do not live in a tourist city. Most gringos that come stay for a while to learn and appreciate the culture.
10. The last item for my list today: I love the fact that I already have many friends here. Its been amazing to see how quickly and willingly many have accepted us, and invited us in. We have been truly blessed.