Feliz Cumpleanos Laurita! y otras cosas

I am definitely getting to that point where I think in Spanish and it is hard to switch back and forth between languages. Today I was buying warmer clothes at the mall and there was a lot of confusion. They brought over an employee who knew English and I kept speaking to him in Spanish because it was just too hard to explain in English. Oh the language barrier...

But anyways. This is a photo of Bethany (ISA roommate), Ketty (my Peruvian "sister"), and me from Sunday mornings drive to an overlook in Lima. This family is amazing. Yesterday my "house mom" Nancy took us to Mercado de Indio (which ironic enough, the sign said in English "Indian Market") to buy alpaca sweaters. I got one for less than $15 USD. Learning a new currency is so weird. Today shopping I would look at something and then have to do math for a good minute... The rate is something like 3 soles: 1 USD. I'm back in 3rd grade with simple division. Oh the memories.
Happy 23rd Birthday to the beautiful Lauren Lenae Muirhead! This first photo was taken at Beach Camp in 2004... a good 4+ years ago. Crazy that is has been that long... Lauren is such a dear friend to me and I am so proud of here as she is now at DTS getting a masters in Christian counseling. What is even cooler is that she lives in the same apartment complex and is now in the same Bible study as Kristen.... my best friends from high school and college are now friends in the "real world" (if that is what you call it).
This picture is from the night before my departure. She came to my going away dinner... oh the memories. Those are what will hold me over until December 14th when I return (60 something days from now). Love you Laurita and miss you... hope all is well in the BIG D!
Time really does fly. Ya know, there are days it couldn't go any slower but now I look back on Mexico and think how long ago that was (less than a week). And today we received our itineraries for Buenos Aires (we leave for there 4 weeks from Friday). I'm in a whirlwind... if I throw up when I return it is because of how dizzy this semester has made me.