Our New Home

Greetings from Arlington, Virginia! What a crazy busy few weeks we have had! And now finally we can start settling down a little and getting into a routine. Except for that we have to move out of the apartment we are in now and into our permanent one later this month. But that's ok it won't be that big of a deal, we just have to move everything 3 floors up in the same building. Too bad, I like the apartment we are in now. It's comfy, and is right next to the elevator and the trash room, which you think would mean noise, but it's not noisy, just convenient. In a few weeks we are going to be all the way at the end of a long hallway and far from those conveniences. And my housekeeper told me she cleans that apartment and that it's smaller than the one we're in now :/  Oh well.... we don't pay rent, so I'm not complaining!

So we left El Salvador on Sunday early in the morning. Man, that feels like ages ago! The night before we left we had a nice going away dinner with about 10 of our closest friends in San Sal. At the end of it when I was saying goodbye to everyone I couldn't help but cry like a baby when I said goodbye to my friend Jessica, who came here with me in the Peace Corps and was in my training community with me. She was with me for every step of my journey in El Sal, and I got emotional just thinking about how far we had come together. I couldn't believe it was the end and it really was time to say goodbye. I cried so hard my face went into that ugly expression you get when you are bawling. I will miss her dearly. But at least she's from the DC area, so I will prob see her around here before I head to the Phillipines.

My I cried a lot the morning we left too. From the house nearly all the way to the airport. Then again in the plane as we flew over and saw San Salvador for the last time. It was good to have that feeling of closure. As soon as we got into Arlington and to our new apartment, I knew I would be a-okay. I instantly loved this place. This town is nice. It's so clean here! And the FOOD options! OMG! Within walking distance from our house, our first night we had dinner at a great Thai restaurant. And the next morning we went to a great diner for breakfast. This place makes me a happy girl.

Monday we had the longest day. We went and bought a car- a beautiful new Dodge Grand Caravan... Yes a minivan! lol.... To hold all the kids we're gonna have, duh! Ok, we'll just take it one by one, but it will be nice to have a spacious vehicle in Manila, with the two kids we're gonna have (Lina and our baby) and we'll go on out with Noel's folks sometimes. And we'll have a driver. We need the space! I just need to get used to driving this big vehicle! At least it beeps when you are backing up and lets you know when to stop.

After buying the car we had to get phones and food for the house and then we went out to dinner with Lina at a sushi place near the house. I had tempura sushi. Good, but not as good as the raw stuff! It was a crazy day. But luckily we got everything done that we needed to.

Breakfast on Day 1 at The Silver Diner before car shopping!

Happy Daddy with his little girl in front of our apartments on our second night in Arlington!

Me and Lina. She already loves Little Bubba so much and is really hoping for a little sister.

It's not just the food here that makes me happy, it's the people. I'm so excited to live in a place where I can walk freely on the streets and feel safe without having to constantly have my guard up and worrying about being robbed. Well, I may have to worry about that in some parts of DC and on the subway, but not in Arlington. The people here are so friendly. Just a few days ago, I was walking on the street and saw a pregnant woman with a yoga mat and asked her where she goes. Just like that I made friends with her and her friend and got their numbers. They were so nice. I dont know if I will actually call them... but still, the idea that I can just make friends on the street here is so cool.

I also found this group called Mamistad on meetup.com... I joined and am getting placed in a small group of other pregnant women who are all due within a month or two of me. I already met one girl named Kasey and she's great! We're planning on hanging out again on Tuesday. I cant wait to meet the other ladies in our group. It's nice to have fellow pregnant ladies to celebrate and commiserate with. And on top of this I have a number of friends in the area from Peace Corps and the embassy in El Salvador, and even one from highschool! I think the next 8 months are going to be fantastic.

The other day I ventured out onto the subway- people here call the Metro.... umm it's still a subway, ok. Anyway, it was fun to figure it out by myself... I haven't ridden many subways in my life. Just once or twice in NY and once or twice in Mexico City. It was pretty easy. The escalators are kind of scary though. They are so long and kind of steep some of them. I was holding on to the rail tight with both hands at one point, afraid of falling and tumbling down. My balance isnt quite the same with this pregnancy.

I also looked around and saw a lot of people with baseball caps with the letter W on them... and I thought, Man a lot of people here work at Walgreens! Because the font is the same and red just like Walgreens. I eventually figured it out.... The Washington Nationals!!! DUH!

I took the "metro" over to the Smithsonian and walked around the National Mall a bit. It's so huge! Required a lot of walking. But it's beautiful stuff they've got over there. I need to go back of course, it's too much to do and see all in one day. I just checked out the Washington Monument, WWII Memorial and Reflecting pool at some other thing I can't remember what its called. It's in the picture below past the reflecting pool. Well I didnt make it all the way to that building. It was farther than in looked. I walked halfway there from the other end of the pool, and  said forget it. I was too hot and sweaty from all the walking in the sun. I decided to head back. But it was only 10 am so I didn't want to go home after just that. I walked past the Holocaust museum and decided to check it out. It was a good museum, not the most uplifting subject... but still fascinating. They have a train car that you can walk through and some of the bunks from the camps. Eerie.

I can't wait to go back to that area with Noel this weekend. We're thinking Smithsonian. So cool!

By the time I got back to Arlington I was ravenous. I decided to stop and get a Five Guys burger on the way home. I never had one and always wanted to try it. WOOOO! I tell ya, that place is selling Love on a Bun.

Tonight Noel and I are taking Lina to Target to get her some clothes and toys. She doesn't have much for outfits other than a few dresses. She walked out of her room on Wednesday for me to walk her to school and every article of clothing she had didnt match. I shoulda taken a picture! Plaid pink skirt, tshirt with hearts printed all over it, turquoise cardigan and a lime green striped grey scarf. It took a lot for me not to laugh. I couldn't help it, I told her she didnt match. She looked at herself in the mirror and said, "Maybe you're right" and went to look for something else to wear, and she didn't have much to choose from. Hence, our shopping trip this evening. We're gonna get her some toys too, she doesn't have any here right now and won't until we move into our other apartment. She needs stuff to do other than watch TV. It's an adjustment getting used to having a step-daughter and living with her. But it's fun and she's great. I'm lucky that she is such a great kid!

Next week we are going to meet the midwives at the birth center we are looking at. Hopefully soon we will have hired our midwife and will be able to get in for an ultrasound to find out what this baby is!

That's it for today, folks!

Paz y Amor.

P.S. God Bless America and it's:
                *Toilet Seat Covers
                *Smoothie Joints & Bagged Salads
                * Skinny Cow Ice Cream
                * Greek Yogurt
                * Low fat/Sugar free stuff