Ilana in the Cloud Forest

Happy Sunday!! I hope you all had restful weekends. This week I was mainly focused on wrapping up my first project, closing accounts and adding some finishing touches.  On Monday, I spent the day up at the high school, helping with the installation of new pipes to provide the high school with easier access to running water. By installing new pipes, we were also able to create a connection close to the cisterns to be able to fill them up with a hose during times when they aren't able to collect rainwater and when there is running water in the community. Ideally, the cisterns will be filled up with rainwater rather than water from the tap, but it is equally important that the cisterns have water in general to prevent them from cracking. And right now, while there is running water in the community, it is important that we fill the cisterns up, because in a few months when the dry season comes, who knows if there will be enough water for the community. It will be important for the scho...

Good evening, everyone, And Happy 2025! This is the first edition of my newsletter in the new year. I'm hoping all of you have entered the new year feeling refreshed and ready to take on the year ahead of us.  I personally am feeling pretty great after taking a long winter break, and now that I am back in Neblinas, I am ready to hit the ground running and make the most of the next 9 months.  To recap, when I last wrote, I had finished my first cistern project and was leaving for my winter break.  My first stop was to San Luis Potosí to visit my friend  Ellie who works as a Peace Corps volunteer at one of the universities outside of the city. San Luis is a big-ish city, not unlike Querétaro, with lots of culture and charm. While there, Ellie and I walked around the historic center, visited museums, saw  ✨Wicked✨  the movie (my second time watching, Ellie's first),  and just generally enjoyed each other’s company! I'm grateful to Ellie for hosting me and...