Retos y Triunfos.

Hola todos! No puedo creer que hoy ya terminamos con el mes de febrero. ¡Púchica! I just looked back, and my last post was February 1. So, I guess this means I’ll start out and end the month with a blog….

February flew by! I am feeling a lot more at home in Fort Collins and, other than the snowstorm we had a few days ago, the weather here has been amazing. I made it through another week of waiting in early February, and then found out that I got both jobs. It has been great! I am on-call at the homeless shelter, which has been challenging at times (a story on this later) but very rewarding, and Starbucks is a perfect fit for me.

Kelsey and I (well, mostly Kelsey..) enjoying the SNOW!

I have made it down to Denver a couple times and fallen in love. A couple of weeks ago, I was able to spend the weekend with my friend Joel, who lives in downtown as part of a volunteer program. We had a great time exploring downtown and were able to meet up with another great friend, Meagan, for dinner. On my way back to Fort Collins, I met up with Julie (from my group in Guate!). It was so great to see her, reminisce about the last six months, and talk about what we’re doing now.

A late-afternoon walk through downtown Denver...

Now, a little bit more about my new jobs…(!). Starbucks has been fantastic so far. My trainer is really nice, and I have learned how to make a lot of drinks. I have also learned other things, like how to run the cash register, by pure trial-and-error (and embarrassment). Late last week, they needed extra help taking orders, and after asking if I knew how to count back change (I said yes because it seemed easy enough, even though I don’t think I have actually done it before), they assumed that meant I knew how to run a cash register. So, there I was: 4 PM rush, people ordering drinks I didn’t even know existed – much less how to ring them up on the register – as I was scrambling to make things work as best I could. I quickly learned that a big smile got me as far as anything. I made a lot of mistakes, but I left at the end of my shift feeling really accomplished and proud. It was small, but I had thrown myself far outside of my comfort zone and survived. And, looking back, I learned A LOT about how to ring up drinks that day.

My green apron! Finally official. 

I just finished training at the shelter last week, and now they have turned me loose to run the place during my eight-hour shifts. I love it! It is nice to have more independence with the job, and I am meeting some great people. My view of homelessness and its causes has been broadened a lot in the past couple of weeks. I got baptized by fire last night when a man came in with stroke-like symptoms. I knew I needed to call 911, so I did that, but while I was waiting for the paramedics to arrive, the man went unconscious and stopped breathing. I have never been so terrified in my life. There I was, all alone, and completely helpless – with my only consolation being the calming voice of the operator on the phone. I got the man onto the floor and was getting ready to perform CPR when he came back and started breathing again. The paramedics arrived within five minutes, but it seemed like hours. I decided I’m ready to be a doctor already. Get at me, med school!

We have had some great days for running here. I've got 3 months 'til the San Diego Marathon!

I have already learned so much from my time here. I am discovering weaknesses and strengths that I didn’t know I had. And, although I am missing Guatemala and being free to travel around Central America every weekend, I think it is really good for me to get this taste of the ‘real world’ before med school. I am learning how difficult it is to make ends meet with minimum-wage jobs, but also how important and uplifting it is to have ‘work’ be something you love doing. There is a lot to life that I didn’t realize within the figurative ‘walls’ of a college campus, and as I learn those new things, I am making every effort to apply them to my life in positive ways as I start becoming a ‘grown-up.’

On a random, (not-so-little) side note: I decided to apply for Georgetown’s MBA program as part of their dual-degree MD/MBA! There is a lot to it, and things have to move pretty quickly to meet the deadlines. So, I took the GMAT on Tuesday (thankfully, it went great!) and am finishing up the application this weekend. Hopefully I’ll be heading out to DC for an interview in a month or two. Fingers crossed. J

I have had time to make some new music recordings. Check out the newest one here! 

I hope your February has been great and that March brings a lot of blessings, helpful challenges, and joy. Te extraño, and I hope things are going well!

Paz,

Nico (I wish people in the States called me this now…I miss it!)

Amigos, Carros y Cambios.

¡Feliz (casi) fin de semana y febrero, todos! I’m enjoying my third lunch at Panera since being back in the States and wow – I missed this place! It has been a whirlwind couple of weeks, with some time in Omaha to see some great friends and moving out to Fort Collins. The important things: I am safe, healthy, and really loving living out in the mountains for the first time.

I met up with Kelsey (from Spearfish, SD) in Vermillion on my drive down to Omaha! 

I managed to fit my entire life (keyboard and guitar included) into my car and made my way to Omaha mid-January. Apparently my driving skills got a little rusty during my time in Guate: I got caught speeding through Sioux City by a traffic camera (okay, maybe just my ability to notice speed limit signs needs a little work). The week in Omaha couldn’t have been more refreshing. Honestly, at first it felt a little weird being back on Creighton’s campus for the first time as an alum. Once I started seeing people I knew though, it immediately felt like home again, although in a different way. It was great to be in Omaha and have nothing on my schedule other than seeing people. I stayed with Justin and Eric, who are now in med school (crazy!), and we had a great time. I may have OD’d on frozen yogurt, which is fine by me…

I got some great flying time in during my week in Omaha. I miss it already!

Last Wednesday, I downloaded an audiobook and made the 8-hour drive across Nebraska to my new home in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is beautiful here! I am living with Kelsey, one of my best friends from Creighton who is going to grad school at CSU. We (well, mostly Kelsey – I watch and try to help where I can) have been cooking some great meals, have gone on some great runs, and have explored a lot of the city and campus.

I wasn't kidding about the food. Yummmmmmm.

I have been going a little stir-crazy lately and am learning first-hand that the word ‘job-hunting’ really is like hunting: I spend time scouring websites like Craig’s List for listings, sending in cover letters and resumes, and getting really excited when I hear back from someone. I interviewed at a couple financial investment firms last week, which I thought would be a good challenge and learning experience. However, I quickly realized these opportunities required a lot more commitment (time and career-wise) than I am willing to give with med school starting in August, so I ended up turning a job offer down. It felt really great to actually get a ‘job’ though, and the invitation meant as much as anything.

My new room! Thanks for the artwork above my bed, Adyson :)

So, that brings things up to speed for today. I just finished an interview for a staff position at a homeless shelter (fingers crossed --- I loved it!) and have an interview at Starbucks on Monday. Both jobs would be part-time, and how cool would it be to work at a homeless shelter AND learn how to make some awesome drinks?!

This week, although it has challenged my patience, has been a great opportunity for me to slow down a bit. I made no-bake cookies for the first time. I recorded a few songs in my new studio (a.k.a. my bedroom that has been taken over by music equipment). And, I have been working on a lot of those things at the bottom of my to-do list –- the ‘wish list’ things you never really actually expect to get done. I am learning to take more reflection time and to embrace the silence and time alone rather than fear it. Wow--- I think I might be starting to grow up a bit. Weird!

Celebrating Rachel's birthday --- ¡feliz cumple!  

Here’s to the weekend, days filled with opportunity and change, and embracing the silence when we find it. I am thinking of you and hope things are going well!

Paz,

Nico

Aviones, Buses, Carros y Lanchas!

It is a surreal experience sitting here in my bedroom at home in SoDak, reading over some of my past blog posts nearly a month after finishing the Somos Hermanos program in Guatemala. Some things have returned back to normal as I work on settling back into life in the States, and other things remind me that a part of my life (and heart) will always be in the mountains of Guatemala.

The last month has flown by with a nearly 50-hour bus ride throughout Central America to visit Mike, a great friend from Creighton, followed by the holidays at home and a family vacation down to St. Maarten. It has been a lot of traveling, a lot of eating, and a lot of family time: all great things in my book.

Adyson and I have been working hard to stay in shape after all of those Christmas cookies...

The trip down to Ecuador was…eventful. I am proud to say I actually made the bus ride from Guatemala to Panama before flying down to Ecuador, and I met some great people along the way. We had a nine-hour layover in El Salvador, where I was able to meet up with the girl who coordinated our group trip there, and we had a great time (including karaoke, español style!). The bus had some issues in Costa Rica, and so we ended up getting to Panama only an hour before my flight. Bags flying and totally stressed out, I found a great taxi driver who tried to help me make it to the airport in time any way he could (I'll leave it at that). After a little begging, I was able to get on the flight to Ecuador that left only 25 minutes after I got to the airport. Whew!

Scuba diving in Ayangue, Ecuador -- Merry Christmas from under-water Jesus and me! 

Once I got to Ecuador, I spent a day on the coast at Ayangue to go scuba diving and relax before heading to Guayaquil to see Mike. It was a great time to unwind! And, seeing Mike – and his girlfriend Emily, who was visiting at the same time – was incredible. It was great to meet the people he works with and spend time in the community where he is volunteering this year.

Reunited in Guayaquil!

I made the flight back home and surprised my parents by getting back a little early. It was really surreal being back with my family, and it was great to be home for the holidays! I’m sure they have seen more pictures and heard more stories from my last few months than they were expecting, but they have been great listeners and I love sharing.

The family at Christmas, finally all together again.

Two weeks later, I packed my bags again for a family vacation to St. Maarten in the Caribbean. Honestly, it almost felt more like ‘going home’ than going on vacation in a way – and it was great to speak a little Spanish and enjoy the sun! We came back on Saturday night to freezing temperatures, snow, and ice. All I can say is…brrrr.

Enjoying the relaxing isolation of Shoal Bay. I could have stayed here a while longer! 

So there you have it – a long-overdue update on where things are at post-Guate! If I had to pick one word to describe my life over the past six months, I think it would be ‘packing’. And, it continues. I am packing now and getting ready to head out on my next adventure by moving to Colorado to live with a great friend, Kelsey, and get my first ‘real job’ (and hopefully keep traveling a little bit!) until I head out to D.C. in the summer to start med school. I’ll be making a short stop by Omaha to see friends on my way and absolutely cannot wait.

Every day continues to amaze me, and I am loving the adventure. It’s time for another chapter and another change. One of the biggest things this year has done for me so far is help me realize that change is what you make it, and adaptability is vital. With that in mind, I am going to continue trying to make my entire life (keyboard included) fit into my car and make the long trek to the Rocky Mountains.

Te extraño, te quiero, and if I haven’t seen you yet, I hope to see you soon!

Paz,

Nico