New site, new opportunities

Citalá as viewed from the hill overlooking it, with
my new friend Ale in the foreground.

Having left Toreras last Friday after ten months there, I'm now living and working in the charming town of Citalá, Chalatenango, El Salvador, located in the country's northwest. If my first six days in Citalá are any indication of what's to come, I think I'm going to be quite happy during my fourteen-or-so months here. People here are sociable and inviting, and hearteningly display great pride in their hometown, and my host family here is helpful and fun to be around. The contrasts between my new and old sites are enormous. While despair and hopelessness lamentably consumed Toreras, vibrancy prevails here. Having WiFi at home and reliable cell signal also don't hurt...

I realize that in time I am sure to encounter some sources of frustration as I begin work projects here (this is inevitable in any country), and that I am in the thick of my site "honeymoon" (as Peace Corps parlance would have it), but for now I am content to enjoy said honeymoon and be grateful for all that Citalá offers that I was not able to count on in my previous location.

That's all for now. Feel free to contact me directly with any questions.