wanderlust is a disease i can get onboard with

just as i was saying that i need to be more present to where i am, i've been thinking a lot lately about what my next step will be. it's no secret that i suffer from a severe case of wanderlust, and while i'm not leaving spain anytime soon, i'm still wondering what comes next.

where will wanderlust take me next? i think i've got it down to two options. first, move back to the states and go to grad school. i think by now i'm fairly certain that i want to study international social work and then use my degree to work in latin america with children/youth. in what capacity? still working on that part. but if i want to get back to latin america at some point (and i do!), grad school is a viable option. it will give me a masters degree that will allow me to (hopefully) get a job i want. boston college, columbia, and washu in st. louis all have great programs for int'l social work, and i'm considering all three. but at this point, if i had to pick and was accepted to all three, i'd go with bc. it just makes the most sense. it's a great program, i know people in boston, rostro de cristo is based at bc in boston and i've already met with the dean of students for the program. but what i want and what God has for me can be two different things.

option two. volunteer with the peace corps. i have given a lot of serious thought to this option over the past few months, and in many respects it feels more right right now than grad school. i'm anxious to get back to working at the grassroots level in latin america. while i want a masters and that will afford me many opportunities, there's nothing like volunteering. it gives you opportunities and experiences in a short amount of time that may take much longer in "the real world." i'll never miss durán, ecuador as a place. never. i hate that places like that exist in this world. but what i do miss about durán is the opportunities it afforded me. working with kids everyday, working with NGOs and nonprofits in south america, being among the impoverished and sharing in their joys and lows, developing friendships and partaking in the particular and peculiar culture of latin america. i've spoken with a peace corps rep who suggested i apply 9-12 months before i want to start. i've looked at the programs they offer in latin america that work with children/youth: bolivia, perú, ecuador, honduras, paraguay, costa rica, dominican republic. among those, bolivia, perú, and paraguay look the most appealing. but again, just because i want it doesn't mean it will happen. the bigger question i've asked myself in regard to volunteering is why peace corps? i think at this point in my life, if i'm going to volunteer again it's got to be with an organization that is respected and well-known; and they don't get bigger than the peace corps (plus the $7,300 at the end of your contract doesn't hurt). it's funny that this should even come up as an option now because when i first started looking for volunteer opportunities in the fall of 2006, my dad suggested the peace corps. but i wasn't ready. i couldn't commit 27 months of my life at that point. now? where do i sign up??

funny how life works. what will happen? as they say, "vamos a ver. solo Dios sabe."