I´ve just returned from a very refreshing four days in the rural community of Miraflor. The area was absolutely stunning...there were rolling hills, huge storybook trees that had either spanish moss hanging from their branches or beautiful brilliant yellow flowers, cactus galore, and the general feel of being in the middle of a jungle. And it really was out in the middle of nowhere...it was a 3 hour drive from managua, an hour of which was up a winding, narrow dirt road that may be the bumpiest ride i´ve ever experienced. The stay in Miraflor was exactly what i needed...i had been a bit homesick/stressed with schoolwork the week before, but my time soaking up the countryside, relaxing in the hammocks, and playing with all the adorable farm animals at my house (puppies, piglets, cows, chicks, and horses!) I milked my first cow and this has completely refreshed me for these last few weeks of the program. My host mother was incredible...she is one of the leaders of the women´s cooperative in miraflor and has built a beautiful house and family...staying with her reminded me of being out at the lake(my grandma´s house)...surrounded by tons of beautiful flowers and good food. There was limited electricity(only a few houses were powered by solar panels) and so bedtime was very early...on average during our stay, we went to bed at about 8pm and woke up at around 6am to make tortillas and help milk the cows and help get water from the well- theres no running water there-which is definitely a lot harder than it looks! The stay was also refreshing temperature wise...since it´s located up in the mountains it´s a lot cooler than managua...it was the longest chunk of time since Guatemala that i went without sweating. Alas, we packed up our bags this morning and returned home to our hot and humid managua...i was really sad to leave, but hope to return someday...