This has been quite an experience in Bolivia, again. I am honored to have continued working with the San Miguel del Bala eco-lodge, a very impressive and inspiring community-owned and operated ecotourism association. A few notes on work: I continued translating in the office and on tours. I continued to rework the volunteer program. I am redoing the website. That plus a little more. If you still feel like you are lacking information on exactly what this lodge is and what I am doing, don’t hesitate to ask me - it would be a great pleasure to share, samw(at)unc(dot)edu

Now, I would like to say how thankful I am for knowing Constantino Nay, the manager of the San Miguel del Bala eco-lodge. I wrote an article that touches on his _____ (I don’t know what word fits best, perhaps abilities, personality, awesomeness?) that I can share with you if you would like to learn more (it’s not yet published on the internet).

I’m 20 years old and will graduate in May of 2010. I’ve got lots of work ahead and will have to bust my tail this year, but I am reassured that things will work out because of people like Constantino Nay. Where is the best balance between being a good person, being practical, being selfless…and more…? Growing up, it seems easier to be more practical than idealistic. Constantino is a perfect example of putting those two together. We live and we learn, and we do not always understand everything. Still, if you can ever put those two together at some point in your adult life, then that is a valiant accomplishment.

In the book, “What is the What?” or as I have described it here in Bolivia “Qué es el Que?”, there is a story about an incredibly important life choice. There is a choice of either cattle(ganado), or ‘the what’ (el que). The way the story goes, the ganado is the superior choice because you are provided with the guarantee of food, milk, fertile land and more cows. The way the story goes, we don’t know what el que is but initially we learn choosing it would have been the worse decision. I enjoy the book, and understand that in choosing the ganado, there are guarantees and you know what you are getting. Throughout the book, the main character ponders what is ‘el que’. I want to ask ‘what more can you do with the ganado?’ It seems too easy to choose the ganado. In choosing the que, there are no guarantees and only risks because we have no idea what el que could turn out to be. Still, with the que, your possibilities are *endless*. Perhaps with the vaca, your possibilities of what you can do with the cow are endless as well. Still, are you more likely to remain content with the cattle rather than aspire for anything greater. This is perhaps a great example of choice involving risk and practicality. From my point of view, you have to choose the que, but you cannot choose the que irresponsibly. As I learned this year thanks to a good friend, <>
Gracias Constantino por escoger ‘el que’. Gracias por seguir su corazón, y utilizar su mente para realizar sus sueños.

Final Notes
While in Bolivia this year, someone noted about my University of North Carolina ‘NC hat’ that it could also stand for Constantino Nay just as easily as North Carolina or Carolina del Norte. No doubt, every time I see that symbol (a lot), I will think just as much about our awesome university and basketball team as I will about my estimado amigo Constantino.

This year, I’ve learned so much more about who I am, how who I am impacts my relationships with others, how expectations and assumptions skew understandings of who we all are, and how this all ties into my work and studies.

Most importantly, it has been reaffirmed that, indeed, ‘todo es posible’. Everywhere, all around us are examples, even if we don’t always realize it.

I could write a list of things I will miss and am grateful for. That would take up the whole page.

Uno por todo, todo por uno
Samuel