Katie

One of my things with meeting new people is if you can make fun of me within the first hour of knowing me, then we´re probably going to get along just fine. If you laugh at something I say within that initial hour, we could become the best of friends.
Before I came back to Bolivia, I was told that another girl would be living with us. I thought, "Great, she´s probably sleeping in my bed and using my desk." I was right about the bed, but at least she gave up the mattress that fits my six foot frame.
Arriving at the apartment early in the morning, Katie walked out of her room in her pyjamas...well, I thought they were her PJ´s but it turns out she was dressed and ready for the day.
It´s not that she looked bad, in fact, Katie is one of the prettiest girls I know. She works out everyday, but stopped running. Here in Cochabamba, a bouncing beauty attracts waaaaay to much unwanted attention.
Even though I only got to live and hang out with Katie for a total of two weeks, in those days I met a person who made me laugh and laughed at me. Our conversations were blunt, honest, and meaningful. I like her because she thought it was great when I used the word "chortled" in one of my stories.
Our experiences living and working in Bolivian culture were frighteningly similar. It was almost healing to be able to talk about the uncertain items in our soup or the state of the bathroom or the little hop from foot to foot that a certain someone does.
The most hilarious has to be the permeating smell that invades her room (what used to be my room) and the fact that it disturbed both of us so much...thinking that maybe it was our shoes or something on our bodies. Let´s just reiterate again, that the reek does not and never did originate with us...it is certainly something that the lovely Chiqui left behind at some point in her travels. May that room remain forever vacant!
Anyway, this blog may bore some, but I´m writing it for my "studmuffin" of a friend....don´t ask me but, she calls her girlfriends "studmuffin".
Y en español para la Katie:
El hogar no es el mismo sin tí. Ya se que estabas conmigo por dos semanas no más, pero fue un tiempo muy divertido y lindo para mí. Siempre voy a acordarme de tí y espero que tu vida ande bendicida y excelente. Teniamos nuestros tiempos de reir y compartir y es una lastima que nuestras trés meses no fueron iguales. Eres una chica inolvidable y espero que Luke supe como bendicido es para tener una novia bien bonita y enamorada con Dios. Que te vayas bien por siempre y tengo los mejores deseos para tí, para Luke, y para tu familia entera!! Bendiciones de Bolivia!!!