I’ve gotten used to New Years in the jungle. Allison and I both have. As a result, I think that we sometimes forget to warn unsuspecting victims about the insanity that will ensue when midnight strikes.

This year was no different. Poor group…I’ll try to be better about reminding them in the future.

December 31st was a packed day for our team. We decided to spend New Years with the boys of Puerto Alegria and the boys from the center in Iquitos. We started the day off at Quistacocha (a zoo/park/beach) in Iquitos. After exploring the zoo, we wandered down to the beach for a relaxing swim. By relaxing swim, I mean an hour long game of tag where teams seem oddly divided: it’s you versus 20+ Peruvian children.

After a morning of animal gazing and swimming, we were all hungry and we headed to a restaurant in town known for its rotisserie chicken.  The kids love the opportunity to go to a restaurant and fill up on french fries and soda. We wouldn’t want to deny them that opportunity, now would we? Full on  a lunch of roasted chicken and french fries, we wandered over to the theatre to watch Arthur’s Christmas. Surprisingly cute- I think most of us look forward to watching it in English next time.

After returning home to Puerto Alegria, we washed up, ate dinner, and started preparing the dining hall for the New Years celebration. This included yellow balloons, a LOT of streamers, and the daunting task of repairing an already busted pinanta without duct-tape. (Well done, Tyler.)

For the next few hours, we danced, laughed, and waited for the countdown. At the strike of midnight everyone celebrated, hugged, and headed out to the soccer field where a bonfire and fireworks await. The little ones run around with sparklers, and giggle incessantly. Don’t get caught watching them for too long though or you run the risk of being nailed in the leg with a firework. At Puerto Alegria, not all fireworks go upward. They seem to come at you from all angles; so, New Year’s turns into a game similar to dodge ball. Not exactly the American version of fireworks where you sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

It was an eventful, exhausting, and amazing day. There’s no where else I’d rather welcome in the New Year that in the middle of the Peruvian jungle, surrounded by a wonderful team, and the children I love most in the world.

Here’s to new beginnings and a year of promise, full hearts, and inexpressible joy.

Happy New Years to all of you!