When you join the Peace Corps you are committing to 27 months of service. 3 months of training and 2 years of service. Just reflecting on the times when we arrived into country it feels like it was yesterday, a lifetime ago and a dream all at the same time.
I remember hearing how people would ET (early termination of service ie. leave early) and when I first got to country I would ask "but HOW after you did all that paper work!?" After my first week here I was more like, "I mean I don't think I would leave early, but I see how people can", Then after tough times in training or those first few months at site I was like "Lord PLEASE just let me cross the finish line!!" Well today officially marks that finish line, so Thank you God again for answering my prayers.
Don't get me wrong. Somewhere in there you stop counting the months. Somewhere along the way you realize this isn't just a project, it's your life. A time where you find the balance of integrating, being culturally sensitive all the while being able to be yourself and comfortable in your own skin. Ah, yes the search for BALANCE!
It trips me out that today is our official COS day and it trips me out even more that, for me, it's just another Friday. As you all know I have decided to extend and will be staying here another year! I knew when I set the goal to join the Peace Corps that I would absolutely LOVE it. As years passed by and I started working instead of going straight out of college, I almost let this dream pass me by. I told myself, "You'll be turning 30 while you're there, maybe just apply when your 50 because right now is when you should be married with kids" Well I wasn't, and I was also in a line of work that wasn't fulfilling me. I am really pleased that I reached my goal, completed the task and am ready for more!
I knew I was going to find people to connect with, friends for life, experience challenges and have a blast through it all.
What I never expected was, living in a city as a volunteer, having security issues, getting a site change (making me one of those "special cases") and Extending. These are things I did not envision when I would daydream about what my life would be like. I knew the office may not even know me because I was going to be so under the radar and involved in my site that they wouldn't have to worry about me. The things I didn't expect are things if I KNEW were going to happen I would have projected that that's something I wouldn't be able to handle. I'm a big scaredy cat, so if I knew I would be robbed, would I have still come? If I knew I was going to get close to an amazing group of women only to then have to leave midway through my service would I have even bothered to enter in to such a relationship? If I knew coming to an unknown land I would be having starting anew three different times, in training, then Guayaquil and THEN again Sua would it have sounded like WAY to much work and drama to even deal with?
You never know where the path will take you. Sure it sounds cliche but it is the truth. On this day August 19th, we have fellow 102ers that had to go early and it was always sad to see them go. We have volunteers that have COSed as early as July 21st as they embark on their next adventure, the bulk of us will be leaving today and there are a handful of that have signed on for MORE time here in country.
I am really excited to see what this next chapter brings. I am so pleased that I was able to stick it out on the challenging days and I am content to the highest degree at this time. What's next? Only time will tell, but I've learned to be open, flexible and optimistic about whatever the winds bring my way, for it always works out for the best in the end.
Congrats 102 We did it!!!
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