Well I'm in Nicaragua where it is very hot. It's not as hot as Niger though. And it is humid I was outside for a few minutes and was dripping with sweat. It will take a little bit getting use to. I love my new group. We are all getting along well but I will miss my Niger group. It is luxurious we have real bed, electricity, internet and running water. We are rooming with four others for the first four nights before we go to our host families. There we will have our training groups about four people in each group.
Staging was boring! They did the exact same thing when I went to Niger. It was very repetitive and I just wanted to go to bed. Unfortunately I still had to participated which I guess was a good thing in the long run. It was nice to be away from home though. Wonder how long that will last until I get homesick. I know I will eventually. So mom dad cheer up I will miss you!
We are all so tired. We had to get up at 2am to get to the plane this morning so none of us got much sleep. I also didn't sleep well the night before I left so we are all running on little to no sleep. Luckily Peace Corps Nicaragua understands that and hasn't planed that much stuff for us to do. We had lunch when we got here which is good since I was hungry. NO BEANS! Yet! It was really good too, chicken, rice, salad, and roles. They had potato but I did NOT eat it. We will dive into everything tomorrow. So wish me luck! I’m excited to finally be here but my exhaustion is winning out a lot of the positive emotions. We will get to go to bed early tonight so all is well. Not much more to report right now since nothing is really going on. Just relaxing and getting to know each other.
Love all of you guys and will keep you up dated. XOXOXO
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
First Day! HOT AND HUMID
Thursday, August 25, 2011
My own thoughts and feeling uncensored
I realized a few days ago that I have informed you about the logistics that have been going on but not my own emotions and thoughts. I want to take this time to tell you about that.
When I was evacuated I was not sure if I was really ready to go back out again. I did look into direct transfer which would have me going to another country right after Niger but luckily no programs were open for me. I look at that now as a blessing in disguise. I know that I would have been fine if I did do something like that but I feel better coming home first. My fear wasn't that I wasn't ready for the challenge that a new assignment would being. My fear was not being able to serve my new village to the best of my abilities. I was unsure if I would have too much connection to Niger and the people there to be able to put my all into a new country. Since I have been home I now feel ready to take on the challenge and know that I can give Nicaragua everything that I gave Niger if not more. I have the experience of doing it before. I know what worked and didn't work last time and can improve on it. I have the confidence and go get it attitude that is needed for this job back again.
The time home was not easy even though I knew that I had to be home. I found that the first few months home were wonderful but hard. The reverse culture shock was quite a shock. I can remember going into a grocery store and wanting to get out. There was so much food! I would think that just the produce area would be enough food to feed my village for a month. The idea of so much food and how we don't appreciate it was saddening for me. I walked through the store in a daze. Mom described me as a zombie and I'm sure that is what I looked like. All I could think about was how much I wanted to be back in my village. I also went to a few of the meetings and events that return volunteers had and talked with people who were back in the US. It helped to here from others and listen to their stories.
As time passed I got adapted to like in the US and my enthusiasm to re-enroll came with a vengeance. The frustration I had with the Peace Corps happened soon after. I was offered a place in Jamaica which I later realized I didn't want. I didn't have the time to think it through and I said yes to it. I felt bad telling them no after saying yes but I remembered what on return volunteer told me. I was to be stubborn and get what I wanted, that is what I did. I was then told i was going to El Salvador. By the time that I got excited I was told I was changing. I was given an option that didn't sound like what I wanted. I was frustrated, by that point I was in US for about 4 months and just wanted to get back out and work. I was told soon after that I was to go the Nica. Yet I was to leave later, about a month later. I didn't have many options and was just glad to go and get what I wanted. Even it it meant more time at home. It was that or not going. Disheartened I began to plan my summer.
My friend from Niger began to go out and I was hearing about there wonderful adventures and wishing that I could share in their fun. I was becoming jealous of their adventures. I wanted to join them so bad but was stuck here at home. In what was beginning to feel like a prison. At this point in time I was realized that I was not going to be able to live with my parents for much longer. I had to find a way to get out of the house. They were driving me crazy just like parents were suppose to do. Not only was there a delay in my return to service but there were issues with my medical getting done. It felt like one set back after another as if I would never get to Nica.
Going to camp gave me a focus for my anger and frustration it was a distraction from the systematic life I had at home. I got to learn more Spanish and have a freedom that I wasn't getting at home. During my time at camp I tried to contact Peace Corps because I had a medical hold on my account but didn't know why. I had not number at camp that I could give them. I gave them my email in hopes that they would be able to email me about the hold. They never got back to me and I never talked to anyone in Peace Corps. It was very frustrating and with my time in the US winding down I began to fear that I wouldn't be able to go.
Coming back home and having a month to get ready was a good idea. There was still a lot of things that I needed to do, pack up my room and finish packing for Peace Corps. I also wanted to be able to say good by to my friends. My life was busy which helped distract me. However I still had a medical hold on me. I had to find a way to get rid of the hold. I didn't understand why I had to have a test when all of the past test came back negative. Peace Corps contacted me finally when I could give them a phone number. I guess it was security reasons but I will never know. However I got it done and all was well in the end. A huge weight was lifted off my shoulder.
Now it is the forever waiting for the day to come. I'm all packed and have been for two weeks now. I am only waiting nervous, and excited for the day to finally come. Having strange Peace Corps dreams and being kept up with nerves. Hope everything settles down when I get to Nica. I know it will. 4 days to go! But who's counting? LOL.
When I was evacuated I was not sure if I was really ready to go back out again. I did look into direct transfer which would have me going to another country right after Niger but luckily no programs were open for me. I look at that now as a blessing in disguise. I know that I would have been fine if I did do something like that but I feel better coming home first. My fear wasn't that I wasn't ready for the challenge that a new assignment would being. My fear was not being able to serve my new village to the best of my abilities. I was unsure if I would have too much connection to Niger and the people there to be able to put my all into a new country. Since I have been home I now feel ready to take on the challenge and know that I can give Nicaragua everything that I gave Niger if not more. I have the experience of doing it before. I know what worked and didn't work last time and can improve on it. I have the confidence and go get it attitude that is needed for this job back again.
The time home was not easy even though I knew that I had to be home. I found that the first few months home were wonderful but hard. The reverse culture shock was quite a shock. I can remember going into a grocery store and wanting to get out. There was so much food! I would think that just the produce area would be enough food to feed my village for a month. The idea of so much food and how we don't appreciate it was saddening for me. I walked through the store in a daze. Mom described me as a zombie and I'm sure that is what I looked like. All I could think about was how much I wanted to be back in my village. I also went to a few of the meetings and events that return volunteers had and talked with people who were back in the US. It helped to here from others and listen to their stories.
As time passed I got adapted to like in the US and my enthusiasm to re-enroll came with a vengeance. The frustration I had with the Peace Corps happened soon after. I was offered a place in Jamaica which I later realized I didn't want. I didn't have the time to think it through and I said yes to it. I felt bad telling them no after saying yes but I remembered what on return volunteer told me. I was to be stubborn and get what I wanted, that is what I did. I was then told i was going to El Salvador. By the time that I got excited I was told I was changing. I was given an option that didn't sound like what I wanted. I was frustrated, by that point I was in US for about 4 months and just wanted to get back out and work. I was told soon after that I was to go the Nica. Yet I was to leave later, about a month later. I didn't have many options and was just glad to go and get what I wanted. Even it it meant more time at home. It was that or not going. Disheartened I began to plan my summer.
My friend from Niger began to go out and I was hearing about there wonderful adventures and wishing that I could share in their fun. I was becoming jealous of their adventures. I wanted to join them so bad but was stuck here at home. In what was beginning to feel like a prison. At this point in time I was realized that I was not going to be able to live with my parents for much longer. I had to find a way to get out of the house. They were driving me crazy just like parents were suppose to do. Not only was there a delay in my return to service but there were issues with my medical getting done. It felt like one set back after another as if I would never get to Nica.
Going to camp gave me a focus for my anger and frustration it was a distraction from the systematic life I had at home. I got to learn more Spanish and have a freedom that I wasn't getting at home. During my time at camp I tried to contact Peace Corps because I had a medical hold on my account but didn't know why. I had not number at camp that I could give them. I gave them my email in hopes that they would be able to email me about the hold. They never got back to me and I never talked to anyone in Peace Corps. It was very frustrating and with my time in the US winding down I began to fear that I wouldn't be able to go.
Coming back home and having a month to get ready was a good idea. There was still a lot of things that I needed to do, pack up my room and finish packing for Peace Corps. I also wanted to be able to say good by to my friends. My life was busy which helped distract me. However I still had a medical hold on me. I had to find a way to get rid of the hold. I didn't understand why I had to have a test when all of the past test came back negative. Peace Corps contacted me finally when I could give them a phone number. I guess it was security reasons but I will never know. However I got it done and all was well in the end. A huge weight was lifted off my shoulder.
Now it is the forever waiting for the day to come. I'm all packed and have been for two weeks now. I am only waiting nervous, and excited for the day to finally come. Having strange Peace Corps dreams and being kept up with nerves. Hope everything settles down when I get to Nica. I know it will. 4 days to go! But who's counting? LOL.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
10 days left!
Hey all,
I'm finding that I'm getting nervous! I'm not sleeping well and I think it is linked to Nica. I have never taught successfully and I'm scared to be doing it for two year straight. I keep telling myself that they will train us but it is still daunting. I know that i will do well and that i have nothing to fear. Now if only my body will follow my mind. Oh well that is normal and it will be an amazing experience. I'm also apprehensive of my host family. Peace Corps just changed the rule that all incoming volunteers must live with a host family for the whole 2 years. I am nervous about how my family will like me and vise versa. I am also afraid that my village will judge me on my family and not on who i am. The first impression is that one that lasts after all. At least we are allowed to change our families if we want to. I know that it is for our own safety but I would rather live alone. I hope that i can still get a cat but that is something that i will have to work out with my family.
I would like to take this time to comment on the news that is around Peace Corps this past few months. Please remember that this is my personal opinion and does not reflect the ideology or opinion of Peace Corps or the US government. I feel that through my personal experience, Niger was one of the most safes places i have been. I felt as if i have a support network that i could work if something did happen. I felt like any concerns that i might have were met and i think others in my group felt the same.
Part of the culture of Niger is the lack of contact between men and women. So a simple brush of the arm could be a man coming on to you. Other cultures that might not be true. Each culture has there own way of dealing with things and what actions are considered right or wrong. This is one of the risks of going abroad whether it is to study, vacation, or Peace Corps. It is a risk that you are taking. A Peace Corps volunteer knows of these risks and accepts them as fact. Yet they also see the amazing aspect of such experience as well.
During our training we are given/explained to about situations and how to react in them. We had a skit about how to ward off unwanted attention and other incidences that could happen. They give you advice and plenty numbers to call if you need to. This is useful when you are at post but like the news said there were incidence with PC admin. However I found that I made some close friends with the PC admin and that I could go to that person if i needed. I keep this person in mind and call them if need be as well as the person you are suppose to call. this will gave me a person that I know I could trust to use if need be.
I feel that someone can be in just as much danger in an American city as they are in Peace Corps. There are incident all over the US and world it is one of the ugly parts of life. Yes Peace Corps could have handled some of the situations better than they did but every person/organization makes mistakes. There is no way that someone can predict the action of another. I am not justifying what happened or saying that Peace Corps was not in the wrong. All parts were at play here and everything has to be taken in to consideration and looked at from all sides.
Basically, I fell in love with my village in the short time I was there. I learned a lot about myself and them. I would not trade that experience and would recommend peace corps to anyone.
I'm finding that I'm getting nervous! I'm not sleeping well and I think it is linked to Nica. I have never taught successfully and I'm scared to be doing it for two year straight. I keep telling myself that they will train us but it is still daunting. I know that i will do well and that i have nothing to fear. Now if only my body will follow my mind. Oh well that is normal and it will be an amazing experience. I'm also apprehensive of my host family. Peace Corps just changed the rule that all incoming volunteers must live with a host family for the whole 2 years. I am nervous about how my family will like me and vise versa. I am also afraid that my village will judge me on my family and not on who i am. The first impression is that one that lasts after all. At least we are allowed to change our families if we want to. I know that it is for our own safety but I would rather live alone. I hope that i can still get a cat but that is something that i will have to work out with my family.
I would like to take this time to comment on the news that is around Peace Corps this past few months. Please remember that this is my personal opinion and does not reflect the ideology or opinion of Peace Corps or the US government. I feel that through my personal experience, Niger was one of the most safes places i have been. I felt as if i have a support network that i could work if something did happen. I felt like any concerns that i might have were met and i think others in my group felt the same.
Part of the culture of Niger is the lack of contact between men and women. So a simple brush of the arm could be a man coming on to you. Other cultures that might not be true. Each culture has there own way of dealing with things and what actions are considered right or wrong. This is one of the risks of going abroad whether it is to study, vacation, or Peace Corps. It is a risk that you are taking. A Peace Corps volunteer knows of these risks and accepts them as fact. Yet they also see the amazing aspect of such experience as well.
During our training we are given/explained to about situations and how to react in them. We had a skit about how to ward off unwanted attention and other incidences that could happen. They give you advice and plenty numbers to call if you need to. This is useful when you are at post but like the news said there were incidence with PC admin. However I found that I made some close friends with the PC admin and that I could go to that person if i needed. I keep this person in mind and call them if need be as well as the person you are suppose to call. this will gave me a person that I know I could trust to use if need be.
I feel that someone can be in just as much danger in an American city as they are in Peace Corps. There are incident all over the US and world it is one of the ugly parts of life. Yes Peace Corps could have handled some of the situations better than they did but every person/organization makes mistakes. There is no way that someone can predict the action of another. I am not justifying what happened or saying that Peace Corps was not in the wrong. All parts were at play here and everything has to be taken in to consideration and looked at from all sides.
Basically, I fell in love with my village in the short time I was there. I learned a lot about myself and them. I would not trade that experience and would recommend peace corps to anyone.
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