Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Monday, January 20, 2014
Now That I'm Back...
I was going to write a whole reflective thing about being back, culture shock, how food is amazing, stores freaking me out, etc, but then I found this.
http://rpcvcallme.tumblr.com/
It's better.
http://rpcvcallme.tumblr.com/
It's better.
Leaving Tanzania or Pretend It's November
In the last few months I have thought a lot about what I wanted to write, but never actually did it. I made it a priority to soak up every last minute I had in my village and in Tanzania, and writing it down never made it to the top of the priorities list.
July- Schedule COS (Close of Service) Date.
I was a mess that day. My best friend called to tell me what date she had picked and to find out what I was choosing, what were my travel plans afterwards, with whom was I travelling.... I had no idea, all I knew was I was working at clinic and anything after that was not on my radar. Something I learned about myself in Peace Corps is that I am not a planner, but more than that, I wasn't ready to leave. I was very much stuck in my village, in my day-to-day life, and I wasn't ready to think about "after."
I scheduled my date, and then curled up in the fetal position on my bed and cried because I felt like I had chosen the wrong date, it was too soon, I was quitting.
August- COS Conference.
This is when tax payer dollars send us to a nice resort to eat too much Indian food and talk about how to adjust back to America. Remember what a resume is? Remember how to look for jobs? Remember how to do an interview? Start thinking about going back to America.
September-October- Ok, I'm ready now!
COS Conference did it's job- a little too well. Back in my village for the next three months, I am all ready to look for work and be back in America... BUT I'M NOT. Very frustrating. But, I was also trying to soak it all in; I noticed I was lot more patient with people, I enjoyed the sunrise, sunset, and stars so much more. The lack of variety, or the lack of food, didn't bother me as much. I spent a lot more time with my favorite people.
November- Um, not ready anymore!
My baba planned a trip for the two of us to go to his family's home in Mwanga. He was so excited- he had been talking about doing this the whole two years I had been there. I did not want to go. It would be like homestay all over again! No privacy, no place to get away, overwhelming. I was having separation anxiety from staying somewhere did that have my couch in it.....
It was like homestay. But. I knew the language. We could talk and make jokes, I could explain myself. It made my baba so happy; I had never seen him so excited. I saw a cow give birth. I got fat, eating meat everyday. I learned about a new tribe. This full circle experience- returning to homestay- made me not want to leave. Made me love all the things I had yet to learn and experience.
27 November- COS Date
July- Schedule COS (Close of Service) Date.
I was a mess that day. My best friend called to tell me what date she had picked and to find out what I was choosing, what were my travel plans afterwards, with whom was I travelling.... I had no idea, all I knew was I was working at clinic and anything after that was not on my radar. Something I learned about myself in Peace Corps is that I am not a planner, but more than that, I wasn't ready to leave. I was very much stuck in my village, in my day-to-day life, and I wasn't ready to think about "after."
I scheduled my date, and then curled up in the fetal position on my bed and cried because I felt like I had chosen the wrong date, it was too soon, I was quitting.
August- COS Conference.
This is when tax payer dollars send us to a nice resort to eat too much Indian food and talk about how to adjust back to America. Remember what a resume is? Remember how to look for jobs? Remember how to do an interview? Start thinking about going back to America.
September-October- Ok, I'm ready now!
COS Conference did it's job- a little too well. Back in my village for the next three months, I am all ready to look for work and be back in America... BUT I'M NOT. Very frustrating. But, I was also trying to soak it all in; I noticed I was lot more patient with people, I enjoyed the sunrise, sunset, and stars so much more. The lack of variety, or the lack of food, didn't bother me as much. I spent a lot more time with my favorite people.
November- Um, not ready anymore!
My baba planned a trip for the two of us to go to his family's home in Mwanga. He was so excited- he had been talking about doing this the whole two years I had been there. I did not want to go. It would be like homestay all over again! No privacy, no place to get away, overwhelming. I was having separation anxiety from staying somewhere did that have my couch in it.....
It was like homestay. But. I knew the language. We could talk and make jokes, I could explain myself. It made my baba so happy; I had never seen him so excited. I saw a cow give birth. I got fat, eating meat everyday. I learned about a new tribe. This full circle experience- returning to homestay- made me not want to leave. Made me love all the things I had yet to learn and experience.
27 November- COS Date
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