It’s hard to believe that training is finally over! We’ve prepared and executed our last “camp”
(this one an abbreviated version of a life skills camp, in which we basically
just played games focused on teamwork with a bunch of 4th & 5th
graders); we’ve packed our bags and boxes, and in many cases, bikes, which will
be mailed to our sites; We had our last sessions on safety and settling into
our sites, on getting a tutor to continue learning language, etc. etc.
The last couple weeks are pretty much a blur, and
unfortunately the two moments that stand out most are both sad ones. The first was saying goodbye to my host
family. In spite of the language
barrier, we did become very close, and could actually joke with one another
towards the end of my stay with them.
They don’t have email, so snail mail will have to suffice for staying in
touch. I’m hoping to visit them after
about 3 months when all the volunteers will come back to some
as-yet-to-be-designated location for some more training and professional
development sessions. The second was the
departure of one of my better friends, an incredibly kind and thoughtful (in
both senses) woman originally from Portland, but who had been teaching in China
and rural Alaska for the past few years.
She was the fourth person of our group to return to the
States. It is an incredibly difficult
decision to make, but I’m sure that it is easier to leave before establishing
ties in a new community. I can’t speak
for my fellow volunteers, but each time someone has left, it has given me pause
and made me reflect back on why I decided to join the Peace Corps, what I left
behind, and the support of my partner, family, and friends, which enabled me to
embark on this journey.
Make no mistake, I have most definitely had moments when
I’ve thought, What in the world am I doing here in Thailand? Granted, they have also tended to coincide
with episodes like when I got a mysterious rash on my arms and stomach, ultimately
attributed to either the heat or an allergic reaction to mango leaves (I had
gone mango picking the previous day), or when there was a festival at the wat (Buddhist
temple) next door for three straight days, which meant three straight days of
ear-splitting performances until 12:30 at night and chanting starting at 5 the
next morning. But such things aside and
other than missing my partner, family, and friends, I have not had any serious doubts
about being here.
Of course, now that training is done the real challenge
begins, but that’s still in an undefined future, which will provide the main
substance of this blog, so stay tuned…
No comments:
Post a Comment