My first year of service...
There's so much to say. So many thoughts going through my head. So many feelings in my heart. Part of me is just counting down the days until I'm back in the States, continuing my life. Then there is the other "me" who feels nervous and even a little worried about only having one more year of service, projects, and the "vida Mocambicana".
It basically boils down to this: I'm extremely homesick and also mentally exhausted from the daily ebb and flow of Peace Corps life. Yet, at the same time there are still so many things left to do before I can go home. I won't truly feel like I've completed my service unless I accomplish the few (but rather grand) goals I have set for myself.
But I digress...
...The point of this post is not to worry about what lies ahead of me, but rather to recollect and reflect on what I've already done, seen, and experienced during my service.
In just one calendar year I have learned to effectively communicate in a new (and rather complicated) language. I've become so comfortable with my Portuguese that I have been able to give small-group lectures on various health topics. I've lived on my own for the first time EVER! I've made what I hope will be lifelong friends and have even earned a nickname based on my more maternal nature. I've been accepted and loved by a whole new family and community. I've learned to subsist on the bare minimun (much to my mother's chagrin-but sometime it be's like that). I've tested my will and courage by tackling large spiders, giant fish and "integrating" into a whole new world. I have fallen in love with the cutest cat and dog this side of the Zambeze river and learned to find peace and contentment in being alone. I have become my own loctician and manicurist and have found that I am actually very good at both! I've survived and managed to successfully navigate Mozambican public transit. I've turned a reed hut into my HOME. I have learned how to blend savory and sweet into some of the most delicious dishes I have ever tasted. I have come up against agism and sexism and proved my worth as a young, educated woman in each situation. I have provided counsel to my fellow volunteers. I have amassed an impressive collection of handmade, custom clothing made from traditional fabrics. I've lost weight, and learned to incoporate exercise into my everyday life. I've learned some new dance moves to bring back to the US club scene. I can speak about 10 phrases in the local dialect and can count to 5, which really impresses the older ladies at work.
Yes...my first year has been full of so much. There have been tears, laughter, anxiety, excitement, hugs, early mornings, songs and dances, large locally brewed beers, experiments with food, cultural exchange, fun and most of all tremendous personal growth.
As I enter my second year, I am feeling more confident and am ready to take on whatever life throws at me. I have been extremely blessed to have this opportunity to fulfill a dream I've had for a very long time.
In year two I am planning to start a club for adolescent girls, a home garden, income generation projects for the organizations I've been assigned to, a road saftey activity, and so much more. I am going to travel more, laugh more, love more and enjoy the time I have left.
They say the second year goes by even quicker than the first. So, with that said...I better get on it!!!
Peace & Love
~Mama J In Moz~
No comments:
Post a Comment