1 day...let the long strange trip begin!

It has been months since I have applied and was accepted to the Peace Corps. I have been talking about it, thinking about it, and worrying about it for so long. I have been saying for months that it is time to go! That I've just got to go do it. However, here I am one day out with so many more questions, anxieties, and fears; while simultaneously having feelings of excitement, joy, and wanderlust. It is just such a weird juxtaposition of emotions, and I feel so odd.

Regardless of what emotions of fear and uncertainty remain in my thoughts, I can't deny how absolutely excited I am to get to Ethiopia and learn about how an entirely different culture exists and how they live a totally different life than I did in America. Lives so different, though we all exist on the same planet. I am reminded of a Tame Impala Lyric from the song "Apocalypse Dreams" the first line says "This could be the day that we push through, it could be the day that all our dreams come true..." then a couple lines later Kevin Parker sings "Are you too terrified to do your best?" I'm listening to Tame Impala's performance at panorama 2018 and Kevin sang those lyrics and it felt like he was speaking directly to me. I am so terrified of so many things regarding this transition, but I can't let myself be so terrified that I don't do the best job I can for the kids I teach and the community I serve.

Going back to that thought about existing on the same physical world, but living completely different lives; Cultural exchange is so important. I cannot wait to show them my culture and how I live while also having them teach me what they do on a daily basis. Too often I think "less developed" countries get painted as hopeless and war torn. There must be more to the story than that, yes of course they have faced a lot of struggle and have a lot of systemic issues to deal with on a daily basis...but like, so does america.

I am too excited to get out and see the world. my flight to staging in D.C. leaves tomorrow at 0900 and I couldn't be more scared and inspired to begin this chapter of my life.

As the grateful dead sing "Keep on truckin'!"

Peace & Love

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A box of rain will ease the pain and love will see you through.

So! Here I am, in Illubabor, at my home for the next waggaa lama (two years). It’s such a beautiful spot; i’m smackdab in the middle of yayo forrest which is a micro climate that is like nothing else I’ve ever seen. There are caves that expose geologic features that are only present here and in Iceland. The land is almost as beautiful people that live on it. This country and the people within it surprise me everyday, my compound family at my site was welcoming me with open arms into their family. They have given me a home that has two rooms,  that are 4 meters by 4 meters each. That is massive for peace corps standards. I really can’t say enough good things about my living situation. I’m in a compound with many c hildren that were just sitting in the threshold of my home watching me set up everything. I have concrete floors and nicely painted walls and electricity! Which is a lot more than what can be said about others in my cohort. I was also able to visit my hub town prior to my arri
Read more

There is a road, no simple highway

Life makes no sense sometimes. Here especially. People go on living their lives like they know nothing else and that’s because that’s exactly the case. Most people I know back in the states would cringe at the life most people live here, and yetEthiopians carry on with some of the purest smiles in the world. Some things are the same though, after many summers as a camp counselor, I’ve grown sensitive to the way children act; children are the same here. Always playing, always laughing, always smiling. However I see a connection with the kidshere that I didn’t see in the states. These kids rely on eachother with a capacity for a sort of guarded trust that isn’t even seen in most adults in America let alone the children. They also round up the gang the moment a couple of white guys (myself and my coworker) roll up on the block - fist bumps and high fives are given and a never ending stream of “chow!” And “bye-bye” is heard until we are both out of site. At the end of the day, it’s this ex
Read more

Min Albat...

6/23/19 I moved in with my host family yesterday (6/22). My host father is a 55-year-old carpenter, with 6 children, but only one lives with them full time; a daughter, who is a student. I met only my host-dad. He had the largest smile on his face when we met and gave me a big hug. That has to be the most striking piece of Ethiopian culture; while I get a lot of looks, and a lot of people stare, everyone is so welcoming. Even people that know nothing about me other than the way I look come up to me and say “Welcome” and “Salam-no.” While many of them wear Arsenal football jerseys, their kindness is none the less well received…even when I am representing Manchester United! The first time I met the rest of my host family was about an hour after the first awkward meeting of me and my father. There is a clear language barrier between myself and my family but they are, at every step, patient, kind, and willing to help me learn. My group (G21) found out what language we all had to lear
Read more