Wednesday, August 6, 2014

The Emotional Roller Coaster that is Peace Corps Life (Part 1)



Peace Corps life, also known as “The Hardest Job You’ll Ever Love,” is one of the craziest rides you’ll ever have the privilege to ride. My ride began March 13, 2013. Today is the official nine month mark before my official COS (Close of Service) date, which is May 6, 2015. It’s crazy to think it has been 17 months since I said goodbye to my parents at Sacramento International Airport, and left for Peace Corps orientation in Philadelphia. Ever since that day, I have been holding on for dear life as I careen up and down over the humps and valleys of a Peace Corps Volunteer’s (PCVs) emotional journey. In this blog, I want to track and describe, as accurately as possible, this journey.

My first month of Peace Corps, during Pre-Service Training (PST) in Okahandja, was an emotional high because I got to meet a bunch of new people, learn new things, and experience a new culture. My natural enthusiasm for all of these things carried me to new heights. However, the second month of PST was quite the emotional valley. It was due to the polar opposite of my first month’s experience, in which now, I had so many people issues, my life seemed like one big drama. To be honest, I have not been myself since then.

I must explain how Peace Corps Service is broken up before I continue. The first two months are PST, training. The three months after one relocates to site is called Phase 2, where the PCV introduces him/herself to the community and conducts a community needs assessment (CNA). After Phase 2, the PCV will get back together with his/her training group for a conference called Reconnect. Health PCVs in Namibia have two reconnects. The next official milestone in service is marked by a Mid-Service Conference, where the PCVs travel to Windhoek, the capitol of Namibia, and get full medical and dental checkups. Finally, the last official milestone is the Close of Service Conference (COS), which typically takes place 90 days before the PCV is supposed to COS (leave Peace Corps service).

I moved to site on May 10. Phase 2 was good overall, but some parts of it were emotional valleys. I got to know my community. I found the school, which has been a huge blessing, as have the people. September and October were great months! I was doing a lot of projects and spending a lot of time with my host family. However, November and December were the months from Hell! I was never so depressed and hurt during that time than I have been during any other point in my life. However, I was very thankful, and joyful. To some of those who read this blog, it might seem crazy or contradictive to say I was really depressed, but also thankful and joyful. I may have been depressed, but I really focused on things I had to be thankful for. I was thankful for having enough food, water, a good clinic, great family and friends, good health, intelligence, privileges, opportunities, etc. I felt joy because of these things, but also mainly because I had/have God as my Savior, and knew that he was using these hard times to force me to grow. I almost physically felt the growth happening. It was during that really hard time that I felt that Peace Corps Service had already proved itself worth the time and difficulties.

December 30 was when my fortunes, and months of difficulties, changed for the better. I met some wonderful people on vacation in Swakopmund: two German girls, a British guy, a South African, and a Botswana PCV and her Batswana boyfriend. Meeting them gave me hope and set off the best six months of my service, thus far. I was in pure Euphoria during those six months. I don’t think I had many days where I was down or discouraged. I got to travel a lot. I went to South Africa and all over Namibia for different Peace Corps events, such as training Group 39; attending workshops; going to Mid-Service Conference; and preparing and working at a youth camp.

To be continued…

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