Love/Hate

Nearly a year ago, my mom told me that she got something from the Peace Corps in the mail for parent sof new volunteers.  It said that said that it wasn’t uncommon for a volunteer to hate their first year and then love their second year so much that they would be hesitant to leave when their service finished.  While I don’t think I hated my first year, it was undoubtedly difficult.  I can’t even begin to list all of the challenges I faced, with my community, my job as a volunteer and personally.

While the first half of that generalization of service was only somewhat accyurate the second half is undoubtedly true.  Since returning to Ghana from the U.S. in mid July, with about one year of my service left, I have had a spark of motivation.  I attended the leadership camp for the Deaf, began a personal arts practice, a mediation practice and an exercise regimen.  I saw to completion the IST I have been working on for months.  I have plans focusing on HIV/AIDS education and working with the students at my school with additional disabilities as well as with the blind students.  I have something penciled into every weekend for the next 2 months! I wake up energized and excited by the things I have to do.

In some ways, the letter from the Peace Corps to my mom was incorrect but in other ways, it was spot on! I’m looking forward to this next year and all that I expect to achieve!