Thoughts After Two Weeks

Two years. I remember thinking about being back home when I was still in the training village and how long away that would be. I remember the excitement of finding out my placement after a sometimes frustrating year of an application process--a process that has since changed. Twice. I remember being asked what my plans were after Peace Corps and I also remember having an answer. I remember that days would drag on and on while weeks and months would rush by. I remember my idealistic goals for my service and I remember how those adapted to reality. I remember much about the last two years yet I can't believe that it's actually been that long.

While I was in-country, I would cross off each completed day on a calendar in my daily planner. I didn't do this out of malice for my site but rather because I enjoyed seeing the days build up. The calender I used could fit the entire two years on one page so it was a great visual of the length of time I lived in Samoa compared to the time I had left or compared to the time I had spent elsewhere prior to Peace Corps. It was soothing on both rough days and the more agreeable.

I've been back in the US for almost 2 weeks now. Time is still in a vortex that seems to morph its progression. It feels like I've been back for months and at the same time only a matter of days. My mood is in a similar vortex. There are days that I am excited and hopeful for the future. There are days that I am anxious about employment, student loans, my living situation, and almost anything else one can be anxious about. I've had the luxury of staying with family who live here and seeing family who have been in town visiting for the last week. All-in-all, it's feeling right.

I'll write more about how exactly I left (I didn't actually COS for those of you who know what that means), what the process was like, and what it means to be home in future posts. For now, I just wanted to get this up and running. If you're reading this and are considering joining the Peace Corps, in the process of applying, or currently serving as a PCV and have questions, don't hesitate to ask. I'd also happily answer questions from family/friends of people thinking about joining the PC or even people who aren't fans of the PC and would like to discuss that. I'll try to post the questions and responses that I think will be popular.

Malo lava. Thanks for reading