Stepping back into the campo for a few days...

So much has changed. I went back and forgot how transitioning between the campo and the capital was more difficult than I thought. It is absolutely exhausting and can now fully understand why a Peace Corps service is supposed to be 2 years. Any more than that and a PCV gets burnt out.

I went back to my site for two main reasons:

1.       To hang with the coolest Leah I know – one of my closest friends made in Peace Corps. Now, what made it difficult to hang out with her was the constant influx of kids coming in and just sitting, staring. Living in the capital for months now, and having privacy whenever I want, I forgot about this constant interruption. It reminded me so much about how flexible and patient we, as PCVs have to be and eventually become. I was a pleasant and reflective reminder of all that I had learned and gained in my time as a PCV

2.       To check in and meet with my women. I was so nervous to meet with them and find out that quizas, just maybe, they hadn't been working as health promoters. Well not to my surprise they hadn't. There had been 3 homes certified in the last two months and they were lacking some serious work MOJO. SO in asking them what they thought they could use to help them get back to working one of them raised their hand and said “ when the trunk of a tree is chopped down, the tree branches go down with it – they stop working, they no longer need a reason to receive light and nourishment. What we need is another trunk, another PCV.” You can just imagine, especially if you are another PCV, my immediate frustrating reaction. All I wanted to do was yell "that is not the point! this is supposed to be sustainable" After carefully explaining this concept they came to the realization that they themselves had to take responsibility for carrying out this project and created a plan. Once they did I applauded their new-found motivation and goal setting and we were able to move on. PHEW - THAT WAS A CLOSE ONE. They now have a plan for the coming year and have found reasons to be personally invested in the project.

So, back to Leah's I went after this meeting and just reflected at how much a PCV goes through. It's so interesting to be on this side of it - still a volunteer but with a greater Peace Corps context as a PCVL working in the Peace Corps Office. I get to see the big picture and how all of the day to day things I did at my site fit into it. I also get to see the nuances in the field that is supported by the grander Peace Corps Agency.

Going back reiterated my appreciation for this culture's hospitality and vecino-ness. EVERYONE is a neighbor and even though I don't live there anymore I still felt like I was a huge part of the community. It took me a few hours just to get up one of the roads because I was stopping and saying hi to everyone. I sat for about an hour at one of my friends' houses and just chatted about life and family. It was so refreshing. 

                   A HUGE BONUS on this TRIP! Got to see my BFFL Nino who I haven't seen since May! 

On life recently & living in Dharma

I have been procrastinating on writing this post for weeks, however, I can’t imagine a better time to sit, reflect and write than today – exactly two years after I swore in as a PCV alongside people whom I didn't know would change my lives forever. Today I said “see you later” to the last one of my friends who has chosen to close their service and move on to bigger and better things (not to negate nor minimize my decision to stay as a PCV). At times I feel like I am “being left behind” although I realize that I myself and moving on to bigger and better. And that is part of what I want to share – how as a PCVL I have changed, grown and developed more than expected, and learned about what I want out of life. I also want to share how the process of seeing said friends leave has helped me reflect on lessons learned, growth had and incredible, long lasting relationships made.

To give you an idea of my life in the past 2 months:

-        - After several calculations, I traveled at least 2,300 miles on Dominican Public Transport just in the month of September. 

o   I was traveling to prepare 17 communities around the entire country to receive new volunteers at the end of October.

o   On these travels I saw:

§  A Christmas tree Farm (YES on a Caribbean Island)

§  An Aloe Plantation (miles of Aloe plants!)

§  An Ostrich Farm

§  Miles of Rice fields

§  Stayed in many strangers’ homes but got new family out of it!

§  Visited sites of some of my closest friends whom I hadn't visited

-         - While traveling I was also in training about 3 days per week to help give a PCVs perspective on technical training to the new group

-       -  I was also in the office weekly to make sure all programmatic stuff with current PCVs was going according to plan. 

-         ALL of this while juggling the end of service for many of my dearest and closest friends - this meant making sure I spent quality, in the moment, time with them and being there with them during their last days in country. 

-         To top it all off - making sure I was spending QT with my boyfriend to make sure our relationship didn't fall by the way-side throughout ALL of this craziness. - Thankfully, Leo's patience, understanding and compassion are in his nature and not anything he needs to work at to have. He always helped me with scheduling friends/work/me/us time and put himself out of the picture until the chaos ended.

How did I manage all of this? With patience, a journal, and accepting the realities of my personality that I did not necessarily like. I learned a lot about myself, my priorities, my need for balance, and my limits. I learned that in order to stretch myself thin, I have to be physically, mentally and emotional strong. This period of 7 weeks called for a lot of internal motivation, self-validation and on my own cheer leading. In the end I learned that I was more capable than I ever gave myself credit for and that I have incredibly understanding and patient friends in my life!

Being a Peace Corps Volunteer Leader has proven to be a difficult line to walk. You are a volunteer yet you are involved in all the staff and bureaucratic aspects of Peace Corps. You are involved in Programming AND training. You are a peer support yet a person whose responsibility is to ensure that programmatic goals are being met and rules aren’t being broken. All this being said, I finally feel like I am good at something and it has given me a lot to think about for my future. I strongly believe in the mission of Peace Corps – now more than ever because I have had to talk about the Core Expectations, the history and philosophy of it to communities, new volunteers and follow it daily! I have found that keeping within this philosophy, mission and vision of Peace Corps comes naturally to me. This is also the first office-type job in which Sunday nights I am not complaining or dreading about going to work on Monday. Thankfully I have a boss who confides and trusts in my ability to do the job well and has given me the independence to create new initiatives and make changes to the Health Sector. The Health Sector team is a wonderful group of people to work alongside in the Peace Corps office and it feels great! 

"We know we are in Dharma when we cannot think of anything else we would rather be doing with our life." —

  David Simon

This quote really reflects how I am feeling about what I have my for myself in life so far - especially with new job, new found empowerment and all of my relationships.

The only Dam I have seen in this country - On the way to prepare a site in the MIDDLE of THOSE mountains - it was an adventure getting there. 

Aprovechared my site development visit to spend some QT with this munchkin! the other Laura - Love you

Laura's Casita in Sabaneta

Drying Corn in San Juan

a tiny campo that will be receiving a new volunteer - another adventure to get here

RICE FIELD E"RWHERE! Northwest - MonteCristi region doing more site development

Could have made this thing a permanent fixture for those 5 weeks

En route to prep a community - had to take a moto through a cactus forest for about 45 minutes ot get to this very isolated site in Monte Cristi

Amongst the chaos - got to visit my sister in Consuelo!

The New trainees on their way to Community Based Training

My host siblings during Community Based Training - where I spent about 3 days/week 

Group work during CBT

Alex's map-filled casita - I was doing site development and got to stay with the one and only!

ALEX!

A ceremony for those who completed the 27 months of service

Jugo & Empanadas :)

On living in the capital!

The past few weeks I have become more and more appreciative of the country I have the opportunity to live in. I live on a Caribbean Island!! Yes I am currently living in the capital city, which is slowly having more and more to offer me as I get to know it. But most importantly I am only a couple of hours away from any type of Caribbean vacation I want. I am an hour from a beautiful clear water beach with fine white sand. I am a couple of hours from mountains, rainforests and jungles. I have lakes and rivers at my disposal. All in all – I am loving living in such a rich, eco-diverse country! It definitely caters to my wandering, adventurous personality that frequently needs a change of scenery!

On Saying “see ya later”

As my groups’ service came to a close I had a lot of reflecting to do. On friendships made, growth had, feelings of “being left behind” in a way and how I was going to make it this year without some of my strongest supports. Knowing that my friends are going off to touch people’s lives the way they did mine (all in different ways of course) was what made saying “goodbye” easier. I focused on how our lives became richer due to this friendship rather than any sort of loss. Focusing on the negative aspect was not going to serve me any function so for the past few weeks it has all been “let’s not celebrate then end of something but rather let’s celebrate the times and memories had and what fuller lives we have because of the friendship”. Forcing myself to see it this way has encouraged me to see many things in a positive light which has helped me a lot throughout this transition. I am happy to say that in my upcoming trip home I will have the pleasure of re-connecting with many friends who have left – whether it is through seeing them in person again or skyping and seeing their beautiful pixilated faces through the computer!

Never did we expect to become life-changers for each other

Katie's Despedida

A very influential person in my life

A friend who ALWAYS knew how to put it in perspective - a big influencer

the two Laura's!



A SHOUTOUT TO ROSIE (ERIN KESSLER) WHOM APPARENTLY I HAVE 0 PICTURES WITH.





Upon leaving , I was reminded by my friends of how strong I really am. I have faced many personal struggles in my time here and my friends here have been my biggest support system. They are rooting for me in life and in my successes, and will always remind me of that. A theme they all left me with was "Live for you and no one else" ,"to Never give up", and to "fight for what I believe because only I will know what makes me happy"
Thank you to all for believing in me and giving me the strength and inner courage to live for me! You have all been there in my times of need and I don't know what I would have done in my time of struggles without your support. 
They left me with these - to look at everyday!

On what’s next

I have a training coming up for the volunteers who have been here for a year then it is off to Punta Cana with Leo for some R&R of our own. After a whirlwind few months (for us both work wise) we decided to have some QT away from the chaos.  On November 21^st I get to see my family and travel to Colombia for 10 days, after which I will head to the states for almost a month. It will be nice to be home for the holidays, see family and friends and have a solid 5 weeks of not sweating 24/7! Upon my return to the DR, work ramps up again with visits to all the volunteers around the country, changes in the sector and decisions to be made about my future. I am confident in saying that after this year I would like to work for Peace Corps – I feel pride in being part of such a movement and want to continue it. I am getting comfortable here in DR so a change to the states would be difficult AND refreshing at the same time….but who knows, no one can predict the future – I like the challenge of living abroad!

I live here!

THE ultimate Suitcase Struggle!