Photos from Thanksgiving 2014 Through December 18th

I was extremely lucky to be able to join a U.S. Embassy family for Thanksgiving this year.

The food was absolutely amazing.

Two volunteers and myself with our gracious host family

I am so lucky to have such amazing friends in Ethiopia

This what we do in Addis, hang out and eat a lot of "ferenji" food.

Sometimes, the best food is what we can get locally.

Such a fantastic group for permaculture design training!

The kids can be so ridiculous!

Sometimes, puppies are just the best...

... even if they might have flees

Bobby and the puppy :)

The Passing of Time

The passing of time can be such an interesting thing.  There are times in which time seems to move extremely slowly and there are other times in which time seems to fly by.  I remember being in middle school and high school and thinking that time seemed to go by so slowly.  Public school September through June and swim team during the summer was my life for the first 18 years of my life.  And then came college.  At first, it seemed to go by slowly.  But as I moved through each year, time seemed to pick up and graduation was there in a heartbeat.

When I think about being in Ethiopia for about 10 months now, it amazes me.  When first arriving in Ethiopia, I had three months of pre-service training.  Every day was a packed day with various trainings.  At the beginning of the three-month training, it felt like it could last forever.  But slowly, time seemed to move faster and I was heading to my site before I knew what had happened.

Living at site is an interesting thing when it comes to the passing of time.  I think it is similar for many volunteers.  There are periods of time when I am extremely busy and the time flies by.  Then there are times in which there is not very much work and the days seem to drag on and on.  This in part is what makes a Peace Corps Volunteer experience make it what it is.  Almost every volunteer goes through slow periods of time and fast periods of time during the two-year service.  How much of a volunteers service is made up of those fast paced periods/slow paced times really makes a difference.

I don’t think any volunteer wants to have a service that is predominantly a slow paced service.  Not to say that every volunteer wants his or her service to end quickly (maybe some do though…).  I think that often times when a volunteer is going through a time of their service that flies by, they are keeping busy and are doing something productive in their communities that may have a successful and sustainable effect on their communities.

I think that most often when a volunteer is going through a slow period, they may be in between projects, etc. and don’t have much going on.  I think though that this doesn’t necessarily mean that a volunteer isn’t making a positive impact on their community during these times of service.  I really think it depends on how the time is used.  When I don’t have much going on related to work, I try to spend my time in other ways.  I try to be out in the community as much as possible.  I spend time in the market, getting coffee, playing with the kids on my street.  I do whatever I can to be present in the community.  I think that even just being present in the community can have an extremely positive impact on the community.

Some days are a struggle while others are amazing.  Some days I am doing a lot in my community and others I am not doing much.  Some days I am traveling and sometimes I have one or two weeklong trainings with other Peace Corps volunteers.  Some days are more fulfilling than others.  When I have days in which I do not have much going on, I take advantage of the free time to either use it as time to relax or try to find ways in which to use it productively.    No matter what I do, there will always be times in which life seems to drag by and times in which it seems to go by in the blink of an eye. 

Despite the slow times and fast times during my service, I think that the two years I spend in Ethiopia will go by very quickly as a whole.  I am learning that now matter how quickly or slowly time passes, that each and every moment is precious and to try to make every moment as worth while as possible.

2014 Holidays in Ethiopia

First of all, I’d like to wish all of you Happy Holidays!

Now, I’d like to share my experience celebrating the holidays for the first time in another country without my immediate family:

Being a Peace Corps volunteer can be difficult and challenging during the holidays.  It can be challenging because you are away from your family, the country you are serving in may not recognize the holiday or celebrate the holiday at a different time, cultural differences, and even weather differences.  I have definitely missed being back home in the states with my family celebrating and there are times I get onto Facebook seeing pictures of Christmas trees and cookies and have different emotions go through me.

Despite missing home, it helps being able to talk with people via phone and video chat when possible.  It has also been great having other volunteers around for not only support but also to hang out and celebrate the holidays with me.

For Thanksgiving, there were about 60 of the 200+ volunteers in Ethiopia who were randomly picked to join U.S. Embassy families for dinner.  I was able to join an extremely nice couple and their two daughters along with two of my friends in my group of volunteers.  The two others volunteers and I were able to also meet some people who work for the Embassy and were able to enjoy a great meal.  The family who hosted us was amazing and it really felt like we were celebrating Thanksgiving back in the states.

Turkey!!!

Desserts!

Our host family was awesome!!

The day after Thanksgiving, my sitemates and I hosted another Thanksgiving where about 20 volunteers came and celebrated together.  I’m not gonna lie, I was a bit stressed and overwhelmed at tines… But it was a ton of fun.  It was a great group of volunteers hanging out together and we had chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, Mac & cheese, among other things.  So good and totally worth it.

For Christmas and New Years, I am not sure what will happen as of yet.  Sometimes as a Peace Corps volunteer, it can be hard and realistic to plan far in advance sometimes.  There are times in which you may do something at the last minute.  All I know is that I will do what I can do to celebrate and spend time with friends (other volunteers) around Christmas.

The downside to the Holiday season when living in another country as a Peace Corps volunteer is this:

You aren’t able to celebrate with your family and friends back in the states, you might get a little homesick, and you might miss decorations, Christmas trees, Christmas/Holiday music, and holiday foods and baked goods. 

The upside to the Holiday season when living in another country as a Peace Corps volunteer is this:

You get to experience celebrating the holidays within the context of a new country and celebrate some new holidays, celebrate with and be supportive of other friends/ Peace Corps volunteers, and create new fun traditions for the holidays.  Also, lots of care packages (maybe)!!!!!

*Also as a side note, if you’d like to send me a care package (especially because it is the holidays), here is my mailing address.  I don’t mind getting holiday care packages after Christmas if you want to send something but can’t get it sent out early enough.  It’s the thought that counts!!

Caitlin Rahn

P.O. Box 304

Woliso

Southwest Shoa Zone

Oromia Region

Ethiopia

Overall, it has been a good experience celebrating the holidays in Ethiopia (despite how much I have missed home at times).  I have been able to celebrate with other volunteers, share my traditions from the states with host country nationals, and learn so much about the culture and traditions of Ethiopia (and in what ways they are similar and different than the culture and traditions of the states).

Up to this point, that has been what the holidays have been like for me here in Ethiopia.  At times, it may be hard to celebrate the holidays here… but I have learned so much and this experience is really helping me to appreciate things in the sates so much more.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Ethiopia!

*If you have any specific questions about holidays, traditions, food, or any other aspects about the Ethiopian culture, please feel free to ask!  I am more than happy to answer any questions you might have.  This is definitely partly what my blog is about in addition to sharing my experiences as a Peace Corps Volunteer.  Also, any questions may help in prompting a future blog post.