Recently, I just returned back to Ethiopia from a one-week
vacation in Tanzania/Zanzibar. It
was such a great trip. I went on a
spice tour, saw tortoises, went snorkeling, swam with dolphins, and hung out on
the beach. It was great and all,
but it was another story coming back to Ethiopia (if you want more on that
trip, feel free to ask). It was
definitely a struggle coming back to some extent. Despite how anticipated this struggle may have been, it has
been difficult to deal with nonetheless.
Volunteers face struggles in various forms throughout their
Peace Corps service. It may be
caused by different things, come at different times throughout service, and may
hit at various levels and extremes.
Despite every volunteer struggling at various times throughout service,
it looks different for every volunteer.
I know that I have already written a post on struggles and challenges,
so this post will focus a little more on how I have dealt with it.
Every time I face a new struggle, it seems as though I have
hit a low (maybe a low that I’ve visited before or a completely new low
altogether). With every low, I
need to find my way out and with each turn must find strength to climb out. Sometimes it is easy and sometimes it
feels like one of the hardest things I have ever done. But somehow, I have always seemed to
find a way through it up to this point in my service.
The main thing I try to think of that gives me strength is
why I am here in Ethiopia. I think
about my community and the people I am serving. I remind myself that even just being present in this
community makes a difference.
Sometimes it can be a little discouraging if I feel like I am not really
doing a whole lot, but I always have to tell myself that I am making a
difference to even one person by being present.
Especially during slow times in which I am not doing much, I
can find strength in reminding myself of what I have already done and what I
will be doing in the future for my community. It can be challenging during slow times even when I think
about future project because it is always possible that they might not
happen. With that being said, I
will admit that finding strength is much easier said than done.
Some days, the only thing that gets me through is watching
movies and reading books. But even
just bringing such a normal every day activity into my life (especially during
such times) can help me get through.
Sometimes I have to remind myself of all the good things about my
community and the people here and how I have grown because of this experience.
Many times, I find that my strength comes from friends and
family who are supporting me. Some
volunteers don’t get much support from family and/or friends. I am very lucky to have a large amount
of support from both. I probably
would not have begun my service if not for all the support I received. Even the friends I have made in country
have helped me continue on with my service. If it weren’t for them, it is very possible that I would not
still be in Ethiopia today. I will
admit that I am extremely lucky.
Not every volunteer finds the support they need. Honestly, some of the strongest people
I know who are serving as Peace Corps volunteers don’t have very much support
from people back in the states.
But they are able to find strength in other things.
Ultimately, what gives someone strength varies from person
to person. Whether that be support
through other people, finding fulfillment in work, taking down time, or
something else, something will work for everyone. It just takes some time to find what works best for you and
sometimes it isn’t the same thing in every situation. For me, I have had to find what generally works best for me
in finding strength and then finding other things that might work well in the
case that I need other options.
Half way through my service and just coming back from
vacation, I feel like I am struggling the most. I have realized more so than ever how important it is to
find ways to keep myself preoccupied, busy, and find to find the strength that
I need to keep going.
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| Finding strength through all the amazing things I have learned about the Ethiopian culture |
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| Finding strength through the strength and courage of other ferenji |
