Finding Strength

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.

Finding strength through all the amazing things I have learned about the Ethiopian culture

Finding strength through the strength and courage of other ferenji