Family and Support in Different Forms

I have had enough experiences in my almost twenty-four years to realize that family can come in different shapes, sizes, and forms.  I have come to find myself a part of many different kinds of family.  There is my immediate family, extended family, my youth group/church family, and the family that includes my friends who I can always count on.  Recently, I have found myself part of a new family.  This would be my Peace Corps family.

Despite all of the support and encouragement I have received from all of you in the states (which I am extremely grateful for), being a Peace Corps volunteer (PCV) is a unique experience that only other PCVs could ever truly understand.  And really, each PCV has a very different experience from any other PCV based on country of service, sector, town, language, projects, and countless other factors.  Even so, as PCVs, we face similar struggles as well as gain similar accomplishments that only other fellow volunteers can fully understand.  With that being said, not only is the support from all of you back in the states important, but also the support received from PCVs because of the shared experiences and understanding that we have for each other and what each of us is going through.

In the six months that I have been in Ethiopia, I have learned so much about myself as an individual as well as a PCV.   I have also learned how important it is to take advantage of the support system that is available to me within the Peace Corps community.  No matter what I may be struggling with or what accomplishment I want to share with someone, there will always be someone who understanding.  And of course there are countless people back in the states who will always be there for me to talk and vent to whether or not they can relate to what I am going through.  I am so grateful to every single person back in the states as well as in Ethiopia whom I have found I can rely on and whom I know will always cheer me on

.

I was reminded of how much I rely on the support of those just within my group of volunteers (G10; those of us who all arrive in Ethiopia this past February).  I was able to see those who I have become really good friends with after three months of only talking and texting via phone.  It is amazing to me to think about the friends I have made thus far and how I likely would have never met these people if not for Peace Corps.  Many of these people will be lifelong friends.   

I had no idea in February that even though I had to say goodbye to my family in the states for two years, I would be getting a Peace Corps family.  Some of my friends here definitely remind me of many back in the states.  At times, it may just be a small little characteristic that stands out that is similar or something someone says.  For example, I left my two younger brothers back in the states that love to tease me. Upon arriving in Ethiopia I have gotten to know two guys in my group who love to tease me and are like two older brothers to me.  In all honesty, I really don’t mind the teasing because it is such a normal thing to me and it brings some normality to my life.  Some of the girls I have become close with are like sisters to me and I can talk to them about anything.  I am thankful for those friends who live close to me because I can see them on a more regular basis.  I am also thankful for those friends who live further away because it gives me more incentive to travel around the country and see different sites and how they vary.

I couldn’t imagine what my service would be like without all the support I have received from all of you in the states as well as all of you in Ethiopia.  The support from the states means so much to me and continually reminds me that I am in the right place.  The support that I receive from many other PCVs in invaluable and appreciated so much because they are all going through a similar if not the same experience as me and can sympathize with almost any situation.  Needless to say, this experience would not be what it is without all of the support I have received and it would be a struggle without the various forms that this support has come in.  I can also say that at this point, all of the support has come from my family.  It may be my biological family, family made up of friends from growing up, high school, college, or my Peace Corps family.  The support from my different families has come in different forms, but without the support form each of these families, I would not be able to get through this experience and be successful.

 

*A few examples of my different families are shown below.

IST

The first two weeks of August I was in Addis Ababa for in-service training (IST).  It had been three months since I had seen majority of my group and it was so great to see everyone.  Being a Peace Corps volunteer, you learn how much you need to rely on other volunteers for support and encouragement because they really are the only ones who truly know and understand what you are going through.

Week one was full of trainings that consisted of how to report our projects, writing grants, as well as other various sessions focusing on more technical trainings.  At the end of the week the Ag/Environment volunteers got to go on a fieldtrip and have a two-day session on bee keeping (which sounds so cool and I am a bit jealous).  But all of us health volunteers got to visit a nearby hospital in Addis.  The reason for going was to learn the techniques used to weigh babies in Ethiopia.  What stuck out to me the most was how nice the hospital is.  It felt like I was in a hospital in America.  It amazed me to find how nice some Ethiopian hospitals are.  I learned that this particular hospital actually receives funds from the states (which I feel is good and bad).  It is great that the U.S. is willing to fund the construction as well as continued funding after construction of the hospital, but I think it is also extremely important that this hospital can reach a point in which it is sustainable and not longer needs the additional funds and support from the states.

Week two the counterparts arrived.  Each volunteer had a counterpart come from his or her town and go through project design management training together.  The idea of the training was to help volunteers and counterparts to work together and start getting ideas of how to start up and work on projects together.  This specific training lasted two full days.  In some ways, I felt like this training was extremely helpful.  But it felt very long, which I know was a bit of a struggle for at least some people.  Other trainings that week focused nutrition, permagarden, as well as soap and salve making.  I know that these sessions were more enjoyable for many.  This week also consisted of doing things outside of trainings and spending more time with other G10 volunteers.  Of course getting ferenji (foreigner) food every night for dinner was a must.  A few of us also got our hair cut and went to a movie theater to see some recently released movies.

Despite how long sessions seemed to be some days, it was a great two weeks.  The sessions were interesting and extremely helpful in giving us more of a direction in regards to starting up projects.  We got to hang out with friends we had not seen in three months, got to relax, and take care of things we could only do in Addis.  Despite how much I like my site, I am extremely grateful for the times in which I am able to see so many of my friends in one place all together.

G10 at end of IST

Bole area of Addis during the sunset

Lots of Laundry!

One thing that I have learned since coming to Ethiopia is that the only way to do laundry is by hand.  Washing machines and driers don’t exist (except maybe in bigger towns and Addis Ababa).  I am so used to using a washer and drier that it was a bit of an adjustment to have to switch to washing my clothes by hand.  It is more work and it seems like I have so much more dirty laundry than I had in the states (even though I often wear the same outfit multiple days in a row) because it is so much more work.

Generally, I try not to do laundry more than about once every two weeks (though sometimes I feel like I need to do it more often because the pill builds up pretty fast).  It can be a pain at times to do laundry sometimes.  Sometimes there just doesn’t seem like there is enough time to do laundry.  It is also a pain to do laundry during the rainy season because it takes forever for the clothes to dry.

Despite how much I may complain about doing laundry, there are definitely times when I enjoy doing it.  It can be a great feeling knowing that you have gotten all of your dirty clothes cleaned (and by hand).  I feel like it can also be really therapeutic.  When I get back to the states, I will definitely have a new appreciation for washers and driers.  Well, that’s really all I have to say in regards to laundry.  Thanks for reading and the continued support!

*Take a look at the pictures below to get an idea of what it looks like to do laundry in Ethiopia!

Journaling

I am slowly starting to write in a journal.  At some point, I hope to write as often as once every day or two.  It is a great way for me to record what happens each day, no matter how big or small, good or bad.  It is also a great way for me to think about and reflect things that I feel the need to record, but I am either not able to share with others or wish to keep to myself.

I am learning that journaling is a great outlet when frustrated, stressed, sad, etc.  It is also a great think to have just for myself.  There are days in which something frustrating happens or something good happens.  I am realizing that writing things out in a journal is a great way for me to hash things out or a good way to record something small that happens that makes me smile or just makes my day so much better than it was.

Journaling can be extremely therapeutic and do so much good for me as a person as well as for my growth while here in Ethiopia.  As a side note, if you want to mail me something and are not sure what to send, send a journal or two!  Trust me, it will go to good use!  There are journal entries that I am willing to share and post on my blog so that you all can see how my growth and change are reflected in the journal entries.  There are entries that also talk about small experiences I have.  There are some journal entries that I may not be able to share until after I finish my two-year service and return to America.

But I love the idea of journaling and hope to increase the amount of writing I do in my journal over the next two years.  There will be some things that I write for myself, but there will be things that I will write that I want to share.  Give it time, and there will come a time in the near future when there will be journal entries worth sharing.

Where I've Been and Places I Hope to Travel to

Sometimes it blows my mind to think about the places I have been and what I have done there.  I grew up in the states and I have been to Mexico, Ukraine, Uganda, and now Ethiopia.  Majority of my travels outside of the states have been service oriented.  It is strange, yet kind of cool to think that I have not travelled just to travel, but to serve a community and try to make a difference. 

There are still so many places that I hope to travel to.  During my two year Peace Corps service in Ethiopia, I hope to travel to other African countries since I am so close.  I think at the top of my list include Djibouti, South Africa, Tanzania, and going back to Uganda.  I am not sure if I will be able to go to each of these places during the next two years, but I hope to get to at least two of these places.

I also hope to travel to India and travel all over Europe.  These might be places I considering traveling to right after my service before I come back to the states.  There are so many places that I would love to go to during my lifetime… I have heard so many great things about different places other volunteers have travelled to.  Every time someone talks about a country they have been to, I almost always add it to my list of places to go.  Some trips might be service oriented and others may be just for the desire to go.

I will keep you all updated with places I go and my experiences!

Places I hope to travel to that I have never been to:

·      Djibouti

·      South Africa

·      Tanzania

·      England

·      Spain

·      Germany

·      Austria

·      Ireland

·      Italy

·      Greece

·      Brazil

·      Costa Rica

·      Peru

·      Australia

Over time, I am sure that this list will grow.  As of now, these are countries that I have never been to that I hope to travel to at some point in my life.  I have a friend who at one point told me that she hopes to travel to at least 100 countries in her lifetime and to travel to every continent.  I love that idea.  I don’t know if I will ever be able to travel to that many countries, but it would be amazing to be able to visit every continent at some point in my lifetime.