It seems like all my blog posts begin with apologies, and this one is no different. Sorry I am such a lazy blogger! One of my goals for Year 2 is to blog more, so hopefully that will happen!
So I have made it through my year anniversary. I can't help but be very excited about that. A year is a long time, no? It means that I only have 1 1/2 more hot seasons, 1 more dreaded rainy season, and 1 more blissful cold season. It actually did get cold and I could never decide if it was actually cold or if it was just my frail Southern skin that cries out for flannel with any dip below 60 degrees. Nevertheless, everyone was able to bike in the middle of the day, drink water without it needing to be refrigerated, and actually, gasp, turn OFF a fan. I effortlessly walked around the market enjoying the day. Now hot season is back and I digress.
So in the spirit of celebrating my anniversary, here are some things I have learned over the past year:
Relax. Everything will work out today, and if it doesn't, maybe tomorrow inshallah (if God wills it). Or maybe not. The pace of life is a lot slower here than in America and that's not always a bad thing. I think sometimes we can get caught up in getting to the next step-- high school gets you ready for college, college for grad school, grad school for the real world, and then what? Maybe it isn't so bad to slow down and enjoy where you are and relish the moment. This is not always easy for me because I am American after all. And time is money, right? Somehow that phrase loses its worth when you don't get paid in the first place.
Development work is hard. Peace Corps is something I wanted to do for a really long time and love my job. But sometimes you don't see results as fast as you want and sometimes you don't ever see results. That doesn't mean that you give up or stop doing things you believe in. It just means that you get frustrated, take a breath, watch an episode of Glee, and move on.
Patience. Wow. I thought I was a pretty patient person a year ago, but now I can literally sit all day just chatting and drinking tea and the time can fly by. I feel like a lot of people, myself included, are afraid to be patient with themselves. I have learned that it is ok to be patient with your pace -- in learning a language, in making friends, in getting that promotion...in everything. Good things come to those who wait.
Life is beautiful. Yes, that is really cheesy and cliche, but it is true. There is always something to be grateful for and if I can't see it I try to wait 5 minutes. I have a favorite kid in my village and she's sassy and the cutest thing I have ever seen. It is hard to think there is not some point to all of this, some beauty in every day, when I look at her.
Anyway, I will try to update more frequently and as always, thanks for reading!
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