On 27 January 2011 I nervously flew to Miami, then to the Caribbean to begin my adventure as a Peace Corps Volunteer. In the past year I have...
...moved to the southernmost Eastern Caribbean country.
...grown to love and attempt to cook the variety of foods only found in this region.
...befriended 15 strangers as my immediate family and support system.
...logged more hiking miles than my entire life combined.
...suffered some pretty gnarly sunburns.
...learned to speak a different "language".
...learned more about disaster preparedness than I ever wanted to.
...learned how to make a kite out of coconut flex, plastic bags, twine, and glue. You can make a lot of things out of rubbish.
...been asked for money, food, drugs, sex 91239493976439 times. Roughly.
...practically adopted every child I've come in contact with because they are so awesome.
...learned to love new music and new dance moves that primarily consist of gyrating your hips. This ain't your grandma's ball.
...probably had a little too much rum.
...mastered the art of public transportation and greatly appreciated it.
...with the exception of Erin and Taylor's wedding, gone a year without Chik Fil A (basically a sin in the South).
...written something in the range of 50 pages of letters to friends/family.
...learned to relax and enjoy life, ignoring the concept of time.
...endured diarrhea more times than I care to share.
...learned to hand wash laundry and appreciated a good clothesline.
...discovered more about myself than I thought possible.
...never been so passionate about equality and human rights.
...learned that it is okay to be stinky on a bus, you're not the only one.
...greatly appreciated and abused the power of sitting around in my underwear at home. What? IT'S HOT HERE!
...greatly missed the power and genius of air conditioning.
...forgotten what a hot shower feels like.
...grown accustomed to wearing a tie and pants in 90 degree sun.
...thought, "Oh it's a 2 hour walk from here? That's not far at all at all at all".
...spent the night sleeping outside on the ground enough times to realize I don't want to be a hobo when I grow up.
...decided that if there is one thing I am going to accomplish each day it is making someone smile or laugh.
...realized that the easiest way to accomplish the above goal is to do something incredibly stupid.
...ALMOST conquered my disdain for bratty middle school kids.
...read and enjoyed more books and leisure reading than my time in college, no surprise there.
...forgotten what different seasons feel like.
...lived as a minority in a foreign country for a year, changing my perspective towards other peoples/cultures I meet or see in life.
...seen some insects that I hope to never see again on the face of this earth for fear that they will devour my soul.
...broken into my own house three times.
...survived on a terrible government stipend.
...gotten myself into entirely too many situations where my love for Man vs Wild has potentially saved my life, or just made me look cool.
...grown to despise tourists.
...been disgusted by America on a daily basis. Live outside of America for long enough and you'll see why.
...never realized how much I cared about my friends and family until I spent a year away from them.
...been accepted into a new culture and community as one of their own.
...witnessed the power humor has at breaking down cultural barriers. Any barriers really.
...started spelling words like "programme", "realise", and started referring to the letter Z as zed. Its' only a matter of time before I have a portrait of the Queen on my wall.
...learned a variety of new cuss words. They've got imagination down here.
...been desensitized to littering and animal cruelty (not a good thing).
...become a pro at the ol "fake it till ya make it" methodology.
...memorized and sang another country's National Anthem on an almost daily basis.
...learned the hard way that mother nature can be a real bitch sometimes.
...enjoyed the beauty and wonder of the world every morning I wake up.
...loved deeper.
...cared more.
...chased after truth.
...fought for a world where good people exist.
...looked into the eyes of a child and caught a glimpse of what it means to be human.
...What will the next year hold for me?
...What will you accomplish in the next year?
I promise to have even more exciting and wild adventures in my final year. And as an added promise from the last post, here are some awesome pictures of my kids:
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| Police Officer talking about fire safety. |
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| My grade 6 class |
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| My counterpart, Mr. George |
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| Lorice's new puppies greeting me in the morning. |
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| The students in my program learning about proper health and hygiene. |
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| An Environmental Health Officer talking with the kids. |
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| Erice painting his shirt in grade 6. |
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| Rasheeeeeeeedaaaaa! |
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| My kids playing chess (the wrong way) |
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| Mr. George doin his thang. |
What an awesome summary for an awesome year. We are so proud of you!!!
ReplyDeleteBravo, Brice, from your old history teacher on the other side of the world. This was beautiful to read. A lot of depth--thank you for sharing. Thank you even more for giving yourself to a worthy cause!!
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