This is a question that has been hitting me pretty hard as of late. I mean sure, technically, this is a job. Obviously, the pay isn't so great, nor do I have set hours. However, I do have objectives, I have my bosses, and a pretty inclusive healthcare package. More so, it's work; my days can be just as long and stressful as the next persons - if not more so.
The boundaries of my office are drawn up by my health that day, the weather, and how far I'm willing to go. Do I have the patience? Is that person or group going to show up? All of which are considerably unpredictable factors.
More so, if this is a job, then it seems to fit very well into my lifestyle. Thus, I suppose that the title "The toughest job you'll ever love" fits perfectly. Nice job Peace Corps advertising team.
On other notes, things are moving along quite well these days. My visit to the US about three months ago feels like a momentary blip in my memory. As great as it was, it kind of threw me out of my standard practices. And, now that I've recovered, I've been pretty busy distracting myself with work related causes.
I have been spending a lot of my time helping out at a local school for children with disabilities. I will refrain on commenting on any personal predispositions in regards to how a developing nation handles children suffering from such complications. However, I have found that my time spent there has provided me with some of the most rewarding experiences of my service thus far. To be honost, I haven't achieved any great successes in regards to execut
ing outstanding projects there. I fear that an entire culture needs to adjust before one could opulently solicit the appropriate changes. However, I am always received with ardent hugs from the young children and grateful smiles from the administrative staff. These factors alone are more than enough to keep me coming back. In fact, I believe that I get just as much (if not more) from my encounters with these children than what I provide for them.
The only actual "project" that has materialized in that particular school is a small vegetable garden. My hopes are that within a few months, the children will be sent home with vegetables. Now, if only I can convince their parents to introduce them to the dinner table...
I have also been working diligently on giving vocational courses to all high school seniors in and around my site. This project seems to be going well. Unfortunately, the school system in the area fails to expose their students to a life after graduation. I'm hoping to implant a few considerations in the minds of these students.
I have also been preparing for the arrival of Perú's newest volunteers who will be coming up to visit me later this month as sort of a "in field practicum". They are currently in Lima undergoing their training (as I was one year ago), and this will give them an opportunity to see what life is like outside the training center. In addition, there is a group of high school students from various parts of the US who will be joining me in my site for a week as a sort of "service learning" experience.
On a personal level, I have committed to climbing two mountains at the end of this month. Therefore, I have been doing a great deal of training in order to prepare. One of the climbs will be well over 20,000 ft, and should prove to be quite difficult. On the upside, training means that I have visited many of the summits on the lower mountains surrounding my community. Have you ever gone for a jog at 10,000 ft?
I also
took a couple of personal days and went down to a small beach town where I (and several other Peace Corps Volunteers) helped a fellow volunteer who had organized a marathon in his site. Let's be honost, I really just wanted to mee
t up with some friends that I haven't seen in awhile, and spend some time on the beach, more than anything. Plus, I had some close friends who were running their first marathons, and I wanted to cheer them on. However, the marathon itself was a great success; and it looks like it will turn into an annual event.
All that said, life's been good. I really have been finding it hard to distinguish between what is work-related and what is personal-time as of late. That's the beauty of the situation I have going here. The stresses I encounter are just as likely to stem from daily living as from my projects. Just as well, I guess I don't really get to "go home" at the end of the workday. However, my job seems to be pretty accommodating to my lifestyle, and I guess I'm happiest when the two are combined. When I walk out the door in the morning I am uncertain of expectations; but I do expect to try my best as a Peace Corps Volunteer. In the end, I suppose the title of job or lifestyle doesn't really matter. What matters most is just making the most out of this life. After all, no matter what your thoughts are on afterlife, the one you are living is most definitely guaranteed.
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