Year in Review

A year has passed since my great adventure in Nepal began.  My group of volunteers was recently asked to summarize our experience so far in six words.  "Climb up, slip down, move forward" was one statement I particularly identified with.   I, like many other individuals who have served in Peace Corps, tend to share with others only the high points, but, as another friend put it, "Peace Corps ain't fairytales and sprinkles."  Don't get me wrong, it hasn't been a bad experience.  As another friend shared, "frustration, failure, fulfillment are all inevitable."  There have been long periods of empty time as I try to figure out what I'm supposed to be doing here.  There have been agonizing days of frustration as I try to overcome my own weaknesses that stand in the way of me accomplishing my goals.  Too many of my days have been shadowed with the discouragement of failure.  And there are the days I just want to scream at the people around me and run away.  But then again, there are the breathtaking mountain views, the friendships I have developed with my Nepali family and community, the fact that I can actually have a conversation with them in Nepali, the confidence I've gained in my own abilities, technical skills learned, and a handful of homes that have been transformed by my helping them build improved cook stoves.  Here's a brief look at what the past year has brought me.

I have been warmly welcomed into two families and two communities

 I've celebrated dozens of holidays

 I've helped entertain hundreds of visitors

 I've attended a few too many weddings and funerals

 I've been on TV several times

 I got to spend a weekend with my brother

 I've been able to watch my new niece grow from a tiny newborn to a thriving infant

 I've picked thousands of tomatoes.  I've probably eaten thousands of tomatoes too.

 I've helped build and repair a few roads

 I've helped construct 21 improved cook stoves in my community and trained 26 new volunteers in ICS construction

I've walked to and attended dozens of meetings

 I created my own permagarden and was actually successful

 I've helped clear the underbrush in our forest to make room for a coffee plantation.  In the process I also got really good at pulling leaches off my ankles and learned that sandals really are the best type of foot gear in certain working conditions.

And I've seen my first host families new home transform from a nice pile of bricks into a bright pink mansion.

 No, it hasn't all been fairytails and sprinkles, but it has been good and I have high hopes and expectations for the coming year.