starting over in the middle

I know this Peace Corps experience will change me; however, some things about me will never change. For example, my amazing ability to procrastinate despite my Type A personality. Once upon a year and some months ago I told everyone I would start a blog about my experiences here in Peace Corps to keep anyone who was interested updated and not flood the inboxes of those who aren’t particularly interested. Well after a few inbox invasions and about a year of putting it off, I present to you (drum roll please) my blog. I don’t promise that it will be overly entertaining or complex. Due to my limited internet access it may not be updated that often but en fin, it is and that is what is important.

So backtracking a year or so to explain why I feel I am experiencing something worthy of being shared with people, I joined the Peace Corps. In May of 2007 I received a letter telling me that I was invited to serve in Peace Corps Peru and I had ten days to decide whether I would accept and fly out less than a month later or pass it up for another opportunity. I was living in Eau Claire, Wisconsin at the time. I had just returned from Argentina, where I spent my last semester of college and was working at an adequate job. I had signed a lease on my first real place all to my self and when I mentioned the Peace Corps to my boss, they offered me a really great promotion. Somehow, Peru won. I quit my job, got out of my lease, packed my bags, said goodbye to everyone, again, and here I am.

After three months of training with an amazing group in Lima (and living with the best host family anyone could even hope for), I was sent to Huaca Rajada/Sipan, Lambeyeque as a business volunteer. Huaca Rajada is a major archeological site, complete with some incredible tombs and a ton of history. I have been here working to develop tourism and help with the 5 production workshops that an international beneficiary, Cáritas, started. It’s been a trip.

So far in this year I have:
Lived with 2 families
Bathed an average of 2 times a week in the duck coral
Survived 2 turkey attacks (1 of which occurred while bathing in said coral)
Learned to miss rice
Seen the discovery of a very important tomb!
Been to 1 wedding and 2 funerals
Had 1 child named after me
Survived countless stomach illnesses
Taken a lot of bus trips
And met some incredible people.

With all that I have already done, I am realizing I have a lot more to get done and am going to go through a lot more changes. I have recently realized that my current projects aren’t really taking off as planned and are really more stress than they are worth so I am searching out more projects and ideas (maybe something with kids, or turkeys). I am abandoning a lot of my old work colleagues to start moving in a new direction and to start over, in the middle of my service.

Here I go again.