Sunday, March 17, 2013

5 Years Ago...

5 Years Ago....

  • I was in Philadelphia
  • I had left my family behind the day before for an unknown amount of time
  • I met an amazing group of 36 new people 
  • I spent the day learning about Peace Corps and Albania
  • I was excited, nervous, happy and unsure of what was to come
4 Years Ago....
  • I was in Albania
  • I had spent the past year learning a new language, culture, community, and friends
  • I danced, drank and sang the night away
  • I was happy, content and ambitious
3 Years Ago....
  • I was in Albania
  • I had decided to do another service with Peace Corps
  • I had just finished my COS conference with almost all the people that I had arrived in country with
  • My projects were finishing and I was starting to figure out what the last months of my service in Albania would be like
  • I had drinks with friends and more coffees than I can remember
  • I was sad yet happy, excited yet nervous, ambitious and looking forward to the next year
2 Years Ago....
  • I was in Morocco
  • I had just completed PPST with an amazing group of new people I had met 6 months before
  • I had a toothache
  • I was still learning a new language, culture, community and making new friends 
  • I still wasn't sure if people in my new community liked me
  • I was confused, nervous and content
1 Year Ago....
  • I was in Morocco
  • I knew my service was coming to a close and I would be coming home
  • I had been accepted into a Master's program at Alverno
  • I was trying to finish my projects and figure out what my last months would look like 
  • I had gained the respect and trust of my community
  • I had danced the night away and turned down more marriage proposals than I can remember
  • I spent the night with friends sitting in an inflatable pool on a roof drinking beer
  • I was happy, satisfied, anxious and nervous
Today....
  • I am in America
  • I still think about my time in PC every day
  • I am enjoying my Master's program
  • I enjoy time with my friends and family when I'm not working
  • I enjoy being able to drive, watch t.v., go to the mall, and go out past sunset
  • I still drink a lot of coffee, dance by myself and sing out loud in my apartment
  • I am happy and healthy
It's hard to believe that I left to begin my journey 5 years ago.  I can still clearly remember leaving my house and heading for the airport to join my staaj mates for Albania like it was yesterday.  Every minute of my experience in PC was a minute I would never change.  Not a day goes by where I don't think about my time overseas.  I hope that my journey with PC is not over and I look forward to joining again at some point in the future.  Maybe in 5 years?????

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