Fresh Start

So many feels saying goodbye

So remember how I causally mentioned some big changes were going to be taking place soon in one of my previous blogs? Well... I changed sites, projects, and my overall outlook on my Peace Corps experience. As I write this, I am sitting in the sun room of my new flat in my new town. (And I'm also listening to Jason Derulo's 'Trumpets', but I don't think that has much to do with this post.)

I was previously placed in a relatively large town near the capitol, with a project who lost funding prior to my arrival. After a few months of trying to turn the project around, secure funding, and come up with new project ideas, it was quite clear to me that none of it was working. I'm not one to easily give up on things, but quite frankly I didn't move 7,500 miles away from home to teach computer courses. I can barely work a computer myself, much less teach others how. Unfortunately, I began to feel rather hopeless.

Luckily PC headquarters listened to my plight and allowed me to suggest another site for placement. After a few weeks of going thru red tape, I was moved Monday. I packed up all of my belongings (which have grown exponentially) and my kitty and arrived in the middle of the Kalahari. Not only do the project opportunities here seem endless, but I also have a rad roommate who I adore- Julia. You can refer to my previous posts which go into detail about how I think we are soulmates. And I'm sure there will be plenty more examples given in future posts.

#nofilterneeded

But back to the main point of this post... This site instantly feels like a much better fit; like it's right where I should be. I have an incredible amount of freedom here to shape my project around what interests me most. The community is very vocal about what they need. And luckily, Julia has tapped into a great group of activists who are working hard to better their town and are very supportive of projects. Although I will basically be repeating a 3 month integration period, I will be able to form a project of my very own that combines my areas of expertise and what the community needs. All while being surrounded by red sand and endless hills. How lucky am I?