Departures

Today is a somber one. One of my fellow trainees announced that she is deciding to go home, that Peace Corps is not the right choice for her. This will be our second person to leave – the first was for medical reasons and not by choice. It is depressing to have group members leave because you want to think that as a group you can persist. We wanted to be the first group to have no one leave – which is impossible. As much as we’d like to think that we can completely support ourselves as a group unit, we can not control external factors. Everyone has very different personal lives, factors at home, expectations, needs, fit. In the end everyone must do what is right for them.

I am proud that she is honest enough with herself to know that this is not a good fit. Coupled with the honesty, she is strong enough to start yet another life changing transition. I cannot even begin to imagine what goes through your head when trying to make that decision.

I feel incredibly invested here already, with the community and with the relationships amongst trainees. My American life seems a universe away. Plus even though I’ve only been gone for six weeks the time lapse seems longer. If I were to return home I would be lost. Already so much as happened that has changed ‘home’ for me. Personally as well I have grown and been stretched in such a short period.

I have to constantly remind myself that not everyone is enjoying training as much as I am. People are craving American food, missing family and friends, struggling to get used to the culture and being stared at 24 hours a day. On the flip side of the spectrum when my training manager asked me if I thought Peace Corps was the right decision for me, I thought it was an absurd question. OF COURSE IT IS and continues to be! I forgot that others would be constantly reevaluating their decision, weighing the pros and cons, suffering the low point of the emotional roller coaster. The initial excitement is wearing off for some. Especially now that we have visited our sites, most are ready to be done with training and get to work. I’m trying to enjoy every moment – really soaking up the fun and camaraderie. Of course that means my studying of Ikinyarwandan has been suffering. There’s always someone to talk to, hang out with, watch a movie with. Sensory overload! It feels like living in the dorms all over again. Studying is definitely second priority although I will inevitably kick myself for this once I get to site.

Getting back on topic – We are having a second departure from our group as well. One of our language teachers, Abel, is leaving for graduate school. I haven’t mentioned our language teachers much. They are amazing people. Most are in their 20s or 30s (it’s always hard to tell!). They come from a variety of work, family and education backgrounds. Some were translators, school teachers, students. Some are married with children, while others are single. They are essentially our camp counselors. They are on the job 24 hours a day, God bless them! They are so much more than language instructors. They help us understand the culture, answer personal questions, let us hang out with them and show us good restaurants to eat at. Any statement about their patience and talent would be an understatement.

Abel is moving to South Africa to get a master’s in Development Management. In 20 months he will be graduating – counting a four month internship in Germany. He will have classmates from all over Africa, Mexico, Brazil, etc. I wish I could witness one of their debates on development – what amazing personal accounts and perspectives they would have to offer each other. Abel is packing up his life in the next couple weeks and moving to a country that he’s never been to before. We are finally able to share something in common with him – life changing decisions, uncertainty, leaving everything that’s familiar.