My first year in the Philippines was undoubtedly a professionally, emotionally, and physically challenging time. There seemed to be endless things to write about since everything was new and different, and since everyday routines weren't yet established. My second year, though, became incredibly more routine and rewarding. Despite the frustrations they caused me in the beginning, I learned to love the challenges of everyday life - expressing myself in Cebuano, finding my way on public transportation, and simply talking to curious Filipinos. Anyone. With a refreshed perspective, I learned to accept or ignore the things that other volunteers still griped about. And I just let the other things inspire my smiles - the children, the people, the unending exotic fruits, the street scenes, etc. And thus, I fell in love with a country and a people. And it did not leave me too much time for writing.
The second year of my work also kept me busy - projects were so successful that work kept rolling in. More sessions to plan, resources to gather, people to contact, and programs to set up. Everyday was different, and it was fun. From working on projects focusing on early childhood education to girls empowerment, to HIV education and to working with former commercial sex workers, I gained a wealth of knowledge and learned more about life from the people I worked with than I had in my previous twenty-six years. I fell in love with my work, and it also did not leave much time for writing.
And lastly, I spent a lot of time during my last year in the Philippines getting to know a man that I fell in love with too. I always had an inkling that good people tend to find each other, no matter where they are in the world. And since I didn't want to let a good thing go and we lived on two different continents, I spent a lot of time travelling during my second year. And that didn't leave much time for writing either.
So, enough excuses. But I wanted to offer some closure to my "new adventures" for the last three and a half years. This is in no way the end of my blog, but it is more of a "yield" sign. Postings won't stop, but they will slow down (you might be wondering, "Haven't they already??). Since finishing the Peace Corps, I have been keeping busy and trying to find ways to stay sane. (That sanity comment is something that other volunteers will understand more than the regular person ;).
I returned home to Wisconsin in mid-October with my boyfriend and quickly did a tour of seeing everyone, eating everything, and driving everywhere. It was exhausting! At the end of November, I had a wonderful vacation with my best friend to France, and then I spent a few weeks in Switzerland getting to know my next home. After returning to Wisconsin for Christmas, I reunited with many friends from graduate school on a vacation in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Climbing volcanoes, relaxing in hammocks, and eating delicious plates of rice and beans made those two weeks a true vacation. I couldn't have asked for a better way to catch up with my friends. I am currently home in Wisconsin for the next two weeks before returning to Switzerland to study German. Das ist gut! Ja! I have been practicing already...and I am hoping that the Cebuano, Spanish, German, and English don't end up in one bundle of CebuanSpanGerGlish in my brain. Cheers to that.
As for writing, I am contemplating the beginning of a topic-focused blog that is less about my life and more about the subjects I care greatly about - cultures, people, living, and in general, human issues. As soon as I get it off the ground, I will keep you updated with an address to find me at!
Thanks for your support the last two years - I wouldn't have survived without many of you.
