With less than 2 weeks left in Pre-Service Training the reality that I will be living and teaching here for 2 years is starting to kick in.
Pre Service Training has been, an adventure. Although half the time I am sitting there like….Mengapa? I know that sooner or later I will appreciate all I learned, mostly I will appreciate the people I have met along the way. When I began this journey I said, “Hey! This is a chance for you to reinvent yourself, no one knows you and you can be whoever you want to be!” Now I sit here thinking, why? I love the person I am, my flaws and everything, I may not have been comfortable enough with all 70+ volunteers to be myself just yet, but I am thankful for those that I was able to open up to. Thank you for making PST an enjoyable experience. These past two months I have, learned a new language and reached an intermediate level and started learning a second language, have ate more rice in one week than what I would eat in one year in the U.S. have been bitten by mosquitos in places mosquitos should not be, have used a squatty potty and had to use my hand and water to clean myself, have biked more than I ever have in my entire life, have worn as much clothes as I do in the winter seasons for 80+ degree weather, have slept almost as little as I did in architecture school, have taught seventh and tenth graders English, have been more sick in one week here than I have ever been in the states, have felt helpless and homesick, but most importantly I have learned about a culture, have learned about things I would not have encountered in Los Angeles, and certainly not in Oregon. As these next few days fly by, I want to thank everyone for their support and want to take a minute to tell my future self, “I am so damn proud of you.” Did I at any point just want to give up, go home to my family and friends certainly. That’s what happens when you are homesick. I would do anything to be with my family and have a nice cold one, or head to some spot in L.A. for a michelada and tacos de lengua, but I know if I gave up and went home I would not only be disappointing family and friends, most importantly, I would be disappointing myself. Dear future Vivi, when times get rough do not forget, a strong woman looks a challenge in the eye, and gives it a wink. ;) Now let the countdown to permanent site begin! T-Minus 15 days. Garut, I’m coming for you!
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Viviana Colin-TorresThe contents of this blog are mine personally and obviously do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps. Archives
August 2016
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