Hello, world! I
apologize for the absence. I suppose it’s natural the blog lagged, since I’m no
longer in Peace Corps, but there’s still so much to say about those 27 months –
so many experiences and people I want to tell you about.
I’m not sure why I thought that Peace Corps would be a
discrete 27-month experience. This past year of adjustment has taught me almost
just as much about myself and the world as my time in Guatemala did.
This spring I was quite busy finishing up my Peace Corps
Master’s International work and teaching two lab sections. Winter was rather
overwhelming this year, so at the moment I am soaking in the sun, enjoying
softball season, and relishing the chance to get around by bike … also
defending my Master’s research in a few short weeks (!).
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| Small miracles... |
I’m also really enjoying watching the potatoes I planted
shoot up in the garden out back. They were planted from spuds that went to seed
in my cabinet in December. My friends back in site would get a chuckle out of
that; the municipality where I lived in Guatemala is famous for its potato
production. After more than 200” of snow this winter and record snow pack, it’s
so exciting and almost strange to see the world alive again.
In Guatemala everything seemed alive, too alive sometimes.
For months afterward I couldn’t really bring myself to think about it. I had
filled notebooks with ideas – in boring municipal meetings, in the cold
evenings in my little cement house, in the cold mornings in our little cement
office. I couldn’t bring myself to throw them out, but I couldn’t bring myself
to think about them. So I brought them home, and buried them in a box.
After almost 16 months, it feels like time to pick them up
again. I hope you’ll join me!
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| Oliver is also enjoying summer in the US! |
