15 Comments Posted on Peace Corp

Languages, Injuries and Homestays, Oh My!

So much has happened in the past week in Africa it is hard to know where to begin, so I will just attempt it chronologically 🙂

Wednesday was language announcement day!! Our group is divided into three languages, and then further into language learning groups(3 or 4 students), each assigned an LCF (language and cultural facilitator) who will teach us our assigned language, and help us to navigate the culture of our homes for the next 3 months. And my language will be…XiTsonga! This means that I will most likely be in either Limpopo Province or in Mpumalanga. I am super excited about this because I have a great group of people learning the same language, even though it is a tough one to learn.

Following language announcements, we had a staff vs trainee soccer match. A few minutes into the game, I am playing defense when I take weird step and my knee took a bad twist, and I essentially sat down in place and scooted off the sidelines. On of the other volunteers went to track down ice (a difficult task in SA) and after 30 minutes of icing and convincing myself it isn’t that bad, I lift up the ice pack to reveal a VERY swollen knee, that I am unable to put pressure on, let alone walk on. I give the Peace Corps medical team a call to fill them in, and let them know I will update them in the morning to see if this is serious and I need to see a dr.

The next morning, the day that officially marks one week in South Africa, I can not stand, and the swelling is just as bad (not to mention the pain that is intensifying at this point) My amazing Cohort (group of volunteers) took care of me in every way! From helping me dress, getting me breakfast, and literally standing in as human crutches to help drag me around. I left session around 10 that morning to travel to Pretoria to see a Dr. Ill fast forward for you 9 hours, two doctors, one MRI and one very concerned receptionist to the revelation…MY FIRST WEEK IN SOUTH AFRICA AND I MANAGE TO TEAR MY ACL AND FRACTURE MY TIBIA.

Now, the ACL tear is a partial, and the prognosis is 6 weeks on crutches plus rehab if the bone fragments heal normally, otherwise surgery to put screws in place to help the bones. So for the next 3 weeks I am to be 100% off my left leg, on crutches (the kind that only go to your mid arm not American styled crutches) In the USA, this is a super crappy inconvenience. In Peace Crops, this could easily be your ticket home. So after a stressful day of doctors I crutch out of the hospital and head to the guest house PC has me staying in for the night until I can go to the office in the AM and discuss next steps with the Peace Crops Medical Staff. I was able to get he OK to return to my Cohort, which is all I wanted in the moment and I was beyond happy to be back with my people. The whole time they texted me worlds of love and good thoughts and it was so uplifting for my (at the time extremely negative) spirits.

So Friday I was returned to my volunteer group, and we closed out our last night together before we found our new host families in the morning. I have so much to share with you all about my host family, the adventures of bucket bathing with a cast on, and the many other moments of my life that can only be summed up by the feeling that you are either going to laugh or cry and have zero control over which it is, but regardless, you must keep on.

Side note – my sister gave me a letter that says to open when I really need a smile or laugh. I have stared at that letter countless times over the past few days just telling myself “No Alyssa, you are only a WEEK in this, it is not your time to cash in the laugh letter from your sister” even though I do feel that navigating my new life completely immobilized is a far greater challenge than I had prepared for.

What are the sayings? Always dark before the dawn? Need rain showers to see a rainbow? Stuff like that…? Yes. All of those 365 day calendar of inspirational quotes is mentally paying off with each passing day. And I will update everyone soon on the new life. To give you a hint, there are currently two palm sized spiders on the wall of my room, and four other visible smaller spiders, and NONE of them are on my list of cares at this point. Laughs & Love to all those back home I am missing 🙂

5 Comments Posted on Peace Corp

Two sides to every story…

First and foremost, I have safely arrived in South Africa 🙂 After a long long long two days of travel, we have arrived to a conference center in a nature preserve in the Mpumalanga region of South Africa, where we will remain for the next few days before getting our placements for our homestay during Pre-Service Training. I could not be happier about the group that we have here! Everyone has been wonderful, and it is really a beautiful thing to see that a group with such diverse backgrounds and experiences has come together for a united purpose with such drive and passion. During PST (Pre-Service Training) they emphasize how this group of volunteers is to be your family for the next 27 months, and I am beyond thankful to have such a great group for family in the next years. Africa is wonderful, group is wonderful and Peace Corps is wonderful!!!

On our first day of official training, we woke up to a great morning. The rains brought in some cooler weather and which makes training sessions much more enjoyable. I woke up with the sun and took a walk around the nature preserve with my roommate, watching monkeys play and taking in the beautiful scenery. We learned greetings in IsiZulu. One of my favorite parts about the greeting that you use is before you ask how anyone is doing, you acknowledge that you “see the other person” and you speak in plural to reference not only the individual you are speaking to in the moment, but also their family back in the village. Also, our language and cultural facilitators the Peace Corps hire are great, and not only welcomed us with some beautiful songs in their local languages, but also use song to teach us. My first day of language training and nothing came from a book…I have to admit it threw me at first but actually seemed like a great way in retrospect. A lot of the training we did in staging involved perspective, as we are to integrate into a new and complex culture. This language learning experience was one of the many examples I am sure to encounter where something is done different than I would anticipate, but in the end turns out to be a wonderful way to get something done. After training I was able to get my first workout in on my new continent, followed by a hike with some of the trainees before dinner and late night session. I am hoping to hotspot this blog post up later tonight with my last little bit of data I purchased before my phone goes dead, and if not then I will update you all in two weeks when I reach my homestay and can have weekends free to seek out an internet cafe! It really has been a magical two days in South Africa, and I am jazzed to see what tomorrow has in store! But until then….

…the other side of this coin.

I have killed two spiders in my new dwelling, and have only been in country 8 hours…Aside from the two I killed, I also learned that a Croc Dress flat does not have the strength needed to kill a medium size spider. This was confirmed after two direct hits of croc vs spider on wall, and the spider essentially laughed at me and crawled behind my pillow. Still haven’t located this spider and it has moved up high on my most wanted list. Through the day, I notice a rather large spider behind a light on the wall, with only its front two legs and head sticking out, but confirmed  its gross size and identity (spider) by standing up on a chair to see. I have three other girls in my room, all of which voted against killing sed spider because he seems to just be hanging around there, so it doesn’t bother them. Begrudgingly, lamp spider has earned a stay of execution from our hut tonight. And while this thought continued to twist around in my mind, they all made fun of me for it “not being a big deal.”

So we round out towards the end of the day, return from dinner to see lamp sider, front two legs and all, still firm on his perch on our wall. But they were right in that he did not move, so we began getting ready for bed, the “your afraid of spider laughs” finally dying down. Moments later, roomie 1 leaves the bathroom, yells, and all four of us gather on the far side of the hut staring into the sporadic, fear based movements of another huge spider!! (lamp size and look) The spider darts under a chair, so two roomies move it while one wacks away, with no luck. He then dives toward the couch, then table with the same strategy movements from the part of my roommates, with no victory. Finally, we corner him around the bag he has hidden under, and Roomie 2 goes in for the kill! The spider is dead, and I have never felt so much satisfaction than watching three supposedly not-bothered-by-spider roomies, jumping on furniture and screaming just like me 🙂

Update** I had another round in the ring with pillow spider, and this time solicited the help of one of my roommates. (An action I regretted since she missed the thing TWICE before he crawled back under my bed) I slept in that bed 20 minutes later, which I will have to claim as my first big adaptation win to Africa, because there would be no chance I would fall asleep in the USA with a living spider anywhere in my room. This morning, my roommate and I woke up with multiple bumps we are pretty sure are spider bites, which we have now credited to the newly dubbed “Angry pillow Spider.” I am about to close out and attempt to sleep in my very warm hut again, so everyone wish us luck!

It may be a few weeks before I get a chance to update you all again, so until then thank you so much for the love and support.

3 Comments Posted on Family, Peace Corp, South Africa

Packing is a Family Affair

I have officially made it to hump-day of my departure week, and emotions are in full swing! I have had three excruciatingly toimg_7017ugh good-byes, between my brother, best friend, and brother in law coupled with many other close family and friends. If you can loose weight from water released via tears, I may actually be to my target weight by departure after all.

What time I have that is not being spent seeking out last minute purchases I still need or trying desperately to find movies and music I can put on my external hard drive without breaking the bank, is spent in an activity that I have consistently procrastinated in my past…packing. And while my track record of “morning of throwing the things I think I need in a bag” is actually near perfect, for this 27 month adventure, I am bringing in the big guns. aka, mom and dad.

My dad exemplifies the perfect puzzle packer, with outstanding rolling and folding capabilities and the tetris mind to make it all fit. My mother is the queen of organization and planning, with attention to detail and list making skills to rival no other. So, Mom and Dad plus one hiking backpack, one roller bag and a personal item and you have all the needed elements to actually do this thing! The added trick to the game, is that one bag, you actually leave in storage during the first three months of training. So not only are you trying to work weight vs volume to fill your limited bags, but you also have to try and place items/clothing that will be needed vs items you can do without until you reach your permanent residence. And so the game continues, and I count myself lucky to have them on my team.

This process has been so unique thus far. It is a strange thing to make plans to be apart from the people you love for so long. It is strange to depart someone who has always been a quick FaceTime away, or quick drive down the road, and to not know when, how often, or how you will be able to communicate. It is strange to buy taco seasoning for the inevitable nights abroad when you are missing home and mixing that into your typical meal will help get you through the tough night.

But in a sea of strange, new beginnings and firsts, I can finally feel a flame that has dwindled in me find new light and energy. I can feel my spirit of adventure intensify as I day dream about the new experience before me. My pulse quickens when I imagine the projects I would like to put in place and the service I will be able to provide for those in need. My heart is full knowing the love and support from the US that I will carry over with me and that I hope to share with those I meet in my new world.

Until then, its hugs, packing, and anticipation. I can’t believe its 4 days away…

1 Comment Posted on Family, Peace Corp, South Africa, Uncategorized

Decision made & Dust to settle…

In two months and two days, I will be leaving behind my friends, family, country & culture to serve in the United States Peace Corps in South Africa. This was both the easiest and most difficult decision I have made in my life up to this point.

The idea to serve in the Peace Corps was something I have carried with me for most of my life. So as I reflect on the process of getting me here, I want to go back to share with you the story that first sparked my interest in “helping people” and that has ultimately shaped me to this day. When I was a 7th grade student at Blue Ridge Middle School, a horrible tsunami caused one of the worst natural disasters throughout South East Asia. I remember as we welcomed in a new Christmas celebration, hundreds of thousands of displaced peoples searched through murky water and rubble to find love ones and survivors. And as we saw this tragedy unfold on our news cycles night after night, the coverage eventually faded and we moved on with our lives. But even as the coverage dwindled, my longing to be involved and find a way to help those who had lost so much continued to grow. Eventually, and through many challenges, myself and my peers in the Leo club of my middle school was able to raise over $14k for the tsunami relief donated to the Red Cross and UNICEF. This initial taste for service sparked my imagination to what a world of service could be, and the different ways there are to give back. Peace Corps entered my radar that winter as I looked for my next opportunity to serve, but was something that could never have become a reality without the help of my family.

So, here we are. I have left my job in corporate America to finally achieve a life long dream of what I saw in 7th grade as the ultimate opportunity to serve. I am sure I am in for a wild ride, and can not wait to share my experiences with you as I embark on this journey.

The opportunity to work with the peace corps would be an opportunity to serve a community in need, promote cultural exchange, and give back to the world that has given so much to me. The reality of the decision is beginning to sink in as I share the news of my departure with my family and friends. I am sure there will be many ups and downs during this journey, including lack of electricity and running water, learning a new language, missing home, and my horrific fear of spiders and how on earth I plan to keep them out of my home in South Africa. While these are just a few of the items on loop in my head as I prepare for this journey, a more tangible challenge has emerged as I work towards my departure date.

While the challenges I face abroad will be many and often, the reality of hardship for my family and friends back home is something I am beginning to see more clearly. 27 months of learning new things will fly by. 27 months in your normal life with a granddaughter, daughter, sister or friend missing is a tough burden your family has to bare while you are away.

For me, family is everything. I am lucky enough to have a loving family and friend support group that has encouraged me to follow  my dreams, even at personal hardship for them. They will be the ones to wonder where I am, and how I am getting on in my new life. They will be spending holidays with one less loved one, and celebrating life’s triumphs with one less pair of clapping hands. So to all of the incredible people in my life, I say thank you. The courage to step out into this new adventure is not something found with in me, but in the love and support of all of you.  And as I continue to take in the reality of what will be my new life, and say goodbye to the one I have come to love, I know that the continued love and support from you all is the fuel I need to make this journey a reality. So, thank you.

And cheers to adventure.