I'm Coming Home!!

This week I spent my time in the capital of Botswana at the Peace Corps Offices, doing all the things I needed to do to successfully close out my service. It was full of interviews and paper work and medical and dental checks. As of June 6th, 2012 I am no longer a Peace Corps Volunteer and have moved into RPCV (Returned Peace Corps) status. I was supposed to be on a flight home leaving Johannesburg, South on June 6th, but unfortunately it was cancelled due to the protesting going on in Egypt. Luckily I have some friends who have family in Pretoria (a city close by) who are letting me stay the night and make use of their internet. After multiple calls to Orbitz and hours of being put on hold, I was finally able to get my new flight itinerary!! That was a huge relief because I was starting to worry that I was going to be stuck in Africa! As much as I will miss and do miss living and working in Botswana, after being here for two years I just want to come home and see all my friends and family. I will be arriving at Port Columbus on June 8th at 9:15pm as long as all the flights run on schedule. See you all stateside!

Packing

After 2+ years of being in Botswana my loathing of packing has not diminished. When I came to Botswana I came with this:

I am leaving with one less suitcase and a girl can accumulate A LOT of stuff in 2 years! This time around I don't have my wonderful mom to help me get everything to fit :( which has made the past few days some of my least favorite. After packing, re-packing, rearranging, and finally deciding I can part with a few more clothes I was able to get everything packed into this:

Now I can relax and enjoy my last day in my village before I head to the capital on Sunday to do closeout medical and administration things. :) RPCV status is within reach. Can't believe this day has come!

2 Weeks...

...the amount of time I have left here in Botswana. After years of having the goal to serve in the Peace Corps, the amount of time it took to go through the application process (1.5 years), and having my dream finally come true, it will all be over 2 weeks from now. 2 weeks from now I will be getting ready to board a plane to come home. I haven't set foot in US soil in over 2 years. As excited as I am to come home and as much as I am looking forward to that feeling of satisfaction of finishing and achieving a goal I had set out for myself, I am also sad to close out this chapter of my life. The past week I have been working on my site report to be handed over to the volunteer who replaces me in Machaneng (which is weird to think about in its self), working on my Description of Service Report, sorting through my stuff, and saying my goodbyes.  Various friends I have made over the past two years have been stopping by to see me before I leave and each time they leave with some of my stuff. My house is becoming less and less mine as the days pass by. My village is throwing me a Goodbye Braii Party this Friday, and I'm really looking forward to spending that time with all my friends in Machaneng. I've never really been great at goodbyes so these past few weeks have been hard. Luckily in this day and age there are things like facebook and email that makes the world a much smaller pace and makes it easier to stay in touch with people from another country. But in the end there are many people who I will more than likely never see again and that makes me sad. Not only will I miss my friends that I have made over here, I am going to miss so much of Botswana and Africa that I have grown to love. In life they say when one door closes another one opens. Hopefully the door that is opening will be just as great as the door that is closing. 

Shadows and Casts

A couple weeks ago I got to host another Peace Corps Trainee for a week. When the new volunteers come into country they go through 2 months of training before they get sworn in as official Peace Corps Volunteers. One week out of their training they get to leave the training site to stay with a current volunteer. During their shadow time they get to see what life as a PCV is like. I got to host a trainee from the Bots 11 group back in October so I was excited to be chosen to host someone from the Bots 12 group that just came to Botswana in April.

After I was told I was going to be hosting a trainee I started to freak out a little bit, because I realized I didn't really have much going on at site anymore as my projects are starting to wind down. The week before I was supposed to meet her in Mahalapye I scrambled around to make sure we had some stuff to do. In the end there was no reason for the minor freak out. 

On Monday I went and met Leah (the girl that would be shadowing me) and the two other trainees who would be shadowing the volunteer who lives in a nearby village in Mahalapye (my shopping village). I had to mail a package home so I took the 3 trainees to the post office so they could experience the wonderfulness of the Botswana Post. Luckily trying to send my package home didn't take too long and I only ran into a couple minor complications. After that we picked up some food for the week and headed for the bus back to the village.

On Tuesday I showed Leah around the clinic and village. Then in the afternoon she led a focus group discussion with the PACT Club at the Jr. Secondary School. We had a small group of students show up which worked out really well and they were able to have a pretty good discussion on their views about Botswana and the economy and problems in the village. It's always interesting to hear what the youth have to say about some of these issues. Leah did a great job facilitating too. That night we made flatbread and hummus for dinner and it was pretty yummy.

On Wednesday, I took Leah over to Sefhare (a nearby bigger village) so that we could meet the women who make beads for the Sefhare branch of Mothers for All. Mothers for all is an organization that makes jewlery from breads made from recycled paper, magazines and posters. All the proceeds from the beadwork goes to support mothers or caregivers of orphans and vulnerable children in the community. It's a really great organization so I wanted the new volunteers to meet some of the women and learn more about what they do. Plus there was the added perk of being able to buy some of their products first hand! I also invited Cassie (the volunteer staying in a nearby village) and her shadows to come since we were collaborating to do a STEPS Screening (STEPS Videos are films made in and around Africa and they touch on various HIV/AIDS issues and are great to use to help facilitate a discussion with different community members) at Matlhako Library in the afternoon. While we were in Sefhare my friend Sister Francis (a nun whose been ministering in Sefhare for the past 16 years and has been in Botswana since the '70s) showed us some of the other things she's accomplished since she's been here. We got to see a really nice preschool and day care center, a Red Cross Center that runs a preschool for disabled children in the village and surrounding area and has a Big Brothers/Big Sisters program on the weekends, and we also got to see some of the backyard gardens some of the Mothers For All women have started up. It was really neat to see so many great things happening! I hope it was inspiring for the new volunteers to see what can be accomplished with hard work and motivated people. Some of the trainees were specializing in food security so I think they really appreciated getting to learn more about how to garden here.

In the afternoon we headed over to Matlhako Library to set up for our STEPS Screening. The week before Cassie and I had met with the Library Staff and planned to do a screening with the Standard 6 and 7s from the Matlhako Primary School. I thought it would be cool for the shadows to see. We got to the library and waited around. After a few hours we were told that the teachers were not going to allow the students to leave school to come and watch the movie, so no screening was going to happen. That was pretty disappointing, but it's what happens sometimes in Peace Corps. Once home Leah and I made some Taco Salad from scratch which was pretty yummy!

The rest of the week was spent at the clinic working on a volunteer job description with the clinic staff. This is so the organization and the new volunteer will be clear on the volunteers roles and responsibilities in the clinic and community. I think it’s a really good thing to have and I hope it will help the next volunteer who comes to Machaneng. I was also supposed to meet with preschool owner to work on a grant proposal, but she unfortunately ended up cancelling.

At the end of the week all the area volunteers and their shadows came over to my house and we had pizza! Then on Saturday we all went out to Len and Marina's farm on the Tuli Block so the shadowees could see what it's like out there.

 Lennie took us out on an afternoon game drive and showed us around the farm. We saw a few animals and some giraffes!! This was pretty exciting for the trainees, because these were the first wild animals (besides monkeys) that they have seen in Botswana.

We got to stay the night out at their hunters campsite, which was pretty cool. We had a braii with huge tasty steaks. After dinner Lennie took us out to chase after springhares, which is probably one of my favorite things to do here! This time I actually got to chase after them, unlike when my family was here (because I was sick). At one point I was super close to catching one, but it hoped away…should have dove on top of it. One of the runs I didn't see a warthog burrow and took a bad spill. I rolled over laughing but when I got up I could tell my ankle was hurting pretty bad. Once we got back to the campsite I investigated the damage. My ankle was swollen pretty bad…I decided I would text Peace Corps Medical about it once I got home. The rest of the night was spent hanging around the campfire and enjoying the outdoors. It was really nice of them to let us all come out there. The Vermulien's have been soo hospitable towards me throughout my service and I cannot thank them enough for all that they have done for me. I'm really glad I met them and became friends with them. I will always remember the kindness they showed me throughout my service and hope to one day return the favor.

Once home on Sunday I called the Peace Corps Medical Office and they told me to go to my clinic to have my ankle checked out. The doctor at the clinic wanted me to get an x-ray done to make sure nothing was broken or dislocated. On Monday I was sent to Sefhare Primary Hospital to get my ankle x-rayed and checked out by the doctor there. Gotta love rural public health care. The doctor said nothing was broken, but there was definitely soft tissue damage so he wanted to administer a POP (plaster of paris). So they put a cast on me and gave me some pain pills and crutches and sent me away. Sucks this had to happen right at the end of my service, but luckily I only have to keep my cast on for a few weeks. And now I will have a cool African cast full of signatures to take back to America with me when I leave in June :)

2 Years

This past week marked 2 years of me living in Botswana. It also was the 2 month mark until I get to go home. It's crazy to think I have been gone that long and only have such a short amount of time left here! There have been plenty of times I thought the 2 year mark would never come, and now it has come and passed. 

When I was an undergrad at Miami University, I took a summer trip to China for a month. That was the first time I had been out of country and overseas. It was a great trip with many memories, but I specifically remember meeting some other people in the program who had been there for 1 or 2 years. After meeting them I remember thinking to myself there was no way in hell I would ever be able to live and work/serve away from my friends and family in a foreign country for 1 or even 2 years like those people were doing. And now I have done just that.

As my time here dwindles I have noticed that lately I have been a little disengaged with what I am doing here. I am starting to make plans back at home and pack my things here. I'm finding it hard to stay motivated with the few projects I have left. Many of my projects are coming to an end and even though new opportunities pop up I have to kindly turn them down due to lack of time. I still have 7.5 weeks here, so there are still some things that can and need to be done before I leave. Recently I have started to realize the importance of properly saying goodbye to the people here that have supported me (big and small) throughout my service. I have spent 2 years of my life here in Machaneng. Throughout that time I have formed a number of different relationships. 2 years isn't something to look at lightly, it's a nice chunk of my life. I hope I do a proper job of saying goodbye to all of my friendships and acquaintances I've made here. I don't want to forget someone and then on the plane or 6 months down the road feel guilty about it. It's weird that I will no longer call this place home.

In the end these past two years have been a lot of growth and learning in myself. One of the biggest things I think I have learned about myself over this time is my ability to press on. No matter what came in my path throughout my service I picked myself up and kept on this journey. I never gave up and now I am almost finished. The end is approaching and I look back at all I have done, even when things looked bleak, and I feel very accomplished and proud. 

Walls of Encouragement and Love

Since I have been gone a lot on the weekends the past few months, my house has become very dirty. I decided to tackle some of the massive amount of cleaning it needs this weekend. As I was straightening and cleaning up my bedroom, I came across some of the letters people have written me that had fallen off the wall. When I first came to site I started a wall of encouragement by hanging up every letter and card I received. Over the past two years this wall has spread into three walls! I decided to not hang the fallen letters back up, since I will only have to take them back down again in the next month or so. As I was piling them I found myself reading back through the letters and cards. After reading them and reflecting I wanted to say THANK YOU!!!!! Thank you to anyone who took the time to write me and send me a care package over the past 2 years. Thank you for the kind words of love and support. You have helped me to get through the rough times of service and remember why I am here. You have helped me to stay strong and be persistent when the easy thing would have been to give up and go home. These walls have been a physical sign and reminder of all the people back home who have been thinking of me, praying for me, and showed an extra bit of love and support through my service. I CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH! I am soo grateful to have each and every one of you in my life and I can't wait to see you all soon :)

walls of encouragement

some art work sent to me by some of my cousins

the letters and cards that fell off the wall. feeling the love <3

"There comes that mysterious meeting in life when someone acknowledges who we are and what we can be, igniting the circuits of our highest potential." -Rusty Berkus

Only in Botswana...

As I was walking home from the Jr. Secondary School, one of the teachers stopped and asked if I wanted a ride home since it was getting dark and the school is a little ways from my house. I gladly took the ride and opened the door. As I was sliding into the front passenger seat I looked down and saw some red, orange, and black feathers on the floor. Right away I knew it was a chicken, but then the chicken moved! As I looked closer, I noticed the chicken was bound by its feet and was still alive. It must have startled me or something because the teacher asked if I was afraid of it. I slid the rest of the way into the seat, careful to place my feet as far away from the chicken's beak as possible, and said no. Then I proceeded to ask if this chicken was going to be his dinner tonight. He laughed and said no, but tomorrow he would be eating it. Then we hit a bump and then chicken was startled and flapped up and into my leg. This made me jump a little and probably emit some sort of squeal. The teacher laughed as I once again tried to get as far as away from the chicken. Guess I was slightly afraid of it, mostly because I didn't want it to peck me. The rest of the way he asked me about chickens in America. I think he was asking if they were the same size and I don't really think he understood any of my explanation about chicken farms and hormones that are injected into said chickens. Finally we were at my house and I bid him and his chicken farewell, happy to not have had my toes pecked off. He then invited me to come over to dinner the next night for some chicken. I think I will pass...

Close of Service Conference

Sorry I have been a little neglectful to this blog. The last month has been pretty busy with traveling (will talk about that in another post) and Close of Service Conference.

Last week my training group (Bots 9) was put up in the capital for a few days at the Phakalane Golf Estate Hotel for our Close of Service Conference. The hotel was by far the nicest place I have ever stayed in! The food was great, the rooms were nice, the poolside was gorgeous, and I had to keep reminding myself that I was still in Botswana. The few days were full of sessions about closing out our service, i.e. saying proper goodbyes, cooping with readjustment when we return back to the states, forms we have to fill out before we leave, reports we have to do, and going over any other administrative and medical close out procedures. The conference was to give our group one last chance to all be together, give us a sense of accomplishment for (almost) completing our service here, and go over all the things we need to do before we leave.

Dinner the first night with Sunny and Lucie

Our awesome rooms

The beautiful pool

After the first full days of session Peace Corps treated us to a game drive and braii (bbq) at the Mokolodi Game Reserve. Although over the past 2 years I have been on numerous game drives, it's always nice to get to see the wildlife and enjoy being with my fellow volunteers. We got to see a couple hyenas and a herd of giraffees, as well as impala , wildebeast, kudo, ostrich, and worthogs. I will sure miss the wildlife here. Once at the braii site we were fed an scrumptious dinner by a lake and listened to the hippos calling into the night.

The next afternoon Peace Corps hosted a formal luncheon to pay tribute to the volunteers along with VIP government officials. Former President Festus Mogae attended, which was really great because he was one of the driving forces in brining the Peace Corps Volunteers back to Botswana in 2002 (Peace Corps Volunteers had previously served  in Botswana since 1966, but left in 1997 due to the country's strong economic growth and development). Other officials in attendance were the Minister of Health, Minister of Local Government, a representative of the US Embassy,  and the National Coordinator for the National AIDS Coordinating Agency (NACA). Many speeches were made, including ones from four volunteers about their service. It was a nice luncheon and my counterpart at the clinic, Interview, even attended to show his and Machaneng's support. Botswana press even put out radio interviews, television reports, and printed a great article about Peace Corps Botswana in Mmegi, a Botswana national newspaper, in response to this luncheon.

Former President Fetus Mogae making his speech

One of the PCV's making her speech in Setswana

Me and my counterpart Interview

One of the afternoons we had a panel of  RPCVs (Returned Peace Corps Volunteers), who are residing in Gaborone, talk to us about readjustment. I really enjoyed this session. It was great to hear first hand from volunteers who had gone through similar things that we had and will go through in the near future. It was fun to hear their stories and give me a little bit of knowledge of what to expect when I get back. (Just a warning…you will be getting a weird version of me when I get back in June, bear with me and I will be back to "normal" at some point…hopefully)

 It's crazy to think that I am coming upon the completion of my service. I think back to those first days when I arrived here. I had no clue what I had gotten myself in to and now my time is almost up. There has been so much growth and changes in me and my group and it has been neat getting to witness that. 

During the conference we got to sign up for our actual Close of Service dates. I signed up for the 6th of June and just the other day I booked my ticket home. It didn't feel real until then. All this time I've been saying that I am going home soon, but now that I have a ticket that says I will be back in Ohio on June 7th. This makes it feel real.

It feels weird to be back in my village after the conference. All last week the staff kept saying "you did it! you're (almost) done! congratulations!" and then we were sent back  to our villages until June. It makes it a little difficult to be motivated to continue with the projects I had going on. I know though that my projects need to be passed on and closed out. With that, packing up, and all the paperwork I have to fill out, I will be pretty busy the next few weeks. This past week I have started letting people in my village know the exact dates when I will be leaving. I started tearing up when I was letting one of my friends know. I am super excited to be going home and to be closing this chapter of my life, but parts of me are very sad to leave. I will miss my mostswana and volunteer friends here and my cat. Saying goodbye is different here. In America when I said my goodbyes I knew in 2+ years I would be seeing them again. Here I will have to say goodbye, knowing there is a good chance I will never see them again. I am anticipating this will be very difficult to do over the next 11 or so weeks. 

Projects

There have been a few project ideas that I've had since the beginning of my service that are finally happening. It's funny how things work like that here in the Peace Corps. Part of me wishes these things would have started 6  months or even a year ago, but development work doesn't always work that way and can be a really slow process. Regardless I have the support for them now and I am excited to see my ideas transpire.

This past Tuesday, Valentine's Day,  I had my first Wellness Support Group Meeting for the Clinic Staff. Machaneng has a high rate of HIV/AIDS  like the rest of the country. This can cause a major strain on workers, especially on the clinic staff. With the high rate comes a high rate of patients coming in for treatment. This can cause a lot of stress especially since the clinic is understaffed. This becomes even worse when a worker gets sick. All of this stress can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms and unproductivity. A wellness group can help to support workers in this area. With my degree in Exercise Science I have some knowledge on how to cope and deal with stress in healthy ways and I have some resources on various aspects of healthy life style living. I thought starting up a Wellness Support Group, where the staff can learn about healthy life style living, healthy outlets to deal with stress and anger, eating well balanced and nutritious meals, and just having a supportive group to blow off some steam in a healthy way would be beneficial to the clinic staff. I also know that not only is there a huge problem with HIV/AIDS in Machaneng but there is also a problem with obesity, high blood pressure, hypertension, and diabetes. These diseases become worse when coupled with HIV/AIDS.  If some leaders in the community learned more about these other diseases and how to counteract or reduce their risk of getting them the village of Machaneng could become a healthier community. I came up with idea back when I first came here and even tried to have a couple meetings but just didn't really have the support to keep it going. Fast-forward to now, I have a new counterpart who has an interest in exercise and wellness which allows this idea to become a reality. The first meeting went pretty smoothly. Only a couple people showed up from the clinic staff, but that is better than none. We did an icebreaker and then talked about what wellness is and the purpose of a wellness support group. I had them fill out a survey on the various aspects of wellness and their lifestyle habits. I hope after we've had some meetings I can have them refill out the surveys to see if their scores have improved or changed. We also discussed what would happen in future meetings and how this is their group so in order for it to be meaningful and effective they have to take ownership in the group. This is very important because I will be leaving in a few months, and if no one takes ownership then the group will die off when I leave. The plan now is to meet every day around 5pm to do some sort of aerobics or exercise like running or yoga and then once a week we would have a 30 minute lesson before the workout on some aspect of wellness (like nutrition, stress relievers, meditation practices, mental health, anger management etc). Eventually  once the group is solid and meeting regularly I hope we can put on some sort of event in the community like a wellness day or a 5k walk/run or something  in that vein of thinking.

Another project I have going on is reinstating health talks in the morning at the clinic. Most clinics in Botswana take advantage of the patients waiting to see the doctor, nurse or whatever they are there for and try to give a health talk of some sort. It's actually a pretty good idea, because you have a captive audience who isn't really going anywhere since they are just sitting and waiting. Machaneng Clinic hasn't done health talks with the patients in years because they say the patients don't want to be lectured to or don't listen to what they tell them. To be more engaging I decided to use some STEPS Videos (STEPS for Life is an organization out of South Africa who produces videos all over Africa and the films are translated into many of the African languages, each video deals with some sort of HIV/AIDS issue and are used to promote discussions in a community) and see if the patients would be more willing to listen. Who doesn't like watching a movie?? I had talked about this with my previous counterpart, but once again she just didn't seem interested or willing to help me. I brought the idea up to my new counterpart, Interview, and he loved it!! So after a few meetings of planning and going over with him how to do a screening we were ready to screen a film. On Wednesday I got to the clinic nice and early to make sure the DVD player and TV were working. Patients were trickling in, and I think a little confused as to why there was a TV set up in the middle of the clinic. We showed the short 7 minute film and then tried to have a discussion. The audience said they didn't really understand what the video was about and wanted to watch it again. The particular film I decided to show was actually filmed in Botswana, so I think that caught their attention. After watching it the second time the patients were more talkative. The whole discussion took place in Setswana, and my Setswana skills aren't great so I was glad to have Interview and the Senior Health Education Counselor there helping with the screening. They took over facilitating the discussion portion. Originally I had planned on the discussion portion to only last 10 minutes but it ended up lasting about 30, which is awesome! Later in the afternoon I met with Interview and Blackie (the Senior Health Education Counselor) and they filled me in on what was discussed. Interview thought it went really well and can't wait to show some other films. I also hope we can come up with some other creative ways to disseminate information to the patients in the waiting area, but this is definitely a great start!

It's a nice change to be busy again and feel like I am doing something and making a difference. It makes such a different to have someone who is excited to have me around and wants to make use of my knowledge and skills. I just didn't have that support with the last counterpart. The new counterpart is a refreshing change.

I am leaving tomorrow to use up my last days of vacation time before I have to go back on "lock down" in March. I am going with another volunteer and her friend from home to Durban and St. Lucia, South Africa, Lesotho, and Mozambique. I am really excited for this trip. Lesotho is supposed to have some of the most beautiful mountain ranges and I get to experience it on a horse!! The rest of the trip will be spent working on my tan, enjoying the beaches and ocean(I get to mark off a new ocean --I've never seen the Indian Ocean before), and eating some good seafood!!  Will post about the trip when I get back in March. 

Regionals

This past weekend was the time when the Peace Corps Volunteers in the region get together for some refresher training. This year my regional meeting was held in Francistown (also known as "the ghetto" even though it's a really nice town, I personally like it better than the capital, Gaborone) at the Adansonia Hotel. It was super nice and a great weekend away from the village life. The hotel had messed up our booking so all of us got rooms to ourselves! This never happens, we usually have to pair up, which isn't a big deal, but it was super nice to have my own room and be able to crank the acon (air conditioner) full blast so I could cuddle up under the blankets for once :) And have the freedom to skype friends from home into the wee hours of the night and not disturb anyone. The weekend was spent lounging by the pool soaking in the rays, eating good food, taking advantage of showers, basking in air conditioning, sitting through a few training sessions, and hanging out with fellow volunteers.

cool waterfall that was on the hotel grounds

The training sessions were much like last year. Going over our reporting tool, PC Project Framework, the Emergency Action Plan, and Strengths and Challenges at site. At times I had a hard time paying attention, even though the actual sessions were only one day. I guess I am kind of checked out and my mind is elsewhere. But from what we were told in some of the sessions, it seems like PC is improving and is continuing to improve in their training plans. They have this new thing that they are calling "Focus In, and Train Up". It seems like the future volunteers will have better trainings when they first come in, with more of a focus on what they should be doing than what we had when I first came here. I think this will be a good improvement for PC as a whole. I feel like our training was very vague and spread really thin making it difficult to grasp what exactly it was we were supposed to be doing at site. Hopefully with the new training packets PC has made and the new Project Framework PC Botswana has come up with, future volunteers will be more focused, more useful at sites, and be better able to report back their projects to headquarters.

going over HIV/AIDS Capacity Building Project Framework...clearly I was more interested in doodling..

It was great to be around fellow volunteers, especially the still excited spirits of the newer ones. Their energy was great and actually made me a little bit excited about the few projects I have going on. The whole weekend I wondered if I still had that fresh glazed excited look across my face at last years regional meeting. I remember last year being jealous of the Bots 8ers who would be leaving soon, but this year that was me. It was weird to be the "senior" in the group. The one who had been there and done that, experienced it and knew what worked and what didn't. The one who was counting down the few days left in country and eager to be home soon. There were many discussions about plans after Peace Corps among us Bots 9ers. It will be great to have so many connections all over the US when I get back. I am excited for the RPCV community I will be apart of upon my return to the States. 

me and lucie by the waterfall :)

Happy Valentine's Day!!

In the spirit of Valentines Day I wanted to re-blog this post from National Peace Corps Association. I thought it was great! Although I'm not an RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer) yet I will be in less than 4 months and I am pretty sure I meet all of these requirements and more:

12 Reasons to Date a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer

By Erica Burman on Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

(credit: http://laurapruittdesign.blogspot.com)

It’s Valentine’s Day!  A day when we celebrate friendship, love, and romance.  Through the years here at the National Peace Corps Association, we’ve heard countless stories of Peace Corps romance.  The couples that met at the airport on the way to training.  The couples that met while serving. The Peace Corps Volunteers that fell in love with a host country national.  And the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers that connected back here in the States, discovering that the shared bond of Peace Corps service was the spark that led to a relationship.

Peace Corps is a life-changing experience that develops a unique set of skills and attributes.  So it goes without saying:  Returned Peace Corps Volunteers make GREAT dates.  And just to prove it, we’ve started a list.

12 reasons to date a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer:

1. We can woo you in multiple languages. Who else is going to whisper sweet nothings to you in everything from Albanian to Hausa to Quechua to Xhosa? That’s right. Only a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer.
2. We’re pretty good dancers. Yeah, we don’t like to brag, but after 27 months in Latin America or Africa we know how to move it.
3. We’ll eat anything. Seriously. No matter how bad your cooking, Returned Peace Corps Volunteers have had worse and will eat it with nary a blink. Sheep’s eyeball? Water buffalo gall bladder? Grasshoppers? Bush rat? Bring it.
4. We know all about safe sex, thanks to our very thorough Peace Corps health training. In fact, there’s a chance that we’ve stood unblushingly in front of hundreds of villagers and demonstrated good condom technique with a large wooden phallus.
5. We’ll kill spiders for you. Well, actually, we’ll nonchalantly scoop them up and put them out of sight.  Same goes for mice, geckos, frogs, snakes. Critters don’t faze Returned Volunteers.
6. We have great date ideas: wandering a street market, checking out a foreign film, taking in a world music concert, volunteering…. Romantic getaway? Our passport is updated and our suitcase is packed. With us, life is always an adventure.
7. We like you for “you”… not your paycheck. Especially if we are freshly back from service, a local joint with “character” will win out over a pretentious eatery.  Living in a group house? No problem. Does it have running hot water? What luxury!
8. You won’t get lost when you’re with a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. Navigating local markets on four continents, we’ve honed an uncanny sense of direction. Or else we’ll ask for directions. We’re not afraid to talk to “strangers.”
9. Waiting for a late train or bus? Don’t worry, we’ve been there, done that. We can share lots of funny stories about “the bus ride from hell” that will make the time go quickly and put it all into perspective.
10. Our low-maintenance fashion style. Returned Peace Corps Volunteer guys are secure in their manhood and don’t mind rocking a sarong. Women often prefer flip flops to high heels. We don’t spend hours in front of a mirror getting ready to go out.
11. Marry us, and you won’t just get one family — you’ll get two! When we refer to our “brother” or “mom,” you’ll want to be certain we’re talking about our American one or our Peace Corps one. You might even get two wedding ceremonies, one in the U.S. and one back in our Peace Corps country.
12. And last but not least, we aren’t afraid to get dirty.

Do you have a story of a Peace Corps romance?  Other reasons to add? Share in the comments section below!

So as you can see Peace Corps Volunteers are pretty good catches! Hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day! And if you are looking for a date, why not try an RPCV! ;-)

Top 11 Moments in 2011: Number 1

Family Visit!

There is nothing better than seeing loved ones after you haven't for a really long time. The feeling that bubbles up inside you as you anticipate their arrival. The ecstatic joy you feel once you finally get to be in their presence again. This is just some of what I felt when my family stepped off the plane and began their African Adventure here in Botswana. 

One of the toughest things about coming to Botswana was leaving all my family and friends for such a long time. Peace Corps Volunteer service has periods of loneliness and homesickness. It's just a reality of living in a foreign country by yourself. There have been times I have felt more alone and homesick than I ever have in my life. Being able to have people who knows, loves, and understands you come and spend some time with you is a gift of so much relief, joy, and happiness. It had been over a year since I had seen my family and I was about to embark on 2 weeks of traveling in and around Botswana with my entire intermediate family. Something that is a rarity now that us kids are older. I couldn't have been any happier! I am pretty sure the people around me thought I was crazy as I had to suppress my excitement and tears waiting for them to come through the gate.

It was great to be able to show them around the country and show them a little bit of what I experience here in Botswana. They got  to see my village, meet all the people I work along side, try some of the foods I eat, and see how I live day to day. This was awesome because now I have family members who have experienced a little bit of what I have over my time of service and this will breed an understanding that no words or pictures could ever do.

After spending a few days in my village, we headed out to experience all the wonderful things the country of Botswana has to offer. We spent a lot of time in the car driving all over the country but it was worth it. Guess all those family roads trips we had growing up really paid off cause being in a car with my whole family for long hours at a time was no big deal. It was good to joke and laugh and just be around the family. We got to see everything from animals on safaris and boat cruises, to the Salt Pans in Nata, to Victoria Falls, to petting cheetahs. It was a great trip and something I will always cherish and remember.

If you want to hear more about the details of our trip you can check out my post here.

Thanks for following along and I hope you enjoyed the countdown! 

Top 11 Moments in 2011: Number 2

Shark Cage Diving!

When I decided to go to Cape Town, South Africa with a group of other volunteers over New Years Eve there was one thing I wanted to do more than anything else on my to do list, and that was going shark cage diving!

I had planned on going with two other volunteers. We were booked and the night before I had trouble sleeping because I was soo excited! I got up and met the other two girls while we waited on our ride. The van pulled up, but there was a problem….my two friends' booking was messed up somehow and they weren't on the list to go! I was really sad and didn't know what to do! Eventually after some calls it was determined that they weren't going to be able to go. I crawled into the van full of strangers and off we drove. This was the first time I was going to do something  thrilling and adventurous completely by myself (well I mean I did join the Peace Corps and moved to Botswana for two years, but that's a little different). Now don't get me wrong. I love doing awesome/crazy things but I've always had a friend or family member right there with me. This time that wasn't going to happen. I was still really excited but not having someone to experience it with made me more nervous.

The trip to Gansbaii from Cape Town was a beautiful 2 hour drive through the mountains and wine country. There were two groups from Italy and another couple from Sweden in my van. At least they all spoke English. Being my out going self I quickly made friends with them. 

Once at the place we were given some breakfast and then briefed on the cage and what was going to happen when we got out on the boat. It was finally time to get on the boat! The boat ride was pretty rocky out to the cage. I had stayed on the lower deck and got a little motion sick but the views were gorgeous!

Once at the cage we all suited up while they chummed the water to attract the sharks. After a few minutes some sharks started to come and it was time for some people to get in the cage. I was part of the first 5 to go. The water wasn't too cold, which was good. We waiting a little bit and then next thing I know I hear "Divers DOWN!!!".  This meant a shark was nearby and I needed to dunk myself deep into the cage to see it. The adrenaline rush was ridiculous! I shoved myself down as fast as I could and there he was! A huge great white shark swimming right by the cage. I popped back up and it was time to wait for another one. We got to be in the cage for 3 more sharks to come by and then we had to get out to let some other people have a look.

Once back in the boat I decided to go up to the top deck to watch the sharks. The view from the top was great because you could actually see the whole shark in the murky green-blue water! Man were they big!! (the sharks were about 3 meters long) I watched and tried to get some good pictures as the sharks came up to the cage or tried to get the bait. A few times they jumped out of the water and one time "Nemo" (as the guides called her because she had a damaged fin, which made her more aggressive) jumped out of the water and hit the corner of the cage with her tail. Wish I had been the guy in the cage then.

After everyone went it was time for me to go again. This time I had the positioning down so I was able to actually see the sharks better when I pushed myself down into the cage. At one point  a shark jumped out of the water with mouth wide open, teeth baring at the cage. That was pretty sweet. He/she was after the bait line which was being pulled back towards the boat and up over the cage. I wish I had gotten a picture of that!

After everyone went twice we all got out of our wet suits and headed back to shore. I made sure this time to sit up on the top deck, which helped tremendously and didn't get sea sick. Once back at shore we got some lunch and got to watch the highlight video. I talked to our guide a little bit. He had some great stories from doing this for 7 years. Pretty cool job, I would have to say. Then it was time to head back to Cape Town. I ended up sleeping most of the way back. Guess being out on a boat in a high adrenaline situation wears you out. 

Check back in tomorrow for the number 1 moment of 2011!! And if you haven't already check out numbers 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 :)

Top 11 Moments in 2011: Number 3

Chasing the Botswana Mini Kangaroo!

Went my family came to visit me we went and visited my friends who live out on the Tuli Block. They took us out on a night drive to chase after the "Botswana Mini Kangaroo". It was one of the best times I have had here in Botswana. We drove all over the bush that night chasing down this small critter. I was on spotlight duty and the boys would hop out of the ranger to run through the bush to try to catch it. I don’t think I have laughed more in my life those few hours. You can check out the full story here. I hope I get to do this again sometime before I leave Botswana.

Check in tomorrow for moment number 2 and if you haven't already be sure to check out numbers 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11!

Top 11 Moments in 2011: Number 4

Walking with Lions!

Lions are majestic and impressive creatures in and of themselves. I've seen lions at the zoo multiple times but that's nothing like seeing them in the wild. When my family was here to visit we went on a 3 day safari through the some of the main game reserves here in Botswana and at the Moremi Game Reserve we stumbled upon 3 lions (2 male and one female). It was awesome and frightening to watch them as they lay in the shade and moved around the safari vehicle. Even though seeing the lions on safari is great, getting to go on an hour walk with 18 month old lions is an even greater feeling!

When I was up in Zambia I did just this. In Zambia there is an organization that rehabs and rehabilitates lions when they are young and then releases them back into the wild. They work through the organizations called ALERT. To find out more about them you can go here. Part of the process of rehabbing and rehabilitating the lion cubs is allowing them to have human contact. This is why I got the opportunity to walk with two 18 month old male lions.

The experience was great. The lions were pretty sleepy but I got to pet both of them twice and even had one walk beside me for a portion of the walk. It was a really cool experience, but a little scary at times. They are wild animals so there was the risk the lion could have decided I was something to play with.  The whole time of the walk, we had guides and other volunteers who work closely with the lions, so it was very safe. I also had to carry a stick with me, just in case. Throughout the walk the guides told us a lot of info about lions and at one point one them lions tried to climb a tree. I'm just glad my fellow volunteers' prediction of me being most likely to be eaten by a lion, didn't come true! Now I can say I petted and walked with two lions and survived. Pretty awesome!

Be sure to check back tomorrow for moment number 3 and if you haven't already you can check out moments 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11