I have been in Indonesia for nearly two years, but my first complete calendar year in country wraps up at the end of this month. Prior to leaving for service, I decided that I wanted to avoid making a trip back home during the twenty-seven months of service. At this point last year, I remember thinking that 2018 would be “the year,” when I would not step foot in the United States. Barring any extreme accidents or poor decisions, I will likely meet that goal at the stroke of midnight on January 1st, 2019. Despite these unordinary twelve months, I still try to find time during the last few weeks of the year to think for what I am grateful. I am confident that joining the Peace Corps was the right choice. I am grateful, and somewhat relieved, that I am still not debating at this point of my service whether or not serving as a volunteer was the right decision. I am grateful for the memories and skills I possess thanks to what I learned in 2018. I am happy about the changes I implemented back in January that remain in place today, including monthly blog posts (barely), consistent exercise (reluctantly), and fasting (never again). New Year’s resolutions are so much better when I actually follow through! I still find myself in a state of disbelief when I look back at the calendar to see that I have already completed these past twelve months; and that is in addition to nine months in 2017! Where has the time gone? I have spent time learning Javanese, traveling, and meeting community members; but I have also passed the year with plenty of time for self-reflection, not to mention Seinfeld and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. But one important thing that helped me reach this point is the friends and family back home who took time out of their busy lives to check in and send updates my way. Mail has been a great morale booster and a reliable source of happiness. Your mail has made a countless number of good days better, and many of my rough days more bearable. I might have been able to get to this point of my service without your mail, but it certainly would have been more difficult. The majority of pictures throughout this post are postcards that I received in the mail. I tape them to my wall, and the collage has slowly grown over time. I hope that it continues to expand during the rest of my service. If you are interested in sending mail my way, please reach out for my address! I promise I will write you back. I would guarantee a response, but the Indonesian post system is not the most reliable. While some letters seem to never make it to my site, every letter I have sent out into the world has arrived at its intended destination. I want this post to serve as a giant Shout-Out to everyone who sent an email, letter, postcard, package, or some kind of message at some point during my service. Even when living in a village in rural East Java, your notes make me feel much closer to home and connected to those whom I care about the most. I laugh when I receive a Valentine’s day card in May, or a Halloween-themed letter after Thanksgiving. I tear up when I get a letter with pictures from a newborn (I am so excited to meet her). I selfishly smile when someone writes me praise (this mail is the best during my rough patches). Sometimes I am surprised to find a package that was sent from the States only three weeks earlier! In a matter of days, I will be able to say, “I look forward to seeing my friends and family later this year.” There are only five more months left of my service before I head back to the good ole US of A. It is time to start planning happy hours, concerts, and weekend camping trips! Expect a big hug and, if you are lucky, a fat kiss on top of your head from me very soon. Happy holidays!
3 Comments
|
AddisonHometown: La Crosse, WI Archives
May 2019
Categories |