COS trippn'

And we're off! Our plan is to visit Southern Africa, Greece, and Eastern Europe. We're hoping to travel a couple months, but we'll see how it goes.

This was us back in July. Leaving Malawi, on a jet plane. Don't know when we'll be back again...

We packed light for this trip. Especially compared to what we brought with us to PC over two years ago. We've learned we need a lot less to survive then we used to think.

We'll try to post when we can. Wi-fi isn't as ever present as in America, but we'll be playing catch up once we get to Europe.

Officially an RPCV

Today I have officially completed my service and I can now call myself a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV). Or maybe I have to be back in America to be "returned"? Anyways, after two years my service is complete.

PC Malawi Education 2014 - 2016

Showing off my National Wear, a farewell gift from my school

When I think about my service, so many emotions and thoughts come to mind. I often think of the Charles Dickens quote, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." Everyday was filled with triumphs and challenges, both big and small. I learned so much from living and volunteering in a new culture and from the people around me. And I made wonderful friendships with Malawians as well as PCVs that I hope will last a lifetime.

I feel so grateful to have been given this opportunity to serve my country as well as the people of Malawi, and I think joining the Peace Corps is one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life.

So now what? Time for a bit of travel to experience more of the world's cultures and explore God's good works. Coalee will be here tomorrow(!!!) and then we will be on our way. Stay tuned for posts about our trip...

Last week at site

I have just about a week left at my site. Despite the fact that school is out and I've been staying in the village, my days have been really busy.

I've been trying to go through my stuff to prepare the house for the next PCV that will replace me. Somehow I have acquired a ton of stuff in the last two years. It's mostly clothes, papers and junk like tin cans, plastic bags and water bottles, but it's all gotta go somewhere. I'm giving away most of my stuff to my neighbors, though I'm leaving the household items like dishes, sheets and books for the next PCV.

The weather has been overcast and chilly, so it's perfect soup weather. I've been making vegetable soups using whatever veggies I can find at the market, a few spices, and fresh basil from my garden. Sometimes I add beans. Here is a soup I made on Friday with some macaroni noodles added in. I seasoned it with garlic salt. It was so warm and delicious!

My neighbors have been coming by to chat more, since everyone knows I'm leaving soon. And I've been making daily trips to the trading center so I can see my friends there too. When I think about the final goodbyes it makes me feel a bit sad, so I'm trying to just be present and enjoy the little things in my PCV village life while I can.

These last two years have been full of ups and downs, and I am very much looking forward to seeing my family and friends back Home, but I am going to miss my life here in Malawi too.

PC Malawi COS Conference

We had our PC Close-of-Service (COS) conference in May. COS Conference is a time for all us PCVs that have served together these past two years to sit down with PC staff and prepare for the end of our service.

The conference was held at a really fancy hotel called the Sunbird. It's a chain of hotels here in Malawi that is way out of the price range of a PCV, so it was a nice treat for us. The shower was so nice-- perfect pressure and warm right away. And sometimes they left cookies in our room! Plus the food was amazing.

The hotel was right on the lake, but PC had a full program for us everyday. So we didn't have much time to go swimming. Plus it was kinda cold. In fact I only went in the water once.

During the conference, PC gave us paperwork to fill out, we had one last security and medical briefing, and then a ton of career stuff. Our CD sat down with us to look over our resumes, and they told us about Non-competitive eligibility with the federal government and provided interview and networking tips.

They invited a panel of four local RPCVs to speak with us. Three had served in Africa and the fourth had been a PCV in Ecuador (if I recall correctly). They shared their stories about readjusting to life back in America after PC and finding a job. What I took from their stories is that PC has probably changed me more than I realized, that it's gonna be rough going back, and that it will probably take six months or more to find a job. But on the positive side, now I'm part of a new PC community for life! Also I was thinking how glad I am to be able to readjust alongside Colii.

The last day each of us was assigned one other PCV from our group to reminisce about. I got my friend Shamie so it was difficult to limit it to just a few minutes because we've had a lot of fun these past couple years! Everyone shared really sweet and funny memories about each other. Some people wrote poems and sang songs. I teared up a little at the end, just looking around at these wonderful people who I didn't even know a few years ago, but now they have shared and supported me through some of the most challenging and rewarding years of my life.

Meanwhile, throughout the conference we were expected to be collecting a daily stool samples to be sent to the PCMO at the end of the conference. That's another first for me in PC-- giving stool samples. They were checking for worms and other parasites. We'll be doing more med stuff right before we leave the country at the end of July too. But hopefully no more stool samples!

Here is a photo of all of us on the beach the last day of the conference:

Hard to believe it's all going to be over soon...

Simple pleasures

I've been in Malawi for almost 20 months. This second year has been tough because it is hard not to think about the finish line-- going Home. Especially now that my group received our official Close of Service (COS) date-- July 29th. So the countdown is on!

Still, the best way to be content as a PCV is to stay focused on the present moment. I feel incredibly lucky to have had this opportunity to live and work in Malawi as a PCV. I still have about five months left, and I want to enjoy every moment during the rest of my time here.

Sometimes the work, living conditions, language and cultural barriers can be frustrating. When that happens, it is important for me to take a step back and appreciate the simple pleasures here in Malawi. Things like the neighbor children coming over for English lessons and proudly sharing a new English word they learned in school with me. Or one of my student's asking a really thoughtful question in class. Or being able to buy fresh pineapple in my trading center, and then plant the top in my yard to hopefully grow my own plant. There are so many wonderful things about life in Malawi that I am going to miss when I leave. These simple pleasures make life really special here.

The countdown is on, but I still want to stop and enjoy the sunrises and sunsets while I can. Because they never cease to amaze me.