I'm not in the Peace Corps.

I’m not a Peace Corps Volunteer.

You read that correctly. As of April 8, 2015 I have officially successfully completed my two-year Peace Corps service and I am now a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV). . .ok, I haven’t quite ‘R-ed’ yet, but you get the idea.

                  

Close-of-Service, or ‘COS’ week went very smoothly, despite the fact that Summit of the Americas was happening in Panama City during the week that I was running around doing my last medical and dental checks and completing paperwork to be able to submit everything to finish my Peace Corps service on time.

Afterward, I had the most AMAZING vacation in Colombia with a few of my favorite people. I got to visit Cartagena, Medellin, Rio Claro, Bogota and Villa de Leyva and it was the most glorious thing ever.

I’m not trying to trivialize unemployment, but in my peculiarly unemployed-yet-worryfree state right now. . .I’m in good spot. I had exactly zero concerns or worries during my twelve days of galavanting around Panama’s South American neighbor. I won’t take the time to recount my whole journey, but just know that I got to dance, karaoke, and spend time with friends I hadn’t seen in two years. It was wonderful.

I’m currently back in Meteti for my last four days. It feels good to be in my Darien home and—would you believe it?—my brain does not believe that I’m peacing out of here on Tuesday. It felt so good to come back to my house and sleep in my bed and see my cat and shop in my store and hear the tipico music playing across the street—I guess being uprooted may prove a little difficult.

I’m ready for it, though. I’ve given it a lot of thought and prepared as best as I can, and on Tuesday I’ll be taking the leap. (I just keep reminding myself that in exactly one week I’ll be laughing until I cry when I go to see Kevin Hart’s show in Charlotte.)

Okay family and friends, I’ll be seeing y’all in a little while!


What I've read recently:
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Jean Dominique Bauby
Black Cool: One Thousand Streams of Blackness - Rebecca Walker
I'd Rather We Got Casinos and Other Black Thoughts - Larry Wilmore
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood

The Time is Near

As my Peace Corps service continues to draw to a close, I am realizing more and more how this move back to the States will be the transition to end all transitions. If this next month doesn’t make my head explode, then I am 100% invincible. I’ve already survived one teary despedida (going-away party) for one of my closest Peace Corps friends and the sad goodbyes continued later that day when my unofficial sitemate gringo came by my house as he made his way to leave the Darien for good—and that’s just the beginning.

I’ll be in my house for the next three days packing my stuff for my Close-of-Service week in Panama City as well as my 12-day trip to Colombia that will immediately follow. During this time, I’ll also be pasearing in my community to say some goodbyes to my friends in Meteti that have really helped me find my way around town for the past two years and have helped me feel at home.

It’s so odd being at this crossroads of ending one of the most transformative experiences of my life (it’s like this and high school marching band, no lie) and yet knowing that I’m about to embark on a huge crazy adventure in DC and Jersey once I leave the Darien.

Just thinking about readjusting to life in the States is enough to make me dizzy. As soon as I’m back, I’ve got to get:

• a pedicure (#1 on the list. . .these dogs are barkin’)
• a phone (to WhatsApp my Pana-people!)
• a computer (for grad school)
• new clothes (Operation: Dress Like a Grown-up)
• Business Cards
• Online statistics courses (I need to brush up on some stats)

And of course I’ve got to spend some quality time with my family before I take off again. Luckily, I have:

• A month of free time of ABSOLUTELY NOTHING (except Kevin Hart and a cookout) before I begin my awesome swanky DC summer internship
• A sister who is serving as a major crutch as I ease back into the whole repatriation deal.

I think the whole thing sounds do-able, right?

Welp, even if it’s not, it’s about to get DONE anyway.

Much love to everyone in the States. I’ll be seeing you lovely people THIS MONTH (can you believe it?).

Aja

What I've Been Reading (the Darien-to-US prep has slowed down my literary digestion. . .)

Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea Barbara Demick