A few weekends ago, I realized that I had ten weekends left
during my Peace Corps service. Given
that we rely on a number system based on ten (thanks to anatomy, but
unfortunate towards mathematical practicality), this would have been the best
time to start my countdown for my remaining time in Macedonia. However, I forewent writing this post for a
couple of weeks, and hence now I have EIGHT remaining weekends left in
Macedonia. Oh well.
Recently, as I wrap up my work with my organization and
prepare to close my service, I have shifted my focus from one Peace Corps goal
to another. Those who have served in Peace
Corps or are contemplating service should know that Peace Corps has three main
goals, listed below verbatim:
1. To help the people
of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
2. To help promote a better understanding of
Americans on the part of the peoples served
3. To help promote a better understanding of other
peoples on the part of Americans
As soon as I felt integrated enough into the country and
with my organization, I quickly shifted the focus of my service to Goal
#1. Frankly, Goal #1 is often the
driving force that appeals to and attracts Americans to joining the Peace
Corps. The benchmark I set for myself
has been measured by this goal alone.
Now as I prepare to leave a country that I have grown
accustomed to, I feel like it is time to don my figurative boots one more time
before I hang them up. Throughout the
early part of my service, Macedonia continued to fascinate and enchant me, so I
tried to experience as many customs and locales as time and resources allowed
me. However, as soon as my focus shifted
primarily to work, and as my digital cameras unexpectedly turned to junk,
traveling and photographing my adventures (mostly through this blog) became
much more difficult.
As for Goal #2, I never intended to overtly pursue this goal
while I was here, possibly due to my personal understandings of the meaning of
integration. Some Americans do a great
job of sharing the diverse experiences of being American to their communities
by presenting traditions and American history through presentations (many times
at the American Corners scattered around the country). Instead, I
hoped that my community would evaluate their experience of Americans through
their day-to-day interactions with me.
Now I am taking this brief period to indulge in what I enjoy
most about Macedonia and to try new things, and sharing my experiences here on behalf of Goal #3.
For the former, much of this includes hanging out with close friends and
host family, hiking through the picturesque mountains, and enjoying the
delicious cuisine. As for the latter,
there are some things that only Peace Corps volunteers can get away with (one
of my sitemates dyed her hair pink).
Thus, I am pursuing life choices that I otherwise would not make while
back in the USA. For example, in
February one of my sitemates and I agreed to a pact where I would grow out my
facial hair (I never let it go unshaven past 3-4 days) and he would shave his
(he has not been clean-shaven since he was 23).
The results of our pact are shared in the picture below.
Finally, I have a fairly modest, but personally exciting
bucket list that I hope to accomplish before my time in Macedonia ends. Luckily for those who read this blog
regularly, this should entail some more interesting stories (and maybe some
photographic records) of the interesting attractions Macedonia has to offer. And, coincidentally enough, this list
contains EIGHT items!
1. Cook 3 Macedonian Dishes
2. Eat Albanian
Cuisine at an Albanian Restaurant
3. Visit the Mother
Theresa House in Skopje
4. See a puppet show
at the Children's Theater in Skopje
5. Visit a winery in
Negotino
6. Visit the casinos
in Gevgelija
7. Visit Dojran Lake
8. Visit Brajčino
So, with my eyes on the horizon, I am poised to enjoy these
last weeks of Peace Corps with a new sense of discovery. This past weekend, I visited my training site
of Lozovo, and while walking through the woods, I discovered a fruit tree in
bloom hidden among the endless rows of coniferous pines. It reminded me how unexpectedly a place so
familiar can continue to take my breath away, and I hope for many more similar
experiences.
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| Pleasant Discovery in Forest near Lozovo |
Christopher, As I read this entry to your blog, I thought of my preparing for service in Macedonia (I have only the last of the forms/records to be collected and uploaded to the Medical Services office) as you are preparing to end your service. On one level both of us are preparing for great change and another set of unknowns requiring us to land with both feet on new ground. (I am already noticing moments of sadness at leaving what is so familiar alternating with bursts of excitement at having taken this plunge at this time in my life and planning to fully take advantage of these next few months at home. But, whereas you are leaving Macedonia to begin a next chapter of education, career, family and the richness of your bright future, I am leaving the States with all of these behind me. My new chapter is one of rejuvenation, reaching a long-delayed dream, proving to myself I still have purpose and value, with no idea what will follow when I complete my time of service. We together are like bookends to the experiences of life. As I tick off my list of "to dos," I will look forward to reading about your progress in doing the same. I hope the rewards of all of your successes in meeting Peace Corps goals as you have interpreted them in these past two+ years continue to sink in, leaving you with a sense of satisfaction and more clear understanding of how this experience will affect the directions of the rest of your life. Keep writing! I'll keep reading! All the Best, Ted
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