"For some reason you are exactly where you are meant to be..."
- Roma, PCV, Belize
It's 7am. I'm laying in my bed in a hotel room in Legazpi City, Albay, Bicol, my new pc service site. I can hear horns honking and birds chirping through the open window. I just read a letter from my good friend Roma who is serving in Belize right now (hey girl!). ESPN live is muted on the small TV on the stand and Oregon State seeded #9 is coming out strong over #1 Arizona - I always love a good upset, well unless it's over UCLA. We'll see how the game goes.
Today is a full 28 weeks I have been in this country, and 4 weeks since I heard I was to get a site transfer. Today I meet my new organization and start hunting for an apartment or host family to move in with. Tomorrow hopefully I will get to travel to the next city, Naga, and meet some of my new region-mates (fellow volunteers around me).
I feel excited about a new city, and new organization. Of course I feel anxious too. The last few months were rough, not bad, just rough. All the tension and conflict with my last supervisor, left my nerves on edge, and hoping that my relationship with my new organization will be more successful. And, there was the four weeks of waiting, requiring so much patience, and creativity to fight against boredom.
I got to chat with the director, my supervisor, and my counterpart before and they seem really amazing, as does the organization and the work they're trying to do for children and families in this region. It's an ngo, headquarter'ed in Kansas City that organizes sponsorships for kids. Check 'em out here, Children International. It'll likely take a few weeks to figure out what my role and work will be at this new org.
This last week was filled with packing, despedidas (farewell parties), and just mentally gearing up for the transition. I flew to Manila on Wed with just my clothes. My bike and other belongings will be coming in a trunk sometime in the next month. My host family was sad to see me go. My host sister started crying as I left. My climbing friends from Bukid said goodbye, and gave me a couple tshirts. I'm really grateful that I had such amazing friendships and relationships with locals. I hope that I can find something similar here. I'll get to see my volunteer friends at trainings, but no more weekly pizza sessions with them - we did have our own little farewell with a giant 36' inch pizza. It was amazing.
My 12 hour bus ride from Manila to Legazpi, was actually a 9 hour straight drive in a car. Vic, the driver is a champ! He drove straight threw without stopping and got us here before dinner. My first impression of the city: beautiful, smells sweet and tastes spicy. I went jogging, and a crescent moon hung in the sky during twilight, while the Mayon volcano sat like a giant in the backdrop covered under clouds. I went to dinner last night with my new regional manager, Joji. It was actually her birthday, and it was pleasant to try to some delicious spicy food, and chat with her professionally and personally.
The last four weeks, waiting for my site transfer, gave me a lot of time to gear up, and try to ground myself. A lot of days I was frustrated and wanted to ask no one in particular 'why me?' - Why did I get a unreasonable supervisor? Why do I have to transfer leaving my friends, relationships, and a dialect that I've been trying to study/speak for six months? It all left me with a feeling of lose and that my time thus far has been in vain. Those irritable moments came and went. I just have to take everything as part of the experience, and let issues of control and desire for I cannot have go.
So, it wasn't all waiting in angst the last weeks. I took quite a few day trips with friends and my host family, and finally uploaded pictures to fb! My camera is a bit of a black hole 'cause no one ever gets to see photos I take, until now! Check 'em out if you haven't already.
Ten Day Before Peace Corps
Day Trips: Leyte & Samar
Climbing Community
Cabucgayan, Biliran
Ah, Arizona is up by 12 in the second half now. Things do work out how they should sometimes, huh? Headed out the door to meet and greet my new org, city, and find a place to live. Wish me luck!
No comments:
Post a Comment