Well dear readers, the time has finally come. Here on the eve before my departure into the unknown this looks to be my last entry for at least a couple of months. Before the next time I have a chance to update this blog the Peace Corps will have made a man out of me (or at the very least an awkward adolescent).
The question most asked of me right now is whether or not I am feeling "insert emotion (e.g. excited, nervous, itchy, etc.) here" about the next step. A justified question, indeed quite deserving of a thoughtful answer. To be perfectly honest, up until this point I have been entirely too occupied preparing for the next step to spend any significant amount of time or energy fretting over it. I will say that there is a fair amount of uncertainty about what the next two years hold in store for the protagonist of this story. Here I am, a nurse practitioner, going from a country where my role in the health care field is poorly understood by members of the public and health care professionals alike, to a country where nurse practitioners are essentially non-existent. Additionally, I'm stepping as a person who refrains from eating meat into a culture which has no concept of vegetarianism. On the facade it would appear that part of who I am simply does not exist in the place I am going.
Despite the uncertainties surrounding this latest adventure my confidence remains high. Even if no one else understands my mindset, words, or actions, I continue to have faith in the path before me. Over the next two years there will undoubtedly be highs, lows, lows which at first seem to be highs but are later revealed to actually be lows, and just plain embarrassing moments, know that through it all this is the place that I am choosing to be and have no regrets or second thoughts about this course.
And so, with my bags...um...mostly packed, my eye turns to the east (whilst the other points to the south giving me a Cookie Monster type appearance) and as it does the proverb "Mtu ni watu (a person is people)" enters my mind. Certainly the path up to this point has been filled with wonderful people, without whom I would not be where I am now. So while it is sad to part with many of the people whose giving nature has helped me to this point, I look forward to sharing the love which has been given to me with many new friends whom I have yet to meet that I might be able to be one of the people who makes up another person.
See you from across the pond.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
The P word
Packing. Few spoken sounds are capable of invoking the tsunami of negative feelings associated with this 7 letter word. A rich coffee house style blend of dread, panic, loathing, and everything in between has been known pollute one's emotional palette in between the cold sweats and fits of nausea experienced when the sickness inducing P word is smeared painfully across one's ear drums like the most caustic of substances. If there is any issue that humans (along with most species of primate) are able to agree upon unanimously it is that the dreadful P word epitomizes the least enjoyable aspects of the human experience and should be avoided at all costs. Every member of every hunter gatherer tribe throughout history has silently sworn under their breath at least once upon the first hinting that their food source was preparing to migrate. Even the most avid travellers have considered just staying home to brush up on their algebra, get started on that novel, or finally solve that Rubik's cube without taking off the stickers rather than embarking on some life altering experience with that nasty P word as a prerequisite. Some societies have even proposed the P word as a means of punishment reserved the worst of crimes against society, but none to date has been so cruel as to enforce such a vile disciplinary action.
Less than a week to go and I find myself unavoidably face to face with the "I don't wanna" inducing P word. While my frequent travels have helped me cultivate some degree of tolerance to the sometimes necessary but always unappealing P word, this time is a little different. 27 months. What to bring and what to leave behind? The question weighs on my mind like a sack of festering peanuts along with the knowledge that, unlike my previous experiences, if I forget something this time I may not be able to acquire the item in country and having the item shipped from elsewhere may be impractical, if not impossible. I must balance carefully my natural tendency to travel as light as possible against the desire to bring every little item that I think I might possibly need at some point over the next 2 years. Every item deposited or withheld from my pack is a wager and, with worst case scenarios and most probable outcomes swaying the odds, I place my bets and hope for the best.
Though this latest parlay with the P word has a uniqueness not encountered during previous experiences, history tells me that some similarities are bound to arise. In every backpack, duffel bag, knapsack, or lunch box I've ever had a hand in packing, a few categorical items have unfaltering made appearances that the entire city of Greenwich can set it's clocks to. While the exact items themselves are ever changing and unpredictable, the nature of these items remains laughably constant. In an effort to make this blog more interactive, I've posted 3 of these item categories below along with my best guess as to which item will most closely match the category criteria during the next 2 years. I encourage you to make your own lists and, if any lucky fan is able to correctly guess all 3 items, I will personally come to the winner's hometown for a chance to have your photograph taken with me, sharing a glorious high five.
1. The item which, despite being incredibly difficult to pack, was not used once. Not only was the item not used, but at no time during the trip did a single instance where use of the item would have been even mildly appropriate arise.
My pick: Swiss fondue set.
2. The item which was packed in mass quantities in anticipation of not being able to acquire in country when, in fact, the item is available pretty much everywhere in country at rock bottom prices that would make Wal-Mart's head spin.
My pick: Pokemon card collection.
3. The incredibly useful item which was most certainly packed, however, rummaging through every backpack compartment, no matter how likely or unlikely it is to contain the much sought after item, reveals that the item cannot be found and was probably never packed in the first place. Only upon repacking in preparation for the return home at the end of the long and arduous journey is the "would have been great to have" item found in the most conspicuous of locations.
My pick: Shoes.
If you decide to share your pick on this blog, please remember to keep it family friendly as the world's children look to this blog as a beacon of inspiration for their future endeavors and, you know, we should be setting a good example and all.
Less than a week to go and I find myself unavoidably face to face with the "I don't wanna" inducing P word. While my frequent travels have helped me cultivate some degree of tolerance to the sometimes necessary but always unappealing P word, this time is a little different. 27 months. What to bring and what to leave behind? The question weighs on my mind like a sack of festering peanuts along with the knowledge that, unlike my previous experiences, if I forget something this time I may not be able to acquire the item in country and having the item shipped from elsewhere may be impractical, if not impossible. I must balance carefully my natural tendency to travel as light as possible against the desire to bring every little item that I think I might possibly need at some point over the next 2 years. Every item deposited or withheld from my pack is a wager and, with worst case scenarios and most probable outcomes swaying the odds, I place my bets and hope for the best.
Though this latest parlay with the P word has a uniqueness not encountered during previous experiences, history tells me that some similarities are bound to arise. In every backpack, duffel bag, knapsack, or lunch box I've ever had a hand in packing, a few categorical items have unfaltering made appearances that the entire city of Greenwich can set it's clocks to. While the exact items themselves are ever changing and unpredictable, the nature of these items remains laughably constant. In an effort to make this blog more interactive, I've posted 3 of these item categories below along with my best guess as to which item will most closely match the category criteria during the next 2 years. I encourage you to make your own lists and, if any lucky fan is able to correctly guess all 3 items, I will personally come to the winner's hometown for a chance to have your photograph taken with me, sharing a glorious high five.
1. The item which, despite being incredibly difficult to pack, was not used once. Not only was the item not used, but at no time during the trip did a single instance where use of the item would have been even mildly appropriate arise.
My pick: Swiss fondue set.
2. The item which was packed in mass quantities in anticipation of not being able to acquire in country when, in fact, the item is available pretty much everywhere in country at rock bottom prices that would make Wal-Mart's head spin.
My pick: Pokemon card collection.
3. The incredibly useful item which was most certainly packed, however, rummaging through every backpack compartment, no matter how likely or unlikely it is to contain the much sought after item, reveals that the item cannot be found and was probably never packed in the first place. Only upon repacking in preparation for the return home at the end of the long and arduous journey is the "would have been great to have" item found in the most conspicuous of locations.
My pick: Shoes.
If you decide to share your pick on this blog, please remember to keep it family friendly as the world's children look to this blog as a beacon of inspiration for their future endeavors and, you know, we should be setting a good example and all.
Kenya
The wheel of fortune has finally stopped and Kenya has been named as my next destination. For those of you who are unaware, in just under 2 weeks from today I will be departing for Kenya to serve as a Peace Corps Public Health volunteer for 27 months. I know that many of you are already serving up a buffet of questions such as "where in Kenya will you be", "what will your living conditions be like", and "will you get to ride a pony?" The answer to all of these questions is...I don't know. Not the "I don't know" answer that you give your parents when they ask how the kitchen window got broken and you really do know but you don't want to give the answer because then you would have to go on to explain the hole behind the refrigerator that you're hoping they won't notice until after you move out of the house. No, this is the kind of "I don't know" answer that can be interpreted as "I don't have that information at this time and will probably not have it until the times comes when it is necessary to have". Like catching a wet bar of soap that has rocketed out of ones hand mid-shower sailing through the air on the most warbly of trajectories, it is often impossible to describe initially the exact technique one is going to utilize in order to catch the devilishly elusive missile. Rather, one must wait patiently for more information before answering such an inquiry. Believe me when I tell you that I am just as eager to learn the answers to these questions as you are. While some of the answers to your questions may never be revealed for security reasons (e.g. 'Where do you live and what time do you leave the house every morning') rest assured that I will do my best to share appropriate information with you when it becomes available to me.
What I can tell you is this:
-Kenya is located on the Eastern coast of Africa and is about twice the size of Nevada.
-Official languages are English and Swahili though numerous indigenous languages abound.
-According to the World Health Organization, the top 5 causes of death in 2002 were HIV/AIDS (38%), Lower respiratory infections (10%), Diarrhea related diseases (7%), Tuberculosis (5%), and Malaria (5%).
-Stroke and Heart Disease, the number 3 and 1 killers in the US respectively, ranked 6th and 7th in Kenya, with each accounting for 4% of total deaths.
-HIV and Malaria control are currently considered major priorities under the Peace Corps' Public Health program.
-Ponies are currently not a major source of transportation in Kenya.
I hope this has helped to whet your appetite for more information. Check back later for more updates and let's look forward to finding out the answers to your questions together.
What I can tell you is this:
-Kenya is located on the Eastern coast of Africa and is about twice the size of Nevada.
-Official languages are English and Swahili though numerous indigenous languages abound.
-According to the World Health Organization, the top 5 causes of death in 2002 were HIV/AIDS (38%), Lower respiratory infections (10%), Diarrhea related diseases (7%), Tuberculosis (5%), and Malaria (5%).
-Stroke and Heart Disease, the number 3 and 1 killers in the US respectively, ranked 6th and 7th in Kenya, with each accounting for 4% of total deaths.
-HIV and Malaria control are currently considered major priorities under the Peace Corps' Public Health program.
-Ponies are currently not a major source of transportation in Kenya.
I hope this has helped to whet your appetite for more information. Check back later for more updates and let's look forward to finding out the answers to your questions together.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
A Begrudgingly Taken First Step
Blogging. From the Greek word "blogos" meaning: writing which few people read and still fewer are interested in. While the concept of blogging is not completely foreign to me, I must confess that the thought of entranced readers spending any significant amount of time in front of a computer reading about my own mishaps and misadventures seems a bit fantastic and mysterious to me. Blogging has always been something that other people do in an ever modernizing world while I try unsuccessfully to spend less and less time in front of a computer...until now. It would seem that life circumstances have brought me to a point where maintaining individual correspondences with people I care about will be, for a temporary stretch of time, logistically unfeasible, leaving me with little recourse other than to take my place in front of the mighty keyboard of fortune and cast my lot into the blogosphere of destiny in an effort to keep those interested parties abreast in the unfolding of my life's own moderately interesting events.
Given this is my first ever attempt at blogging, journaling, or any other "ing's" which provide some sort of insight into my innermost monologue, I will take the pre-emptive step of asking for your patience and understanding as I subject you to various run-on sentences, typyo's, and general incoherence as I struggle to express my thoughts in a reader-friendly format. In return, I will do my best to provide you, my legions (very generous use of the term) of loyal readers with colorful descriptions of my most interesting (or least uninteresting) encounters and discoveries. I cannot promise timely uploading of new posts or tales worthy of passing on to one's grandchildren, but I can promise that while I am providing you my irregularly irregular updates I will be thinking of you, an uncountable body of enchanted and enthralled readers composed of friends and loved ones, and looking forward to the day we meet again and I can hear your misadventures as well.
Given this is my first ever attempt at blogging, journaling, or any other "ing's" which provide some sort of insight into my innermost monologue, I will take the pre-emptive step of asking for your patience and understanding as I subject you to various run-on sentences, typyo's, and general incoherence as I struggle to express my thoughts in a reader-friendly format. In return, I will do my best to provide you, my legions (very generous use of the term) of loyal readers with colorful descriptions of my most interesting (or least uninteresting) encounters and discoveries. I cannot promise timely uploading of new posts or tales worthy of passing on to one's grandchildren, but I can promise that while I am providing you my irregularly irregular updates I will be thinking of you, an uncountable body of enchanted and enthralled readers composed of friends and loved ones, and looking forward to the day we meet again and I can hear your misadventures as well.
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