A lot of my friends I started this adventure with have already gone home, are traveling around for a bit, or are getting ready to leave shortly. It is all very sad. Sad to say goodbye to the people that were in it together with you. But this second year has been, in most respects, much better than the first. I've found how to live in Bulgaria, a very foreign country (it took awhile, despite all that training in the beginning) and I have found how not to be lonely when my American friends are not around. I have gained so much from this experience. I have gained many insights into Bulgaria, the people and the culture that makes this place truly Bulgaria, a one of a kind place. I've reached the end of my Peace Corps journey. Two years ago I headed out not having any idea what I was getting myself into but trusting the fact that plenty of people had done it before me and I would be fine. I can't say these two years went by quickly. I was 22 when I stepped off that plane, and now I am 24, nearly 25. I guess in the whole scheme of things, that is not that long. Only two years in the span of a lifetime ahead. I know when I look back on my service it will seem but a small moment in time.
It takes a special type of person to be a Peace Corps volunteer and finish service. We are tight knit group and together we've done what most would fail at or even attempt. I have finished my Peace Corps service. I feel like I have made a difference at my school and with some of my students. I know I did not reach all my students, but as they say, if you have reached one person and made a difference in their life, than you have succeeded. I feel like I have succeeded. I have accomplished all my goals I set myself, however difficult it may have been at times.
As one of my friends said, "I am a better person because of this experience. I have been humbled by these experiences and my eyes have been opened to an entirely new way of looking at other cultures and people. I have looked at my own country from the perspective of an ocean away. I've experienced another country in a way that no tourist ever could." I couldn't agree more. A long time ago I made a decision and I stood by it. I joined the Peace Corps. It has been my dream since the beginning of college when I first discovered what the Peace Corps was exactly. I have fulfilled this dream, and fulfilled it proudly. Now, I must find a new dream. I have a world of opportunities awaiting me. So off I go, goodbye Peace Corps, and thanks for the memories.
1 comment:
Congratulations, job well done!
Can't wait for you to come home!
Love, Dad
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