Friday, February 11, 2011

Before I start typing about how lucky I am, here are some words from one of my favorite people in Panama, a fellow Peace Corps Volunteer, Jake.

"life is good.

now that i`m back, i`ve been developing projects with my community, like starting a library with all the amazing books many of you have graciously given, along with games and art stuff and magazines and glue (for the younger ones to eat) to slowly build a place where kids can go and hang out after school, do their homework or swing in a hammock and read about the far away adventures between the bindings of the mystical pages of Everyone Poops.

helping farmers harvest two ears in place of just one, cleanin` up the town like the ghostbusters do, building stoves, setting up classes, organizing camps, watching bad movies with my family, and trying to mix up eating the same old shit, like putting crackers on eggs and putting eggs on beans. both of which are wonderfully gross.

this is really the time i`m still learning. spanish, how to live in the jungle, with or without this or that, new things becoming important to me, new doors opening every day, emotions and inspiration diving up and down like the most dramatic teenage girl you could possibly imagine.

Ethan Steiner.

so, in these days, even 9 months in, (i know, because i`ve had my first child. i just had him 10 minutes ago. his name is, `too much whole grain bread when you`re used to eating rice.` it`s an indian name.) i am still waking up without a plan, and letting myself end up wherever the hell i may, learning more from people and simple things than i could ever possibly teach or maybe even express to anyone else. i cannot tell you more passionately enough how much this thing works. for making you into someone that you would wanna be. or could be. and you get it all from them.

this year is the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps. it is an important time for us, the few and proud just under 200,000 Volunteers who have served in 139 different countries around the world, to commemorate and celebrate the accomplishments we have made, in simply (not really) trying to make the world a better place, without lifting a single gun."






Love you Jake! Now, I'm sitting on a tropical beach waiting for the 90 Leatherback Sea Turtle eggs from my friend's nursery to hatch and make their first steps to the sea. We'll collect them in a bucket, bring them closer to the water, release them and make sure they at least make it to the sea. Then they will probably all be eaten by a big fish, but that does not take away from the magic. They are SO cute. And its such a struggle to get out of the sand they've been buried in for 3 months because its the first time they've actually used their muscles and breathed air in their lives. They are totally Neo emerging from the Matrix into the "land of the real." Go turtles!

Just wanted to share that totally awesome blog from my friend, and this totally awesome experience that I'm having. Miss you all and wish you were here :)

1 comment:

  1. Hey, I posted right after you wrote this and it's not showing! I love you and miss you tooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much!!!!
    Love you more,
    Mom

    ReplyDelete