Life is Good in Suriname

Greetings from Suriname! I cannot believe that this country I have thought about for months is now my home for 27 months, and I am really here. So far so good.

My group left Miami about 11:00a.m. on Tuesday. After a layover in Curacao and a stopover in Trinidad, we arrived in Paramaribo at about 1:00 a.m. on Wednesday. It was a long day of travel, but worth it nonetheless.

For the past week my group (SUR 17s, meaning we are the 17th group to serve in Suriname,) has had a lot of orientation with PC staff and policies. The days do not feel long, but a lot of us feel like we've been here for weeks already. It's a strange feeling. As for the group, SUR 17, I really feel like we are a solid group of folks and are all very excited to be here. Everyone is getting along great.

We found out what languages we will be speaking yesterday via a sorting hat! It was funny. A few current volunteers played Harry Potter music and we each sat in a chair while they put a hat on our heads and shouted out our language groups. I will be learning Sarmaccan, a language that only about 30,000 people speak. I am super pumped for language training to start on Monday.

Yesterday I also washed clothes by hand. It was not so bad, but my clothes are still wet, and that was almost 24 hours ago. The humidity is a lot like Mississippi in the summer, but imagine that you had to spend the entire month of August outside in Mississippi. That's what it feels like here. I look forward to my cold shower at night. I am thankful to have a shower and a flush toilet at the moment! That will change soon.

My feet are stinky.

I wish everyone back in the States could see my life here. I really feel very lucky to have been asked to come to this country that not a lot of folks know about. I am happy to be here and cannot wait to learn more about my home for the next 2 years.

From now on, please forgive any errors in my writing. I do not have a ton of computer time, so I am trying to fit as much in as possible.

Hooray for learning and growing. Peace.

Not Alone

Wow, the time has really come for me to leave Mississippi. The days since I received my invitation have flown by. The past week I was able to stay busy, which left little time to think about my upcoming departure. I spent Easter weekend at my grandmother's house in Raleigh, MS with some of my family. Tears came as I hugged my grandmother and brother and said "I love yous" and "be seeing ya". April 27th I went to Jackson to meet my friend, Josh, to take a trip to New Orleans in a minivan. We went to see the Railroad Revival Tour and it was awesome. My roommate for life and one of my best friends, Taylor, came to meet me there. I don't think my smile left my face all night.

This past Friday I went to Oxford, MS to hang out with Kathryn one last time before my departure. I also saw my dear friends Russ & Anna Polsgrove. What a wonderful weekend and way to spend some of my last days in Mississippi. I am loved and I have a lot of people to miss in the next 27 months.

This morning I went to church with my parents. As we extended our hands to say a prayer for some folks going on mission trips this summer, I closed my eyes and felt my mama lay her hand on my arm. I'm not sure what was said in the prayer, but I know my mom was crying and praying for me the whole time.

Wednesday night as Taylor, Josh, and I stood beside the Mississippi River, sweating and listening to Mumford and Sons sing songs, I thought once again about how lucky I am. As the band played their song, "Timshel," I thought about the next 27 months and I was reminded of how many people I have rooting for me and loving me. The chorus says this,
                                    But you are not alone in this
                                    and you are not alone in this
                                    As brothers we will stand and we'll hold your hand
                                    Hold your hand

I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the people in my life. It is an amazing feeling to know that people are so proud of me and love me so much. I have learned so much in the past few months, and cannot wait to learn even more about myself and the world. I will leave Mississippi in the morning with the confidence that I am loved and that I am doing exactly what I was created for. And one thing is for sure, hugs are way tighter when you're leaving the country. I can only imagine the hugs waiting for me when I return after my service.

Tomorrow I leave Mississippi to make another continent and country my home once again. Your prayers are welcomed as I fulfill the latest calling for my life and my service.

Aspiration Statement

All Peace Corps Invitees have to submit an aspiration statement. My aspiration statement answers questions about my expectations for service, my strategies for adapting to a new culture, and how I expect my service to further my personal and career goals.

The professional attributes that you plan to use, and what aspirations you hope to fulfill, during your Peace Corps service.

During my service I plan to be extremely cooperative, open, accepting and caring towards my community and the people I serve. I hope that through these traits I will gain their trust so that, together, we can make the most progress possible during my stay in Suriname. I hope to be reminded through everyday encounters, success, and disappointments of the reasons I wanted to be a part of the Peace Corps. I hope to return to the United States after my service with a love and understanding for a country and its citizens once unknown to me.

Your strategies for working effectively with host country partners to meet expressed needs.

I plan to be as approachable and cordial as possible. I will strive to be patient and to listen more than I speak. I want the members of my community to view me as understanding, compassionate, and trustworthy. Through these traits, I believe, that the Surinamese people I serve will feel confident in my motives for living and working with them. Mutual understanding and goals are key when working towards any change, and I hope that the people of my community will feel comfortable expressing their concerns and disagreements with me in order to make needed adjustments and changes.

  

Your strategies for adapting to a new culture with respect to your own cultural background.

I know that life in Suriname will be quite different from life in the U.S., however, I do not foresee much difficulty in my adjustment. I am a versatile person and I am extremely interested in different cultures. I lived abroad in the past, so I know that many changes await me in Suriname. I hope that by being patient with myself and those around me, as well as maintaining my sense of humor, I will be better able to integrate into my community. A different way of life is one of the many benefits of Peace Corps service, and I hope to fully embrace the opportunity I have been given to experience life in a completely new way.  

The skills and knowledge you hope to gain during pre-service training to best serve your future community and project. 

During pre-service training, I hope to gain a great deal of knowledge about the people, cultures, and aspirations of Suriname. I hope to spend time talking with community officials, educators, and citizens to gain as much perspective as possible on the health and sanitation needs in their country and communities. I plan to be educated in Dutch as well as my local language, and to work hard at memorizing and speaking them so that I may be as helpful as possible towards the betterment of my community and the lives of its citizens. I also plan to gain the technical knowledge and skills necessary to fulfill my position as completely as possible.

How you think Peace Corps service will influence your personal and professional aspirations after your service ends. 

I believe I will return from service a more patient person with a new confidence and fervor for meeting new challenges both in my personal or professional life. I hope that I return with a deeper understanding of the needs of the world and the ways in which compassionate listening and understanding can not only dispel myths and break down the barriers of ethnocentrism, but can, and will, change the lives of both the served and the servant.  

Love Actually is All Around

Man oh man. The past couple of weeks have been wonderful (and have passed by entirely too fast). A couple of months ago, my wonderful friend, Taylor, convinced me to allow her to invite a some friends to gather at the Keg and Barrel in Hattiesburg, MS to celebrate my upcoming departure and send me off with love and good beer. I have never been one to ask people to gather on my account, so I am so thankful to Taylor for suggesting it and taking the initiative to coordinate it.

I was absolutely floored at the number of friends that showed up to give me a sweet note and hug my neck. Friends came from out of town and friends planned their weekend around spending time with me. I know that I am loved, but to physically see so many people that I love and that love me gathered in one place was awesome. I will never forget it. I am blessed beyond expression.

               My cake. "Tan Bun" means "stay well." Based on my knowledge of Sranan Tongo.

                                           a few friends eating Mexican post Keg and Barrel

The night became a little emotional as I said goodbye to friends that I have not seen in a while and probably will not see again for while. I cannot thank my friends and family enough for loving me and supporting my decision to serve in the Peace Corps.

Last weekend I spent time with my grandmother in MS. We had a wonderful time on the Gulf Coast shopping, eating, eating again, and enjoying each other's company. Sunday we went to church where I, once again, received words of kindness and support. The pastor of the church asked me to tell everyone a little bit about what I would be doing, and then she prayed for me.

I leave for Miami in 11 days. Time is zooming and, even still, I have to remind myself that this is really happening. I have connected with a few folks in my training group via facebook, and absolutely cannot wait to meet them in Miami.

Thank you to everyone that came to see me and to everyone that loves me more than I could have asked for. I love you back.

On My Way

"Woo hoo! I'm wicked excited for you. And more than a little jealous. Good job, sister. Based on the one other experience I have, you're probably on your way. I see equatorial heat and large biting insects in your future, stirred with digestive discomfort and effing awesomeness."

This was my big brother's response to my news of being medically cleared for Peace Corps service. I wrote it down and kept it because I think he said it perfectly. He's the bomb like that.

Time Flies When You're Leaving the Country

I returned home last night after spending a few days in Texas with one of my grandmothers and hanging out with Kathryn, Kenny, and Josh in Jackson, MS. I had such a great time with all of them. I held back tears as my grandmother prayed for me and my journey, and again when she dropped me off at the airport. I hugged her and said goodbye with the hope that it will not be more than two years until I see her again. She was really excited at the idea of coming to visit me. I plan to see Kathryn a couple more times before I depart, so we have not said goodbye yet. Tears are sure to be involved when we do.

Time is absolutely flying. I booked my ticket to Staging (pre-departure orientation) today. I fly to Miami on May 2 and will meet up with my fellow volunteers. We leave for Suriname the morning of May 3.
After I booked my ticket I thought back to August and the thoughts I had when I submitted my application. I had no idea how far along in the process I would progress. Months ago I was worried about making it to my interview in Atlanta on time, and now I am worried about packing my life into 80 lbs. to live in a country I really don't know much about. Wow.

Now, to switch gears a bit. I think of France every single day, but lately L'Abbaye de Pontlevoy and my time there has been on my mind a lot. I'm sure this is no news to anyone that knows me. If you know me, you've heard me talk about living in France. I think of it when I see green grass and the sun is shining. I think of it on rainy days and when I smell cigarette smoke. I think of it all the time. 

I guess I want my current feelings to match up with the ones I had before I moved to France. I try to think of how I felt in the days leading up to my departure to France and it's hard. My life was so different then. I grew so much in my time in France and have continued to grow in the five years since I lived in that tiny village. I give France and my experiences there credit for who I am. I look back at that 18 year old girl who was nervous to move four hours across the state for college, and then six weeks into her first semester told her parents she was going to France. What was I thinking? I remember hearing about the Abbey program and calling my mom hours later to tell her what I wanted to do. I had never taken an interest in France and I did not know one word of her language. Why France? Looking back on it, I know for sure that it was just part of a bigger plan for my life. I believe that God chose for me to enter this world in a hospital in Hattiesburg, MS, but that He truly brought me to life when I moved to an 11th century abbey in a tiny French village. I learned so much about myself that semester. I fell in love with France and her people. I developed a deeper appreciation for different cultures and a desire to experience as much of the world as I possibly can.

I hope that in a couple of years I will be in love with Suriname and the people I serve. I hope that throughout my life I am able to leave an impression on the world that has impressed so much upon me.

I owe so much of who I am to L'Abbey de Pontlevoy and the lessons I learned while I was there. I owe more love than I have in my heart to the family that supported my decision to live and learn in a foreign country (and because they're doing it again), and I owe my life to the God that brought me to life while I was there. I am thankful for the desires placed on my heart and I give Him praise for providing the avenues by which my dreams and goals are met. 

young hearts be free tonight

Life is so so good. I am back in Hernando after a couple of weeks traveling around the South. It was great to see friends and family. After the two weeks I've had, the only place to start is at the beginning.

I spent Mardi Gras in New Orleans with my friend and roommate for life, Taylor. I am still not sure how to describe the amount of fun we had. Taylor, Chelsea, and I will certainly look back on Carnival 2011 and laugh 'til it hurts at the memories we made.

I left New Orleans on Ash Wednesday and spent a couple of days with my grandmother in Raleigh, MS before making my way to Hattiesburg on Friday. My weekend in Hattiesburg consisted of: dinner with Bethany and Emily, nachos and ice cream with Dylan, the Keg and Barrel with my big brother, and wonderful conversations with all of them. I was reminded all weekend (as I so often am) how lucky I am to have the friends and family that I do.

I returned from Little Rock this afternoon after a wonderful weekend with my dear friend, Wren. We ate too much delicious food, made necklaces at a bead store, went to an estate sale, shot pool at a dive bar, climbed a mountain, and laughed. Duh, we laughed.

As I was leaving Wren's apartment this morning, I had a tear in my eye before I shut the door. I was overcome with the same feelings I had when I left Audrey in New York and when Mallory left me in Starkville. It is hard to not be with close friends as often as I have been in the past. Adjusting to life after college and life without my friends has been difficult at times. The difficulty of this transition has been renewed in me as I prepare to move even further away. I cannot imagine what life is going to be like without seeing my friends for such a long time. However, I know the day is coming when this will be my reality and I know that I chose it. I made the decision to join the Peace Corps with a guarantee that tough days are ahead. Still, I will miss my friends. The comforting part is that they will miss me. There is no way I could follow through with my decision if I did not fully believe that I have people in my life that will be counting down from twenty-seven until the months have passed and I am closer to them again. Being away from people I love will no doubt be the hardest part of my decision to deal with, but knowing that they love me back will get me through my tough days, frustrations, and homesickness. I say it a lot, but I am blessed beyond anything I deserve. I have people in my life that love me. Truly.

Since my last post, the Peace Corps had a birthday and so did I. What an awesome time in my life and in the life of this organization to be a part of its legacy. The fact that I have been invited to join the Peace Corps is a dream come true. I am honored and proud. I am ready to begin the journey and job of a lifetime. I am ready, but I know that in a few months I will dream of being with my roommate in New Orleans and my friends in Hattiesburg. I will laugh as I think of Wren and I shooting pool and climbing a mountain, and I will smile knowing that my brother and I have many more sunny Saturday afternoons at the Keg.

I am going to Houston, TX next week to visit my other grandmother. I fly back to MS on April 1st and cannot wait to spend the weekend in Jackson with Kathryn.

I leave in forty-two days. Life and friends are good. J'adore ma vie.