December 17, 2009
Today was my last day of work as a United States Peace Corps volunteer in Turkmenistan.
It definitely hasn’t hit me yet…I knew it was my last English class today, I gave my address to all my students and we hugged and ate cake and took pictures, but it doesn’t quite feel like the end.
Maybe because I’m sticking around for a few extra weeks after my end of service December 23. Maybe when I get in the taxi on January 14 I’ll start freaking out. It’s quite possible.
I can’t believe I did it. Seriously…I can’t believe I did this. I can’t believe I spent 27 months in this country and I’m still alive and well.
I end my Peace Corps experience with the ability to fully communicate in Russian and Turkmen, ten pounds lighter in size, but a hundred pounds heavier in experience.
I end my Peace Corps experience with more parasites than I have ever had in my life, but with less severances than I had before.
I end my Peace Corps experience with a foggy view of the future, but a beautiful picture of my past.
I end Peace Corps a whole lot stronger, with a hell of a wider outlook on life, and a massive Russian pop music collection.
I’m trying to remember the person I was when I left Washington D.C. on October 1, 2007 and it’s hard. It feels like it was a decade ago. I look at photos and see the clothes I wore and how short my hair was and I think wow that’s so weird. I think of my daily activities in the month before I left the US and it’s not comparable to my daily activities here.
It’s just weird.
I end Peace Corps a little freaked out, but I have three more weeks in this desert community to figure it all out.
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4 comments:
Angela you are not the only one sad by the ending of your time, your devoted followers are also sad to see this end. Following your adventures has been quite the trip and very enjoyable, for this I am very grateful.
Best of luck in your future endevors. I am quite sure that you will be very sucessful in whatever you try, I mean what could be tougher than a trip to the outhouse of a fine Turkmenistan winter morning?
Throw us a bone every once in a while to let us know how you are doing.
Congratulations on finishing your service from a T-12 who never really left the region: it's five years later, and I've worked in Kazakhstan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, and now Tajikistan. If you don't think you can adjust to life back home . . . just don't leave! I love it here.
I remember when you were getting ready to leave, around the time of Bryn's wedding when I was back home, and I couldn't believe you were going for so long. I'm so glad you've taken such amazing experiences from this, and I wish I'd been better at keeping up with you. We miss you!
Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!
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