YEAH! FIST PUMP!! YEAH!

Quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson: “To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived- that is to have succeeded.”

A lot of things change when you don’t update your blog for 4 months. If I were a Peruvian (which at times I believe I am after 2 years in this country), I would whine the following: “Disculpame por favooooooor” (forgive me PLEASE).

I have 2 weeks left in San Clemente. 2 semanas. Two weeks. 14 days. WOW. When you start Peace Corps, you feel like 2 years is an eternity and you’ll just never reach those final few months, weeks, or days. And then Peace Corps Peru life kicks you in the trasero with pounds of rice, treasured nights watching Peruvian sitcoms with the host family , fabulous vacations, US visitors, hostel stays, hours spent at the Starbucks in Piura , trips to the beach, dancing at the Discoteque, the morning after the Discoteque, long runs, sweet hugs from my babies down the street, heart-to-hearts with my host mom, countless sex ed lessons at the high school, long afternoons spent reading with my door closed, singing with Baby Angeles, watching my host brother literally climb the walls, and the millions of memories that no one can truly grasp but that have shaped my days, my perspective, and ultimately the rest of my life.

I finished my teen mom’s project successfully with 6 months of weekly lessons to a group of 10 mothers ages 18-26. YEAH! FIST PUMP! YEAH! I was nervous at first about the attendance, but week after week, my mamas kept showing up. They listened intently and became progressively more participative. As part of the monitoring and evaluation of the project’s success, I made personal visits with the women, slowly gaining their trust and friendship. My favorite moment was watching my most timid young woman jump up and down when she saw that I’d come for a visit. She said she just really missed me. I watched my teenage mothers transform from timid girls to determined young women: determined to go back to school (eventually), determined to feed their baby nutritious meals, determined to be a supportive, involved mother, determined to demand better treatment from their spouse, determined to love that man as best they can, and determined to feed their families on less than $3 per day. They learned a lot and I believe their lives and the lives of their children will be better because of their participation in the program.

Now that is it over and my departure is approaching, they often comment on how much they miss our weekly meetings and how much they appreciated the visits with the psychologist or the nurse. Mostly, they miss taking an hour per week for themselves. Their whole lives revolve around their babies, husbands, housework, meals, and telenovelas. I only wish I could offer all of them more, even if it’s just to sit around and chat every week. Fortunately, I’ve also watched several friendships grow, and I hope that these women will continue to support one another long after I’m gone.

I am happy to report that the project went so well that my boss requested that I write a manual in SPANISH so that my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers can replicate this project for years to come. I’ve been plugging away at that for a few weeks now, and I hope to have a printed copy in my hand before I leave the country. Also, I’ll be training the new volunteers in Lima on the project as their “volunteer of the week.” I’m really excited about this opportunity, because I remember when I first got to Peru and all I wanted was to corner some poor tenured volunteer to yell questions and demand explanations about what the hell my life would be like once I reached that scary, foreboding place they call “your site.” I feel bad for those young pups. I wouldn’t trade places with them for the world. As much as I loved almost every minute of my Peace Corps service, I’m glad all those lessons are learned and all that rice is eaten.

 

So what now? My last day in San Clemente is July 17^th, when I will cry hysterically all the way to the bus station with my host family, and my Close of Service date is July 21^st, when I will bawl like a baby all the way to the airport with my best friends. THEN, I go home to Arizona for a month before I start my graduate classes to earn a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Arizona… FOR FREE because I am a Peace Corps Coverdell Fellow!!! YEAH! FIST PUMP! YEAH! As a Fellow, I’m required to complete an internship at a local community organization that works with an underserved population. I’m looking forward to the next 2 years of my life. I’m ready to drink coffee with my mom and speak Spanish with my dad. I’m ready to be stuffed full to throwing up with new information and papers and projects. I know that the last 2 years working in community development will provide a strong foundation for my classes in community health theory, epidemiology (oh my!), and biostatics (yikes!).

This may well be my last blog post. I can’t sum up my Peace Corps service in a blog or even a conversation. And of the plethora of things that I learned, perhaps one of the most important things I learned is that as an American, I am so fortunate. And if you, Reader, are reading this from a nice laptop on a comfy couch with a nice Starbucks in your hand, so are you. See you on the other side.

PS check out this sweet video my best friend Sarah Wagenvoord made for me when she came to San Clemente. It’ll give you a little window into my world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGv9X6Kwws4&feature=g-all-u

Changing It Up

4-3-2-1 months until Libby arrives in the United States of America on July 20^th! Welcome to my Count Down. You may want to ask me, “Libby, how does it feel to be leaving your incredible host family, your precious host sister that lights up your life, and the community that you’ve called home for the last 2 years? And you must be ECSTATIC to be returning to all that you hold near and dear, such as your family, Dr. Lee Hall Stringer, beautiful friends, Mexican food, coffee shops, intellectual conversations, clean bathrooms, and animals that you can cuddle with without getting flea bites and/or parasites.”

To answer the questions listed above, my best friend Juliane and I have made a little (long) list of all the things we’re going to miss and the things we’re looking forward to.

I'm looking forward to...

·       Driving with the windows down and singing at the top of my lungs

·       A plethora of restaurants and food options

·       Air conditioning

·       Anonymity

·       Pest control

·       Lunch dates with friends

·       English

·       Curling up on a couch to watch a movie

·       Baking and cooking

·       A schedule

·       Dishwasher

·       New clothes

I'm not looking forward to...

·       Gas prices

·       Pop culture obsessions

·       The election

·       Crying every day because I miss Peru

·       Superficiality

·       Cost of living

·       Trying to remember what is socially acceptable

·       Rules and regulations

I'll miss...

• Sitting on my front porch at dusk with my host family
• Swarms of children at my window
•  Having too much free time on my hands
• Being the most popular girl in town
• Fresh food and produce
•  Mango season
• The most delicious fruit to ever touch my taste buds
• Fresh fish
• Speaking Spanish
• Eating Pizza Hut with reckless abandon because it’s the only American food I can find
• Strangers gifting me watermelon
•  Peruvian food
• Dancing with my fellow volunteers and making fools of ourselves at the Discotheque
• Ease of travel and leisure time

I won't miss...

·       Parasitic infections

·       Silly old wives tales

·       Feeling unsafe in the city

·       Swarms of blood-sucking mosquitoes

·       Mean, scary street dogs

·       Scorching heat with no relief

·       Having the same conversation over and over and over again

·       Unpunctuality

·       Relentless whistling and pick-up lines

·       Waking up in the middle of the night, soaked in my own sweat

·       Machismo

·       My "Peace Corps" clothes (I want to burn them to nothingness)

·       Lack of creativity in children

In recent news:

I'm so excited to report that Lee got the residency position in Pain Management and Paliative Care at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. I’ll go ahead and brag a little about my very special boyfriend. He’s been slaving away in Billings, Montana for the last 9 months learning all he can about the field of clinical pharmacy, while giving countless presentations, writing long reports, and effectively limiting himself to 5-6 hours of sleep per night. You’d think he’d be sick of this residency thing, but my baby can’t get enough learnin’, so now he’ll be slaving away in Maryland instead of Montana, and specializing in pain management. Our long distance relationship has been subjected to poor skype connections, bad internet signals, and 2 full years of 2 lives lived separately, while trying desperately to maintain that magnetic connection that neither one of us can ignore. So…. I’m going to Baltimore, too.

The original plan was for me to get my Masters in Public Health at the University of Arizona. Well, despite my proudly received acceptance letter, I decided to decline and try something new in my life. I have every intention of accomplishing my goal of studying a graduate degree, but I’m going to take some time to learn more about the field of public health. I’m eager to get a real job, live in an apartment, have a schedule, and even pay real bills. It may be hard for you to relate, but most Peace Corps Volunteers  begin to crave these mundane things after living on $300 per month, sharing a home with a host family, and trying to fill hours of free time.

Besides being able to see my LeeFace every day, my dad and his family live in nearby Bethesda, giving me the opportunity to finally play a role in my brother and sister’s lives. Hannah and Joey have already been telling their friends that their sister is moving to Baltimore, and that just melts my heart. All in all, I feel like this is a good move for both Lee and I, and while it HURTS to think about a few more years away from my Arizona family, skype and a spanking new iphone will help bridge the gap.

 My last few months at site are going quickly. I'm halfway through with my adolescent mothers group and am only teaching 2 days per week in the high school. My mamas' group is going well. 8 women attend on a regular basis and we've made it to Stage II, where we focus on building mothering skills. We took a field trip to an educational institute and went to a mall while in the city. Most of the girls had never seen an escalator or ridden an elevator. They shrieked with fear and delight as they rode the escalator up and down. I'm hoping to maintain their interest and finish up the program successfully. 

  I’m spending 3 weeks traveling in the south of Peru, where I’ll be meeting up with my Nana and Aunt Rosie to explore Machu Picchu. I consider this trip to be the crowning glory of my Peace Corps vacations and I’ll be able to leave this country content. Hasta Luego Amigos. 

The first little piggy had none.

Hello all,

With less than 6 months left in Peru, every day that passes is bittersweet. I'll be home soon with my family and friends, doing all those things I've missed for the last two years, but I'll leave behind a unique, precious experience. San Clemente is currently rocking my world. 18 months at site has me feeling comfortable, integrated, and happy. I know almost everyone in town, if not by name, by face.  I visit several families on a regular basis, accepting free popsicles and huge cups of cold juice. The dogs that used to bark at me and chase me down the street now only give me a cursory sniff and a glance. I'm really part of the community now! I've spent a lot of time with new friends and we've become quite adventurous: traipsing through the fields looking for mango trees, eating free popsicles made from unclean water (it's rude to not accept gifts in Peru!), or experimenting with different kinds of cakes (we failed at a marble chocolate/vanilla cake but have perfected the classic chocolate cake with chocolate icing). 

 It's summertime and it is hot as HELL, literally. It's about 95 degrees average and you can only find air conditioning in the big cities. With school out of session until March, my days get long and I have to struggle to fill my hours. On the weekends my friends and I scoot off to the beach. I've made a vow to make it to the beach every weekend until March. My host family is on vacation for a few months visiting family, so I'm living alone. Sometimes I get really lonely, but there are definitely some pros to the situation.  I'm able to cook for myself and I've been experimenting with all kinds of dishes. I also really enjoy my mornings. I sleep late, drink a big cup of coffee, go for a run, and by then I'm excited for my cold shower. Also, there's no shortage of visitors ranging in ages from 3-50, coming round to visit the gringa. My projects are going well. I've kept up with my literacy club for small children, but we've switched gears and now are focusing on the writing aspect. Peruvian culture and education system don't really foster creativity and individualism, so I'm trying to bring those things out in them. It's difficult sometimes when they can't even write a little story. They want me to walk them through every step and can't just pull crazy kid ideas out of the air and put it on paper like American kids can. My patience is tried on a daily basis, but I just love spending time with my babies (they're actually ages 8-11). 

If you've followed my blog in the past, you know my BIG project for my 2 years here is my educational program for teenage mothers. I received grant funding to pay for supplies, psychologists, an educational field trip, and a family outing once the program is completed after the 5 months. Right now, 8 women attend regularly with their infants attached to the breast. Have I shared with you all that it is culturally acceptable to breast feed in public? Needless to say, I see a LOT of boobs. These girls are also my babies, most of them are 18-19, and have a rough road ahead of them, with no education and no skills. The point of the project is to provide them with knowledge and skills to be strong women, good mothers, and loving spouses. I'm very excited about this project, I believe it can and will do a lot of good.  We had our second session with a young female psychologist, who spoke to them about assertive communication. We discussed several frustrating situations that they encounter in their everyday lives, such as how to ask their husbands for money for food or how to handle a meddling mother in law. Following the session, the women said they valued the session immensely because it pertained to their real lives. I was thrilled! This is exactly how I wanted it to go, not theoretical or lofty self-help ideas, but real, tangible tools to help them improve their lives. So.. that's what I do with my time. 

In regards to my future, I applied to U of A for a Masters in Public Health specializing in Health Behavior and Promotion. and applied for the Peace Corps Fellowship (funding!). If I get the funding, I'm fairly certain that I'll be in Tucson come July. I love the program because they offer a variety of internships with the Latino population and I'll be close to my family. Cross fingers!

Until next time my dear friends, I leave you with a story from the campo (countryside): Sometimes in the early morning I hear loud, chilling screams and then within a few hours there's a pile of pork in the fridge. You put it together..