It has been a while since my last blog post and hiatus, and I've since returned to my little village in Thailand to resume my service. I am so rejuvenated, and so very glad to be back. My time away coincided with the schools' summer break, so it's almost like I didn't miss a beat! The starting of a new school year is just evidence upon evidence (upon evidence) that I'm over the proverbial "hump" of my service. It's been a long time coming, but at the same time, it's a little hard to accept that this is the home stretch!
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| Mid-Service Conference with 46 fellow group members. This officially marked the mid-point of our service. |
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| At Mid-Service Conference with Stephen and Julia It was so great to spend time with fellow volunteers! |
In my personal reflections, I recalled a chart that we received during our Pre-Service Training shortly after arriving in Thailand. It's a neat little graphic that Peace Corps developed which shows the roller coaster of emotional ups and downs that volunteers typically go through during the course of service. It's quite a ride! There's a reason (many actually) why they call it "The toughest job you'll ever love."
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| Typical cycle of a PCV's Ups (Adjustment) and Downs (Vulnerability) Graphic originally located on this blog. |
While each volunteer has a unique experience, the chart is startlingly on point in so many ways. Now that I've pretty much worked my way out of my mid-service crises, I'm hoping that the remainder of my time in Thailand stays true to the chart and remains on the upside. The second year of service is sometimes referred to as the "Year-2-UpSwing" during which, many volunteers are finally able to: capitalize on the relationships that were developed during the first year, see first year ideas/projects to fruition, and establish a sense of sustainability.
At this point, I have about nine months remaining in my service, and I'm definitely experiencing a wee bit of all of the above. I'm already looking forward to reviewing and reflecting on this chart/my service at the 27 month mark. It's pretty motivational, knowing that with the time I have remaining, the period of human gestation, there is potential for miracles, great success, and other wonderful happenings.
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| Delightful visit with Amanda, my friend who serves in a nearby province. Discussing plans for the remainder of our service and enjoying delicious treats! We both determined to birth something wonderful with the remainder of our time here :-) |
I'm so grateful for the unwavering support that I've received through all of the ups and downs, especially recently. I'm embracing this homestretch and everything that comes along with it. Hopefully, I'll be able to resume a monthly blogging schedule, to help keep me on task, I've started recording snippets of my daily life that I'd like to share in the form of a short video at the end of each month.
Thanks for being on this journey with me. If there's anything that you'd like to see in an upcoming blog or video, please comment below!
