I'm halfway through my service!

If you’re not comfortable talking about poop, you might have a hard time being a Peace Corps volunteer.  We talk about poop A LOT.  My group recently passed the halfway mark in our service which means we now have less than a year to go!  We all gathered in Queretaro for a week of physical exams, dentist appointments and lab visits.  Everyone was required to poop in a cup at least once and then take it to a neighborhood lab in under 30 minutes - between the hours of 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM - so the pressure was on. 

Reunited, and it feels so good!

The old Spanish class is back together!

Pretty much every single conversation in the first 3 days centered on pooping in the cup and bets on who might have parasites.  We had a couple of strong contenders who had a history of stomach problems and got special requests to take their stool samples to the lab for multiple days.  Aside from talking about bowel movements, we also talked about the heat, because it was hot, hot, hot in the city.  You always share hotel rooms during trainings and I was with my bestie Natalie.  We suffered together trying to sweat-sleep through the night with a non-existent breeze from the world’s lamest ceiling fan.  We may be posh corps, but we don’t get any air conditioning.  

The hotel we stay at is not designed for a loud, boisterous group of people as the majority of rooms face a central courtyard where you can open your window to talk to volunteers on the other side of the building.  Why text your friends to come over and put on that 30-peso face mask you bought at the fancy mall when you can just open your window and shout at them?  

Real, linen napkins.  We were pretty excited about this fancy restaurant!

Fancy times at a fancy mall.

We spent the “work week” reviewing project frameworks and tips for how to successfully design, implement and monitor projects at site.  We each did a PechaKucha summary of year one and tried to map out our goals for year two.  It’s an odd feeling to know you’ve only got one year left as you realize “It’s been a year and this is all I have to show?” and “Holy crap, I only have one year left to do something important and see everything I want to see?!”  

Attentively listening and participating in mid-service training.

A couple of shots from my PechaKucha that highlight two key themes in volunteer life: poop and patience.

You have to be an optimist to make it as a volunteer because you have to believe that there will be long-term benefits associated with your service that you may never see, and to focus on the really good things you have accomplished (learning Spanish, successfully finding housing, gas and water, making friends in a new country, etc.).  I’ve been here long enough now to know what’s working and what is not, and am trying to figure out how to do the very best I can in year two.  

The best thing about these group gatherings - aside from our volunteer massage trains - is hearing that you’re not alone.  All those struggles you’re facing?  Other people in your group are facing the same things.  All those things you don't understand or have trouble accepting about your new culture?  Yup, everyone else has a similar story to share and can give you a big hug and share a big laugh.  I met my fellow volunteers 15 months ago, but I feel like I've known them all of my life, and like they know the real me.  It's hard to make those types of connections as you get older, which speaks to the power of Peace Corps service. 

With my dad in Querétaro on his second night here.

My dad got to meet most of my crew.  

My dad also got Brennen to take photos for him. 

My dad arrived at the end of our training for a father-daughter trip across Western Mexico and I was so happy to see him!  He got to meet nine of my fellow volunteers in Querétaro, which represented almost half of our group and was such a special thing.  I doubt that anyone else from my US life will get that glimpse of the volunteer bond, and my dad was very appreciative to bear witness.  He also loved all of the other volunteers and talked about what good people they were (tis true)!  

We normally have Costco pizza and salad with goat cheese at the Peace Corps office, but on our last day of training, staff treated us to a special meal of tacos guisados.  They were delicious at the time, but those tacos came back to haunt me.  While we were saying goodbye to some volunteers on the night of my dad's arrival, I though “Huh, that doesn’t feel right.  What is going on down there stomach?”  What was going on was food poisoning, so my dad spent his first night in Mexico listening to me run to the bathroom every 15 minutes and vomit.  First time to get super sick to my stomach in Mexico, and of course it was the night he arrived.  

So there you go: 15 months down, with five visitors from the US, one bout of food poisoning, and 8 different Mexican states visited.  Less than 12 months to go, and a great story about my dad's 12-day trip to share next week!