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!

Sharing a Site with Another Peace Corps Volunteer

When most people think about Peace Corps volunteers, they picture someone living in a remote village hours, if not days, away from any other person who speaks English.  The reality is that when you arrive at your site for service, you may find that you are the first person from the USA to ever live there.  Or you may find that you are the latest in a litany of volunteers and/or another volunteer is also living and working in your site.  Maybe you'll find yourself with your new best friend in the world, or maybe you'll find yourself wondering how you could both be from the same country and have absolutely nothing in common.  

Three months after I arrived at site, our training coordinator asked me how it was going, having another volunteer in my office.  I told him it as a life-saver, which was true.  Cindy was in the group before me, and she was enormously helpful in my first few months at site.  I will forever be grateful for that and for her generosity!  However, she and I could both tell you that working with another volunteer in your office can be a complex affair.  You are working together during one of the most stressful points in your life, trying to figure out how to communicate in a new culture, and battling everything from extreme stomach bugs to insomnia, so you're not always representing your best self.  

This is the site I shared with another volunteer for a year. 

With my fellow volunteer, Cindy, and an excellent local cook. 

Using one of Cindy's computers when mine started dying, with French Pierre. She and her husband also helped me get my computer to/from the US to get it fixed before the warranty expired.

There are lots of great things associated with having another volunteer at site, and in an effort to give you a well-rounded picture of the reality of sharing a site with another volunteer, I reached out to several other volunteers in the same boat.  Here’s a brief breakdown of the good, the bad and the awkward.

PROS to having another volunteer at your site:

• You have someone else to speak English with!  The importance of this benefit cannot be overstated at times of homesickness or crisis (like when you need someone to clearly understand exactly why you need to go the doctor). 
• They can give you great insight into office/community relationships, and help you get up to speed on dynamics more quickly.  
• You can potentially make an instant friend. 
• You can greatly increase your effectiveness by partnering on projects. 
• They can help orient you to everything at your site and show you where to buy the best cheese, clothes, sheets, etc.  They can also give you invaluable advice on transportation options.
• You have someone else to commiserate/coordinate with when it’s time for VRF reporting. 
• If they have friends and family that come to visit, they can bring you things from the US.  
• They can help you learn colloquial phrases and figure out a good routine for your new life.
• You could potentially find a new romantic partner. 
• When they leave, you may be able to buy their super awesome furniture (and they may generously give you lots more items for your home). 
• You have the opportunity to get to know another volunteer on a much more intimate level than is possible if you only see people at trainings once a year.  
• You have someone to bounce ideas off of and can implement projects together - including writing and recording awesome songs about your site. 

Cindy gave me the name of her local hairdresser and sometimes her friends took me with them to explore new locations.

I got both of the blankets on my bed, the small table and the lamp from Cindy.

I bought this table and the placemats from Cindy and she gave me the plant.

CONS to having another volunteer at your site:

• You’re bound to be compared to the other volunteer in every way possible and it’s really hard.  You speak Spanish ok? Well the other volunteer speaks it like a local.  You like to sit at home at read? Sad.  The other volunteer likes to go out and party (so what’s your deal?).  You're introverted and quiet?  The other volunteer is loud and boisterous so people may always think there's something wrong with you because you have a different energy level.  FYI - whether it's others comparing you to your fellow volunteer, or you doing it yourself, this is by far the hardest part of sharing a site. 
• You're likely going to be at different stages of service which means your levels of effectiveness and integration are going to be different.  It's hard not to continually compare your performance with theirs, even if they've been living and working at your site longer. 
• In a lot of ways, you're going to be interchangeable.  You’re in your 30s and definitely not tall and thin; the other volunteer is 60 and very tall and thin.  You’re going to be called their name all the time.  This isn't really a con so much as it is confusing.  It makes you think about how you might have tendencies to see all people who "look alike" in the same way, and reminds you to see people as individuals. 
• There’s often an unclear division of duties and/or you are now responsible for finishing someone else’s project.  Even if you have different skill sets, there can be a tendency to say “the PC volunteer will do it” so if you aren’t a specialist in building wells but the last guy was, you may find yourself in charge of a well project in which you have zero expertise.  And people may question why you aren't doing things like the last person. 
• You have to negotiate who gets to report on (and take credit for) what.  You both taught English classes? Only one of you can “claim” that work which can be a bummer when you put in equal effort.  
• You have someone else to speak English with.  That could potentially hamper your efforts to advance with the local language.
• Not all people from the US have the same work style or communication style. So, in addition to learning how to work and communicate with your host country partners, you also have to figure that out with your fellow paisano.  That can actually be more frustrating because you might feel like "this should be a lot easier" with someone who speaks your language and knows your culture. 
• The volunteer with more time at site can think that they are in a position to dictate your work because they've been there longer.  No doubt they have good insight and perspective, but that can be awkward.

Going away party for Cindy (who took this picture).

Noe and Martin cooking onions and meat.

Party mascot! 

These were the most beautiful toilets at the ranch where we had Cindy's party.

View at the ranch.

Sunset at the party ranch.

I imagine I'll have fewer pictures like this without Cindy here to document fun things, like dancing with Martin at her going away party. 

When the time came for Cindy to leave, I was much sadder than I anticipated.  I mean, I was super excited to buy her dining table and stools and finally eat like an adult, but the loss of my fellow volunteer hit me hard.  We didn't do much together outside of the office or have a ton in common, but there was a connection to home and a shared volunteer experience that left with her.  She was a kind, generous person and the one person in the world who best understood the challenges and rewards in my unique site.  

Whether you work with another volunteer or alone, Peace Corps service is a life changer and a never ending bounty of life lessons.  I've been working full-time since finishing my master's degree 16 years ago, and I can tell you that I have more material for job interviews after one year as a volunteer than I ever gathered in the professional realm.  If you can figure out a work plan and implement it, navigate a different language and work culture, AND figure out how to successfully work with other people from the US in your country of service, you are gonna be golden when you get back home. 

Why You Should Visit a Peace Corps Volunteer

My friends Nancy and Tim recently came to visit me, which was awesome!  Any other volunteers half-way through their service will understand the value of and pure excitement generated by visitors from the US (especially when they’re people that you love :).  They stayed with me for four nights and I was able to show them several different aspects of life in my little Pueblo Mágico.
  

Exploring a local treasure in town.

 Touring some small towns in the hills above my pueblo.

I was also able to share with them many of the unique noises that dot the landscape here.  What kinds of noises, you ask?  

• Los huetes – these are essentially loud, booming fireworks without colorful flares that sound like a rocket is exploding - very close to you.  They are used in rapid succession during religious celebrations, often starting at 5:30 AM and going into the wee hours of the night.  
• Church bells – If you’re sitting in the plaza when they start ringing, it’s like you are one with the bell (and it's possible that you may lose some hearing).  If you are anywhere else in town, you will know that it's time for mass, because the sound of a church bell really carries.
• Roosters – I was naively under the assumption, pre-Mexico, that roosters only crowed at the break of dawn.  Nope.  They crow all day and all night, and I can find no discernable pattern from day to day.
• Water and gas trucks – I’ve become accustomed to the loud jingles but it was great to have someone else here to play the game of “is that a water truck or a gas truck? It sounds like an electronic cow is mooing, so...... that'd be the gas truck!" 
• Off-road vehicles – there aren’t a ton of these in my town, but when they come through, you know it.  We got to pinpoint the source of a loud engine noise while enjoying beverages on a rooftop deck and watching a dune-buggy-type-vehicle roar past.   
• Music – there’s an event venue about a block from my house and I can frequently hear very loud music playing for hours at a time during the weekend.  Nancy and Tim got to experience a full on banda celebration with music from about 3 PM to 12 AM, with tunes so fast that we all had to ponder how those musicians were still standing and how people were dancing at that pace.
• Car announcements – I was oddly happy that Nancy and Tim got to experience having a car drive by with a loud speaker on top announcing that next weekend there’s going to be an optometrist in town.
• Dogs barking - less than a week after my last blog post, which talked about the neighborhood dog barking, my visitors got to see and hear that dog as well.  Along with several others in the middle of the night. 
• Birds – there are all kinds of great birds in my region and while hiking on an 11 km walk to the local lake, we got to hear lots of different songs.     

Rooftop dining - that's the hill we climbed in the background.

Cross at the top of the hill.

Visiting a lovely church in a mountain town.

Nancy and Tim enjoying some delicious mango ice cream with my friend Sonia and her husband.

The end of our 11 km roundtrip hike, where we encountered many birds.

Also at the end of our hike - the world's largest mocajete!

We hiked to the top of El Cerrito de la Cruz where we could hear every single noise being generated in the city below – all at once.  Imagine if you will, a cacophony of roosters, water truck jingles, music from outdoor parties, church bells, announcements from trucks selling fruit, loud car engines and a crazy strong wind.  We were all laughing at the amount of noise at the top of that hill, and every other noise we encountered, because sometimes laughing is all you can do!  We also laughed while traveling with some local friends to visit three different neighboring communities, exploring various colorful churches, having brunch with my friend from Belgium, teaching my weekly English class and sitting in the plaza people-watching while listening to those church bells. 

Nancy and Tim were great sports about all the new experiences, modes of transportation, noises and foods!  They tried birria at a counter in a local mercado, my standard quesadillas with veggies, the chayote vegetable, two different kinds of local ice cream, papaya, the Jalisco version of gorditas, mole, hamburgers and more.  They were also willing to slather on sunscreen for daily adventures, and to pass a Sunday afternoon navigating tons of religious tourists in the local tianguis.

Eating birria in the mercado. 

Dinner of champions at my house.

Vendor swatting away flies from his table of nuts and sweets.

Rolled guayaba - a local delicacy that we did in fact eat.

Goldfish crackers AND M&Ms from the US?!!!!

I cannot express enough thanks to my friends for both coming to visit me and for bringing me a bevy of awesome gifts from the US.  If you have a friend or loved one serving in the Peace Corps, GO VISIT THEM!  You will have a great time, get a unique view into a different culture, and you will bring that volunteer so much joy.  If you haven't made it to Mexico yet, come on down!  I recommend a visit in September or later, after the rainy season, but you're welcome anytime.  I promise to show you some beautiful sights, provide a fan to keep you cool and to ply you with tasty food.  Plus you'll have my eternal thanks, and that's worth the trip alone, right?

Meet My Office

There are lots of different types of sites for volunteers in Mexico.  Some volunteers are placed in big cities in very structured office or university environments, while others are in tiny pueblos working with people in their yards on projects that they design themselves.  I’m kind of in the middle: I’m in a city that doesn’t qualify as rural, but we have horses walking down the street and all community news is shared via a car with a loudspeaker on top.  I work in an office but it’s a pretty laid back office without a lot of pomp and circumstance, and I generally have the freedom to create my own work plan.  When I first arrived at site, Cindy – the other volunteer here – told me how lucky we were to be here as this was her second site in Mexico and a vast improvement over the first.  The more time I spend here, the more I know that's true. 

Old church, just outside of town. 

 More of those ubiquitous horses. 

Local landscape. 

I had a good feeling during my initial site visit when I saw my boss wearing Birkenstocks and two male coworkers with visible piercings.  I thought “alright! I can break out my sandals and not worry about hiding my tattoo all the time.”  I started off emailing my boss with the title “Estimado” but he squashed that right away and told me to use the informal “tu” form with everyone.  I generally try to come and go around the same time every day, but I have a lot of flexibility and can leave whenever needed to take care of errands or go for a long lunch or take a full day for the doctor or immigration office in the closest city.  In summary: it’s a great office full of really kind and interesting people.  If you're lucky, you will come visit me here and get to meet these people in person.  In the meantime, allow me to introduce you to my team. 

Some of my office mates, lounging during a dancing horse competition. 

Enjoying a BBQ at my office with some local community members. 

Santiago: Santiago is the official “boss” in my office and he's wicked smart.  He speaks Spanish, English and French, he has the world's smallest handwriting, and a calming energy when he talks to you.  He has been incredibly supportive of any idea I have and is always telling me that whatever I need, they’re there to help.  He lets me talk to him about everything from my sadness at learning that another volunteer was going home early to my plans for the weekend.  One time we were at lunch and I was talking about something that I was really interested in and he grabbed my arm and said “There! There is it is! Your passion – bring that all the time Autumn!”    

Santiago with a local community member. 

Noe: Noe is one of those people who brings light into the world with a big, warm personality.  He waxes poetically about the importance of finding emotional ways to connect with the people here, and is always reminding you that the beer in Mexico is really weak in comparison to European brews, so drink up!  He’s been my best teacher for learning colloquial and slang words and is passionate about making a mark.  He also helped me move all of my furniture into my house.  One day he asked me if I wanted to be a person in the system or a person of change.  No pressure, but there’s only one correct answer for that question.   

Noe - rocking all the best accessories. 

Fabricio: Fabricio is a caballero who has the best laugh ever.  Every time I hear it I smile because he’s a big, tall guy with this great high-pitched giggle that's a wonderful contrast.  He's a great dancer who carries several small black and white photos of his wife in his wallet and loves horses.  He also frequently has new leather goods with the project logo on display, including belts, cell phone holders and signs to carry in parades.  

Fabricio - with the most beautiful horse. 

Alma: Alma likes things orderly and clean, which makes her a-ok in my book.  She’s also a caretaker: when she heard that I only had two plates and two bowls, she brought me two more of each.  If you need butter, she will buy you the good stuff in Guadalajara over the weekend.  She is an amazing cook and often shares her lunch creations and homemade hummus with us.  As the only woman who is actually employed by our project, she holds her own and keeps things running smoothly, and she’s always ready to help you with your Spanish (like how to properly pronounce the word "mango").

Alma also has some really awesome, colorful sneakers.

Poli: Poli always flies into the office rearing to go somewhere in el campo (usually far out in el campo) and you’re always invited.  One time I went with him and didn’t get to use the bathroom for 7 hours which was just about more than I could handle, but it was still really fun to watch him connect with people and share his wealth of knowledge.  A retired teacher, he now works with us on best practices for sustainable agriculture and leads a lot of community workshops.  No matter how tired you are when you get back, you always return with new knowledge (and frequently with a full belly thanks to the kindness of people in el campo).

Ing. Poli during a late night workshop. 

We also have several consultants working with us for extended periods of time, and there are nice things I could say about all of them as well.  I can tell you who constantly kicks me under the table, who types really loudly, who likes to sing ABBA and Linda Ronstadt songs out loud, and what each one of their phone ringers sounds like.  I know all their habits because for 11 months, I shared a conference table as a "desk" with anywhere from one to six of them.   

There are only two good chairs at the conference table so I used to arrive at the office extra early every day to make sure I got the chair that the office bought for me and to claim a good spot at the table (where the front door or other people weren’t likely to bump into you).  I finally put a sticker on the chair with my name on it, which sounds a little kooky, but I tried sitting in a hard, plastic chair all day, and it was not conducive to, well, anything joyful in life.  I'm not a confrontational person but if you take my chair, I will ask for it back.  I mean, it does have my name on it....  

My beloved chair - and the only soft chair that doesn't tip over backwards or drop you on the floor (i.e. we need more good chairs). 

Our new group desk. 

And then, last week, the unthinkable happened – a new three-pronged desk arrived!  I could not believe I was finally getting my own desk!  A few days later I came into the office to find another coworker sitting in my chair, at “my” desk, even though there was another desk open.  And with that, the dream of my own official desk died.  I’m trying to look at the bright side: at least now we have more work space for people and chances are I won’t have to sit within kicking distance of anyone now (seriously, I got kicked a lot).  I was contemplating putting my pictures and stuff on my desk to officially claim it as mine, but one of my fellow volunteers told me that I was already acting a little crazy putting my name on my chair, so instead I’m just going to talk to my office about buying at least one more good chair.  My morning anxiety would be greatly reduced if I at least knew I would not have to either ask someone to leave my chair or find myself sitting in a plastic chair all day. 

Despite the desk drama, I know how lucky I am to be working with the team in my office.  My grandma has said for years that she would love to be a fly on the wall watching me work, which is surely a testament to how much she has needed more activity in her life.  The majority of my work life has been spent in front of a computer or engaged in meetings, so I never really saw a lot of appeal in her proposal, but she probably would enjoy being a fly on the wall here.