Finding the Lows and Keeping Swimming - Poco a Poco

Peace Corps promises to give you some of your "highest highs and lowest lows."  In the past few weeks, I have experienced some of those lowest lows.  I made a tough decision with Peace Corps guidance to take a risk and change sites.  I did not know what community I would be going to, what family I would be living with, and the list of unknowns goes on and on.  It put me back at the beginning of service in some regards and brought it's share of anxiety with it.  

On Wednesday, January 22 the regional coordinator from La Libertad come to my old site and helped me load up my things while my host family and neighbors asked how quickly I could visit and if they could lock me up so Peace Corps couldn't change me. After "dar"ing palabras and besos, I rode about 3 hours south from Ucupe, Lambayeque to Cartavio, La Libertad. 

My start in Cartavio has been challenging to say the least.  I found myself in a host family with less freedom and more struggles for control over my daily life and community organizations that were more or less unaware I would be coming.  And in Peru, a country where formality and documentation runs business, nothing can be started or even discussed until the formal introduction between bosses takes place. It is also hard timing for a youth volunteer as it is currently summer break and all the schools are closed for vacation.  

After a long week or so of crying and forgetting almost every word of Spanish I have learned, I calmed myself down and got back to the hard days of integrating into a community.  Day by day and week by week I am making work connections and getting to know my new home of Cartavio.  I already have a few small activities going (see next post) that I feel good about and am working to make where I am living more comfortable, as well.  But as my language teacher Pablo always told me, poco a poco.  And so, poco a poco, I am finding my way in Cartavio. 

And even as I settle in here, I have already been able to visit my host family and street in Ucupe for the weekend and am thankful for my growing friendships with the people of Peru.  And like the crazy teacher I can be, I am looking forward to the start of the school year in March!