While I learned a lot about myself during my tenure with the Peace Corps, I’ve also learned a bit about myself in these months since I’ve been back. One is that I have more to say than I realized. My New Year’s resolution was to post to this blog once a week, and now I’m striving toward twice a week. Another thing I’ve learned is that the way I view people has changed in a couple ways. First, I’m less critical of others. I know, you wouldn’t know it to read my blog. But I address societal ills here. When it comes to individuals I encounter, I cut people more slack than I used to. Second, I don’t care as much what people think of me. That’s probably a result of my time in Tstan. After being stared at like you’re an alien every day for two years it’s hard to be intimidated by a few people watching you sing for an audition.
As far as readjusting to life in the States, I don’t think it’s been as difficult for me as for some volunteers, at least in the overwhelmed-by-the-number-of-ice-cream-flavor-choices way. My struggle has been with a lack of community and that has less to do with America and more to do with where I am in America (and who I am in terms of life experiences and belief system).
I’ve struggled in my relationship with America, for sure. And if you’ve been following my blog all this time, you’re aware of that. Living in another country makes you more aware of what your own country gets right and what it gets wrong. America has a lot going for it, but there are things we could work on. Lately I’ve struggled with the lack of civil discourse in our country. Television shows and websites that resort to name-calling and promote polarization are de rigueur. Gone are the days when you can watch two rational people sit down and discuss an issue without theatrics unless you’re watching The Daily Show. Considering it’s a comedy show, that’s quite an indictment of our society, and don’t be surprised if you see an upcoming blog post on the subject.
As I said, when I realized I’ve been home for six months, I felt like I’d been here much longer. I also felt like I had nothing to show for my time here. So I sat down to justify myself (to myself) by listing what I’ve done and discovered I’ve been busier than I realized. I put together a 30 page writing sample for grad school applications, as well as all the other grad school stuff like taking the GRE and writing separate statements of purpose; I took a cross-country trip to Colorado and Nevada; I gave six presentations on Turkmenistan; I entered three writing competitions; I got a job as a homeschool teacher; I met up with several different friends and family members; I joined my church’s Missions Board; I wrote 22 blog posts and overhauled my website; I just started rehearsals for the local theater’s production of Spamalot; and I’ve been asked to teach a Sunday School class on comparative religion in May.
I’ve definitely had some disappointments, but, overall, I think my readjustment half-year has gone pretty well. I’m planning on some exciting things in the upcoming months so hopefully when I write my “one year after Tstan” post, I’ll have a great list of accomplishments to draw from, including 30-50 new blog posts. Thanks to my loyal readers for all your support!