Everything is a little surreal right now. Last night we had the going away party for my group here in Ancash and today we had one last celebratory lunch together where we watched videos we made about our service and tried to deal with the fact that it’s almost all over. Tonight my site-mate James Tvrdy leaves. Then tomorrow Callie takes the day bus to Lima before a quick trip to Argentina, and Shannon leaves shortly after. These are some of the people that have defined my experience here in Peru and it’s hard to believe that they are actually going to be gone within a week.
For myself, I still have more than a year to go, so I don’t at all feel like my time here is over. Yet the changes right now represent a major change in what living in Peru and working in Peace Corps means to me. No longer living in Ancash, but rather in Lima, and developing new friendships and support groups is an intimidating prospect but I am nevertheless excited about the experiences that I will have next year.
I am not leaving yet though, I have another month here in site and lots to do before I can leave. My Healthy Schools Project has been100% funded thanks to the incredible support you all have given me, but I still have to get everything under-way and running smoothly so that the new volunteer that is soon coming to replace me will be able to pick it up and help transition the management into the community’s hands. More updates on this project as soon as the funds arrive from Washington and I really am able to start working.
I also have to wrap up my Healthy Homes and Families project while finishing up the community library I have been working on, not to mention taking the time to say goodbye to the community that I have called my home for the past two years. All in all, I’m ready for the change, but change is always a difficult process and I am presently in the midst of it. I’ve learned so much over the past two years about who I am and what it means to be a member of a community both locally and globally, and I hope that I can begin applying these lessons and learn to be a better person in the years ahead.
So, thank you all again for your support in my project, and I am looking forward to seeing many of you again soon when I come home for a month of vacation over Christmas and New Years.
Regards,
Brian
BGP in Peru 