I recently just passed my one year anniversary mark here in country on June 6th. I've been wanting to write a blog post, or more of a public thank you note, to all of the people who have been so supportive of me back home. This support comes in many different forms, but it all matters.
Keep in mind that if I don't mention you by name, it's not because I don't value the support you give me. I have a lot of friends and family that have expressed positive thoughts and well-wishes about my service, and I appreciate each and every source of encouragement. However, the people I name here have gone above and beyond in their support, which is why I wanted to honor them specifically.
It's easy to forget that a friend or loved one is going through a hard time. And regardless of everything else that the Peace Corps is, it is certainly a hard time. I have more bad days in Ethiopia than I ever had in Seattle - but the thing is, I also have more awesome days, too. High risk, high reward, as they say, but it's the high risk that causes trouble with morale sometimes. And it's easy to forget that a friend is in a high stress environment for two years, because, I mean, hey, you have your own lives, your own problems, your own stresses.
This is why I think it's super important to recognize the people who go out of their way to tell me that they know what I'm doing, they know it's hard, and they appreciate it and they support me. There are a few people on this list, like my parents, who are an obvious given. But there are some people on this list that may surprise you. I know that they surprised me.
So let's start with the obvious: My parents.
Both of my parents at one time worked for the State Department, and my mother still does. As a result of that, I spent the first eighteen years of my life growing up in seven other countries, and none of them was the United States. When I first started applying to Peace Corps, I thought this would help me adjust, but then my father wisely pointed out that it wouldn't. He explained that when I was overseas, I got to live in my little embassy bubble. I got to see the high poverty and development problems from behind the glass in my ivory four-runner. And he was absolutely right. I remember bringing this up with my Country Director when he interviewed me before swear-in to see if I was ready for service. A former ambassador himself, he sympathized, saying that even administratively, Peace Corps was way different from the foreign service.
Since coming to country, my mother has been a typical mother, always wanting to know how I'm doing and what's going on and what's Ethiopia like and am I making friends and all that other stuff. And she Skypes me all the time and they even sent me a care package in the summer. My dad is often with her when we talk on Skype, asking his questions and stuff, and even if he's not, I'm sure she tells him.
I have never spent a Christmas away from my parents before, not in twenty-five years of life. Not even the fact that my family members often live in different countries on different continents can keep me away from them at Christmas. When my mother was posted in Tunisia, and my father was still wrapping things up in DC, and I was up in Seattle, he flew both me and him all the way to Tunis so we could spend Christmas with my Mom, and then the next year, he flew both of them out from Tunis and me from Seattle down to Los Angeles to spend Christmas with my brother. I don't know if it's as big a deal to them as it is to me, but spending Christmas with my parents matters a lot to me at this point in my life, and I was really nervous that this might actually be the first Christmas I have to spend without them. But from the very beginning, my parents just acted like they expected to come, and again they bought me a plane ticket from Ethiopia to go spend the holidays with them in Belgium. Not only this, but they opened their door and their home to a fellow PCV who couldn't go home for Christmas, and I know that he is still grateful for their hospitality. What's more, my parents are going a step further for Christmas 2013 by allowing me to bring not one, not two, but three other guest PCVs, who must have heard how great the vacation was for my other friend and want to see what it's like. And they did it with open hearts and not a hint of hesitation.
And if that weren't enough, my father decided that the best birthday present he could give me this year was flying down to Addis Ababa to see where I live for himself, and of course he brought all sorts of delicious goodies with him, including all the ingredients required to make my traditional birthday cake since I was twelve years old - dirt cake. Oreos, cream cheese, vanilla budding, and I don't even know all of what else, but it was delicious. So I took him on a tour of this beautiful country in which I serve. Hawassa, Arba Minch, up through Hossana, and then back to Addis Ababa. Afterwards, he commented that he understood a lot better how I live now, and that he finally realized the need (as opposed to want) for an external hard drive.
So this is what I believe is "above and beyond" as far as support goes. And maybe some people think, "Well, yeah, sure, but your parents are expected to be supportive." Well, yeah. But consider this - I am one of seventy volunteers in my group who have been here for a year now, and I am only one of a handful who have had anyone, let alone a parent come visit me. And everyone's parents are supportive, but I think that says a lot.
Next on the list: Layne
Layne herself will probably be surprised to see her name on this list. She was a friend of mine I met when I was in high school in Cairo, and while we don't see each other much anymore (on account of we lived in different states, and now different countries) we talk rather frequently, and I attended her wedding almost two years ago now. Wow, has it really been almost two years? Congrats to Layne and her husband, Chris, on that. Still, since moving to Ethiopia, I have noticed a marked increase in my communication with Layne. She messages me all the time, Skypes me a lot, likes almost all of the photos and posts I make on Facebook about Ethiopia, and she was really supportive in my first ten weeks in country, arguable the most difficult ten weeks of my service as I readjusted. Layne hasn't done anything like fly out on a plane to visit me, or even send me a care package (although she says she's putting one together). Her support is much simpler, and that is that she frequently takes time out of her day to check in with me. It's simple, and it doesn't sound like much, but it can really go a long way, especially when you're out at site on your own and a friendly message from an old friend can really mean a lot.
And then, there's Laura.
Laura is probably the only person out of all of my friends in Seattle who seems actively interested in what I am doing and continuously supportive. We have chats on Facebook, and she always seems genuinely curious about my life and how I'm doing. Meanwhile, she had to go and get herself pregnant and now I don't get to see that stick figure of hers swell into a balloon shape, at least not until this July. She's due in July, too, so I hope I can still recognize her! I was so sad I had to miss this big event in her and her husband's life. Still, I comfort myself with the knowledge that at least I'll get to meet the little squirt when I come back for good in 2014. Sure, the kid will be a year old by then, but that's not too bad, when you think about it. Still, she's pregnant, such a big life adventure, and yet she still finds time to be interested in me and my crazy life. That's pretty awesome. Laura is also one of the people who seems most excited about seeing me when I visit this summer. She has also been a doll, agreeing to accept all packages of supplies that we need for our summer camp. In fact, she just told me today that she was beginning to get shipments in, and how that made her excited because it meant that I would be in Seattle soon. It's sweet comments like that, that, like Layne's simple support, can really go a long way to making a PCV smile.
And last but not least, I'd like to recognize Tod and Linda.
Tod and Linda are very old friends of my parents, being old college chums of my mother way back in the day. They are rather like my aunt and uncle, regardless of blood relation. Tod was the one who even taught me how to drive. They, along with two other old friends of my parents in Seattle, served as surrogate parents for me when I was living in Washington and my folks were off gallivanting all over the world. Since I've been here, Tod and Linda win the contest for sending me the most stuff through the mail. I will never forget the day when I arrived at the post office in November and there was not just one care package there waiting for me, but two humongous boxes full of American goodies and all for me. I was so excited I went home and photographed everything to mark the occasion. And being as this was really the only time I received care packages other than one that my parents sent, that alone earns them a spot on this list. It is expensive to send care packages, and I appreciate all the time and effort (and money!) that goes into putting them together. It's one reason why they are so rare for me, I believe. So thanks so much, to this wonderful couple, who put so much effort into bringing a little piece of America to Ethiopia for me.
I go on vacation in two and a half weeks to Seattle. I look forward to seeing all of my old friends and family in the area while I'm there. And I do want to give a general thank you to all of you for the support you do manage to give. As I said, I know you have your own busy and interesting lives, but I really do appreciate it when you drop me a line. It gets lonely out here in the rural highlands.
Much love and gratitude,
Carlin
Keep in mind that if I don't mention you by name, it's not because I don't value the support you give me. I have a lot of friends and family that have expressed positive thoughts and well-wishes about my service, and I appreciate each and every source of encouragement. However, the people I name here have gone above and beyond in their support, which is why I wanted to honor them specifically.
It's easy to forget that a friend or loved one is going through a hard time. And regardless of everything else that the Peace Corps is, it is certainly a hard time. I have more bad days in Ethiopia than I ever had in Seattle - but the thing is, I also have more awesome days, too. High risk, high reward, as they say, but it's the high risk that causes trouble with morale sometimes. And it's easy to forget that a friend is in a high stress environment for two years, because, I mean, hey, you have your own lives, your own problems, your own stresses.
This is why I think it's super important to recognize the people who go out of their way to tell me that they know what I'm doing, they know it's hard, and they appreciate it and they support me. There are a few people on this list, like my parents, who are an obvious given. But there are some people on this list that may surprise you. I know that they surprised me.
So let's start with the obvious: My parents.
Both of my parents at one time worked for the State Department, and my mother still does. As a result of that, I spent the first eighteen years of my life growing up in seven other countries, and none of them was the United States. When I first started applying to Peace Corps, I thought this would help me adjust, but then my father wisely pointed out that it wouldn't. He explained that when I was overseas, I got to live in my little embassy bubble. I got to see the high poverty and development problems from behind the glass in my ivory four-runner. And he was absolutely right. I remember bringing this up with my Country Director when he interviewed me before swear-in to see if I was ready for service. A former ambassador himself, he sympathized, saying that even administratively, Peace Corps was way different from the foreign service.
Since coming to country, my mother has been a typical mother, always wanting to know how I'm doing and what's going on and what's Ethiopia like and am I making friends and all that other stuff. And she Skypes me all the time and they even sent me a care package in the summer. My dad is often with her when we talk on Skype, asking his questions and stuff, and even if he's not, I'm sure she tells him.
I have never spent a Christmas away from my parents before, not in twenty-five years of life. Not even the fact that my family members often live in different countries on different continents can keep me away from them at Christmas. When my mother was posted in Tunisia, and my father was still wrapping things up in DC, and I was up in Seattle, he flew both me and him all the way to Tunis so we could spend Christmas with my Mom, and then the next year, he flew both of them out from Tunis and me from Seattle down to Los Angeles to spend Christmas with my brother. I don't know if it's as big a deal to them as it is to me, but spending Christmas with my parents matters a lot to me at this point in my life, and I was really nervous that this might actually be the first Christmas I have to spend without them. But from the very beginning, my parents just acted like they expected to come, and again they bought me a plane ticket from Ethiopia to go spend the holidays with them in Belgium. Not only this, but they opened their door and their home to a fellow PCV who couldn't go home for Christmas, and I know that he is still grateful for their hospitality. What's more, my parents are going a step further for Christmas 2013 by allowing me to bring not one, not two, but three other guest PCVs, who must have heard how great the vacation was for my other friend and want to see what it's like. And they did it with open hearts and not a hint of hesitation.
And if that weren't enough, my father decided that the best birthday present he could give me this year was flying down to Addis Ababa to see where I live for himself, and of course he brought all sorts of delicious goodies with him, including all the ingredients required to make my traditional birthday cake since I was twelve years old - dirt cake. Oreos, cream cheese, vanilla budding, and I don't even know all of what else, but it was delicious. So I took him on a tour of this beautiful country in which I serve. Hawassa, Arba Minch, up through Hossana, and then back to Addis Ababa. Afterwards, he commented that he understood a lot better how I live now, and that he finally realized the need (as opposed to want) for an external hard drive.
So this is what I believe is "above and beyond" as far as support goes. And maybe some people think, "Well, yeah, sure, but your parents are expected to be supportive." Well, yeah. But consider this - I am one of seventy volunteers in my group who have been here for a year now, and I am only one of a handful who have had anyone, let alone a parent come visit me. And everyone's parents are supportive, but I think that says a lot.
Next on the list: Layne
Layne herself will probably be surprised to see her name on this list. She was a friend of mine I met when I was in high school in Cairo, and while we don't see each other much anymore (on account of we lived in different states, and now different countries) we talk rather frequently, and I attended her wedding almost two years ago now. Wow, has it really been almost two years? Congrats to Layne and her husband, Chris, on that. Still, since moving to Ethiopia, I have noticed a marked increase in my communication with Layne. She messages me all the time, Skypes me a lot, likes almost all of the photos and posts I make on Facebook about Ethiopia, and she was really supportive in my first ten weeks in country, arguable the most difficult ten weeks of my service as I readjusted. Layne hasn't done anything like fly out on a plane to visit me, or even send me a care package (although she says she's putting one together). Her support is much simpler, and that is that she frequently takes time out of her day to check in with me. It's simple, and it doesn't sound like much, but it can really go a long way, especially when you're out at site on your own and a friendly message from an old friend can really mean a lot.
And then, there's Laura.
Laura is probably the only person out of all of my friends in Seattle who seems actively interested in what I am doing and continuously supportive. We have chats on Facebook, and she always seems genuinely curious about my life and how I'm doing. Meanwhile, she had to go and get herself pregnant and now I don't get to see that stick figure of hers swell into a balloon shape, at least not until this July. She's due in July, too, so I hope I can still recognize her! I was so sad I had to miss this big event in her and her husband's life. Still, I comfort myself with the knowledge that at least I'll get to meet the little squirt when I come back for good in 2014. Sure, the kid will be a year old by then, but that's not too bad, when you think about it. Still, she's pregnant, such a big life adventure, and yet she still finds time to be interested in me and my crazy life. That's pretty awesome. Laura is also one of the people who seems most excited about seeing me when I visit this summer. She has also been a doll, agreeing to accept all packages of supplies that we need for our summer camp. In fact, she just told me today that she was beginning to get shipments in, and how that made her excited because it meant that I would be in Seattle soon. It's sweet comments like that, that, like Layne's simple support, can really go a long way to making a PCV smile.
And last but not least, I'd like to recognize Tod and Linda.
Tod and Linda are very old friends of my parents, being old college chums of my mother way back in the day. They are rather like my aunt and uncle, regardless of blood relation. Tod was the one who even taught me how to drive. They, along with two other old friends of my parents in Seattle, served as surrogate parents for me when I was living in Washington and my folks were off gallivanting all over the world. Since I've been here, Tod and Linda win the contest for sending me the most stuff through the mail. I will never forget the day when I arrived at the post office in November and there was not just one care package there waiting for me, but two humongous boxes full of American goodies and all for me. I was so excited I went home and photographed everything to mark the occasion. And being as this was really the only time I received care packages other than one that my parents sent, that alone earns them a spot on this list. It is expensive to send care packages, and I appreciate all the time and effort (and money!) that goes into putting them together. It's one reason why they are so rare for me, I believe. So thanks so much, to this wonderful couple, who put so much effort into bringing a little piece of America to Ethiopia for me.
I go on vacation in two and a half weeks to Seattle. I look forward to seeing all of my old friends and family in the area while I'm there. And I do want to give a general thank you to all of you for the support you do manage to give. As I said, I know you have your own busy and interesting lives, but I really do appreciate it when you drop me a line. It gets lonely out here in the rural highlands.
Much love and gratitude,
Carlin
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