September 9, 2013 marked my official one-year anniversary of
touching Nepali land. Stepping out of that plane I never really imagined that a
year would go by so quickly and now look at me writing this blog.
You know
how you never really know how much you change unless people tell you or you
come across something, but even then you’re still in denial. Well, this past
Sunday the new group of Peace Corps Volunteers arrived in Nepal and I and
another PCV were selected to be the welcoming team. Seeing and interacting with
a new batch of newbies really made me look back to what I have done in Nepal
for the past year. Before anything let me just say that receiving them and
helping them out during their first week in Nepal was a HUGE breadth of fresh
air for me.
Being a
Peace Corps Volunteer has really made me grow in so many ways that I didn’t
think would be possible, both professionally and personally. However, the only
reason that I have grown so much up to this point is due to the mistakes and
hardships that I have encountered throughout my time in Nepal. It’s crazy hard
when there are so many attempts of trying to introduce new techniques to my
village or trying to start a conversation about certain topics and receiving a
non-receptive attitude or response. At times I have days where I don’t want to
leave my house and just run away from Nepal. I would consider myself an
extravert and a social butterfly, but sometimes Nepalis have TOO much energy,
that even I can’t handle. It really sucks when not only things in Nepal are not
going right, but things back home as well especially with family. Also, there
are some days where I’m like what am I going to do here? How can I really make
a difference? I ask myself these questions when I’m laying on the floor of my
room or when I go up my village to a quiet little place. These days are my funk
days that I don’t like to have, but I have come to learn and accept that
they’re part of the Peace Corps experience. If I didn’t have those days where I
feel down or upset, I wouldn’t be a REAL PCV, well that’s what I tell myself
lol.
Well
anyways, enough of the hardships and sad stuff, I’m an optimist so let’s talk
with some optimism. I am very thankful that I had these hardships along the
path because they are evidence that I passed the first test of completing my
first year of service. I think things are picking which makes me very happy.
One thing that I’m most proud of is my Youth Organization, GYS. GYS is truly
keeping me going! I’m working on this Youth Development training that I’m
having with them. It’s a 20-day training that revolves around health,
nutrition, agriculture self-empowerment and other topics. Thus far the kids are
loving it and I am too. Working with the youth has so many benefits for the
future so I hope that this leaves some sort of impact. I’m also working on a
training that will promote rabbit meat as an alternative source of protein. I
have three rabbits with me who will help me start it all up by breeding. There
are other project ideas that I would like to present to my village so we’ll see
how that goes.
But as I
mentioned in the beginning, having the new group of volunteers really made me
reflect and look back to what I have become to this day. One year may not seem
like a long time, but in a year with Peace Corps seems like a lifetime of
personal growth. I swear this past week as I was giving trainings to the new
group about culture, diversity and what not I really felt accomplished and
satisfied. This new group’s age range is pretty wide, but it didn’t matter if
some were older or more experienced, they were listening and paying attention
to what I had to say because I had been here for a year. I have that experience
under my belt! I was sharing my experiences, my ups, my downs, my worries and
my accomplishments with them which was the trigger for my self reflection! I
was trying to figure out what I was feeling through this past week with the new
group and then I realized that I felt proud of myself. Even though I haven’t
saved the world just yet, I felt proud to recognize how far I have gotten since
I left my mom back in Los Angels.
Peace Corps
isn’t easy by any means at all, but I am in fact very happy that I took this
leap of faith! I have so many people to thank back home for their support, but
especially my N-199 family! I don’t’ know where would I be if it wasn’t for
their constant support and love!
On
September 11, 2013 I turned 23 which was crazy because I spent it in a training
hall with the new group where my 22nd birthday I also spent it in a
training hall, but that time I was part of the new group. Time does fly.
Well I only
have a little more than a year in order to complete my service in Nepal and I’m
looking forward to encounter many more challenges along the way. I’m looking
forward to see what life has in store for me throughout this year, but in any
case I’ll be ready to face it head on!
With much hope,
Kamal
