A 1-Year Reflection

           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 22^nd 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