I'm done....

Anyone who is reading my blog probably knows that I don't cry and I hate crying and even more so I hate crying in front of people. Yet at my going away party I cried in front of everyone in my community.

Two years is a long time. Los Virotales is my other home. As much as the people and work made me crazy sometimes, I love them dearly. I like it here, obviously I am extending as regional leader. But I did not expect  it to be so difficult to leave my community. I am not going that far away. I can visit whenever I want. But it won't be the same. It won't be MY community. There will be someone else living in my ranchito. Someone else taking care of Ollie. Someone else working there. And it hit me like a ton of bricks in front of everyone.

I know as Peace Corps Volunteers we can't change the world in two years. But maybe we can start something. Maybe we can make friends that won't forget us and we won't forget them. Maybe our lives will change more than we can possibly imagine.

I am ready to begin the new chapter in my Peace Corps life, but not quite ready to close the old chapter. But here I come Las Tablas, ready or not.

Praying for Rain

I was all for the long summer. I am not really into heavy rains for days where you can't leave the house. Until I realized how much we really need it. I have practically no water at my house. When I do it is a trickle. It takes forever to fill up a bucket. It takes forever to wash clothes. We went to see the water source. Almost bone dry. The little stream...dry. The little well....1 inch of water. And this 1 inch of water is for me, my neighbor, and the school.

And I have it easy. Some people have to carry water from a nearby stream. Some people's nearby stream is totally contaminated and they can't use it. So they are pretty SOL.

In Chitre they are putting restrictions on water and electricity use. Its serious.

So do a rain dance or say a prayer....because we need RAIN!

Balance

"There is no such thing as a work-life balance. Everything worth fighting for unbalances your life." —Alain de Botton

Campo Warrior

Imagine this. Darkness. Rustling in my penca roof. Headlamp. Broom in one hand. Machete in the other.

Oh yea. I wish I had a camera. That is my campo warrior gear, fighting off tarantulas!

The first time I was unsuccessful. I was not properly prepared. The monster just hid in between the palm leaving me for a sleepless night. Second time is a charm. I woke up to a rustling bag. I figured a frog had gotten in my house again. Wrong! After a few deep breaths and a few machete swings. My tarantula intruder was no more.

Now for the creature in my latrine….

Going Postal

I am over the post office. The last 4 times I have been in there I have been in minor arguments. I discovered that not all provinces pay to store their packages, but here in Herrera we do. And maybe if they didn’t have stupid hours and tell me they work on Saturdays and then don’t work Saturdays, I could pick it up. Remember I live far from the regional capital people? Oh yea, and I got something stolen out of a package. So yea, I’m done with them.

Environmental Camp

Donate to my friends project if you can! I will be helping out with this camp in May and any help will be appreciated!

https://donate.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=13-525-016

Regional Leader

I like Panama. I like Peace Corps. So I applied for a job. And I got it! You are reading the blog of Herrera and Los Santos's newest regional leader for 2013-2014! 

Here is what it means....

Peace Corps/Panama understands that the Volunteers are our greatest resource and in this spirit, in May 2003, implemented a Regional Leader (RL) system that enhances Volunteer support, site development and agency relations.  RLs are outstanding third-year or high-performing second-year Volunteers who ideally serve for a period of one year and are selected by the Country Director (CD) to act as a liaison between Peace Corps and partner organizations in each region.  RLs play a primary role in Volunteer support as a mentor and by helping to make sure Volunteers have the resources and contacts they need to be productive.  RLs are also members of the Site Development Team and support the Associate Peace Corps Directors (APCDs) and PTSs in identifying and developing sites and placing Volunteers.

Regional Leader duties include: 1) volunteer support, 2) site development, 3) regional meetings, 4) trainings, 5) inter- institutional coordination, 6) picking up the pieces, 7) safety coordination and 8) regional handbook 9) 25% of the time devoted to a specific project.

Another year in Azuero!