New Year Reflections

It’s already the end of January. I think back to one year ago – I was in Ketchum, Idaho breathing in the crisp mountain air and catching edges on the ski slopes of Baldy Mountain alongside best friend and surrogate sister Peyton. I remember a particular early-morning ski run we took on the mountain. It was an absolutely freezing and devastatingly beautiful morning. Peyton had taken the morning off of her job, and bundled up together on that windy mountain, we began to soak in the reality that I’d be leaving soon to some unknown destination to volunteer in the Peace Corps and that these last moments were truly precious. I knew then that my life was about to change dramatically. I could never have imagined the ways.

I’m coming up on another birthday, and thinking back over this last year, I think it’s actually been the best one yet. I celebrated my last birthday on the slopes with my mom in Idaho. We celebrated quietly with close friends that evening. I received my Peace Corps invitation to serve in Peru that same week. The next couple of months were spent saying way too many goodbyes to brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews, friends, cities, neighborhoods, and towns. On June 4th, I took an early morning flight to Miami and was the first trainee to arrive to an extravagant hotel, the site of my Peace Corps orientation. That day 38 strangers flew into Miami from all parts of the country with all sorts of reasons for making this decision to join the Peace Corps. We all knew that day when we got on the plane that we were making a sacrifice – leaving loved ones and all that is familiar behind us and choosing the unknown for our futures. It sounds absolutely crazy, now, thinking about it, but it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. This has been the wildest and most awakening year of my life. Believe me, it has not been easy. I have hit roadblocks. I’ve shed some tears. I truly know what it means to be homesick now. I have missed my life back home. But the high moments have far outweighed the low ones, and for me, if it were easy, it wouldn’t be fun.

In 2008 I cut off a foot of my hair, skied my heart out, surfed in Santa Cruz, went to AU graduation, said farewell to Glover Park, played Kings with high school friends, planned my 5 year high school reunion, ate my last lobster, felt the family love, got on the plane, started a blog, visited Ancash for the first time, swore in as a Peace Corps Volunteer, ate my first guinea pig, voted for Barack Obama, found cell phone service just outside my adobe kitchen window, conquered my fear of spiders (well, almost), forgot just how good a hot shower feels, taught Peruvian kids how to sing in English, made pancakes with my host sister, celebrated Christmas with my host family, rang in the New Year with my Peace Corps family, went running at 10,000 ft, splashed in giant puddles with my rain boots, jumped in a glacial lake naked, channeled my inner child, and felt truly and wildly alive.

In 2009, I’ll do more yoga, read more books, obsess over the Obama Presidency, work and play with lots of adorable kids, learn Quechua, dance Huaino, and attempt to make the most of all this. And believe me, I’ll be missing you all the while. But I think it’ll be worth it. *