I have been invited to serve as a volunteer with the Peace Corps in The Gambia for 27 months. I would be working in a community health clinic.
When I got the email I was excited, nervous, and a little scared. I first applied to join the Peace Corps many moons ago and went through a very thorough application process complete with video interview, medical screening, background screening, and references. This was not a whim and not a light decision. And by the way, it's way harder to get into the Peace Corps then it was to get into the Marine Corps.
But between the interview and the acceptance, and as the date of acceptance or denial drew closer, I became more and more nervous about if this really was the right choice for me.
Living in The Gambia would require me to live an extremely basic lifestyle. I would be in a hut, no running water, no electricity, and no sewage. I would be living in a rural community that was far from all of the creature comforts of a city. And I would have to live a very physical lifestyle complete with a bicycle as my primary mode of transportation on unpaved roads. Yikes.
In my life at this time I was selling my share of a jointly owned house to my ex husband which left me feeling unanchored. As much as I am a nomad, I do depend on the anchor of having my own home. And with that gone I was feeling sad and lost.
With no home of my own I have no mailing address, no home of record, no permanent address, nothing. No place for my things that are important momentos in my life. No place for me to go to whenever I want because it's my house. Which really sucks.
And then there's the physical. I'm not the most in shape person. I spent a day building a deck with Habitat for Humanity and my hip hurt for three days. That worries me.
When I would think about what I want it came back to a place of my own. Something that has enough land for chickens, bee's, and goats. But still close to a small city like New Haven or Fredericksburg for dining and spas. I didn't envision myself living in a hut in a tiny village. I was envisioning myself living in Canada with my friends on 2 acres of land and continuing to work in workplace safety and health.
So I started sharing my concerns with my sister and my friend. My sister told me that I had to do what was best for me. That there are many ways to serve and there's a good option for me. My friend gave me a really good pep talk. Told me this was going to transform me and I could totally do it.
When I thought about what my friend said, I knew she was right. I don't want to just keep trucking along with the same tomorrow as yesterday. I want adventure and to get out into the world. I don't want to hide away where it's comfortable. I want to push my boundaries. I don't want to do work that is good, I want to do work that is great and truly meaningful.
So I accepted the invitation to serve. If it sucks, then it sucks. If my hip hurts allot, then my hip hurts allot. But it could also be great, transformative, the next step in my personal journey of growth and I get to go where the work is most needed.
And you know what, living in a hut in a rural village is probably a great place for to get a goat, chickens, and bee's. I can learn how to care for them from pros who are my neighbors. I can also bring with me my skill in knitting and crotchet and learn from them weaving and basket making. This can be a great opportunity for me to learn and share in person instead of from a YouTube video.
So here I go. Wish me luck!