A thank you

               My friend Heather was in Peace Corps Niger before she came to Lesotho last year.   Volunteers in Niger were evacuated after an Al-Qaeda scare, and Heather took some time off at home in South Dakota before she re-enrolled in Peace Corps.

                Besides being one of my closest friends here, Heather has also been a great resource when it comes to all things Peace Corps.  She’s been there, done that.  And one thing Heather told me that has always stuck with me is that Peace Corps really shows you who your true friends are. 

As volunteers, we go through some pretty rough patches sometimes.  It’s hard to deal with environmental differences—not having water, for example—and emotional stress, like feeling homesick or lonely or useless.  These emotions are all compounded by the fact that we’re separated from friends and family by thousands of miles, and some volunteers don’t even have cell phone service at their sites to be able to keep in touch by phone or email.  In that sense, I really lucked out with my site—I can’t imagine being that cut off from the rest of the world.

What Heather said to me has been completely true.  There are friends from high school and college whom I thought I’d be in touch with forever, and I’ve barely spoken a word to them since being in Africa.  It’s no one’s fault.  I am just as able to reach out to these people as they are to me, but neither person does.  I guess that’s part of growing up; friends come and go as circumstances change. 

At the same time, I’ve had friends from my past (in some cases, friends from years ago) who have reached out to me.  Whether it’s a care package, a friendly email, a comment on one of my blog posts, or just chatting with me on Facebook, I’ve been utterly taken aback by the kindness I’ve been shown.  When I come home from school after a terrible day, you have no idea how touching it can be to read an email that simply says “I’m thinking about you…keep your chin up”.  It changes my day.  Sometimes, it changes my week.

My family has been so diligent about calling me every Sunday afternoon since I’ve been in Lesotho.  It’s something I look forward to as soon as the weekend begins, and I plan my Sundays around being somewhere where I can talk privately to them.  I know it must cost a fortune for them, but when they run out of Skype credit, even if it’s at the end of our conversation, they’ll call back to say “I love you” and wish me a good start to the week.

My boyfriend, who was also a volunteer in Lesotho, is the only person I know who I can complain to about all of the inconveniences of living here and he won’t say “well I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think”.  Yes, it is and I like to bitch about it sometimes.  And he puts up with me when I get in those grumpy moods.  I’m sure it’s stressful for him, but he takes time out of his busy school schedule to Skype with me for an hour or so every week.  It puts a smile on my face and allows me to put things in perspective when sometimes I can’t see the bigger picture.

My PCV friends in Lesotho are my family.  They are my rock.  When I have a bad week, they meet me in town for a cold beer and greasy food.  When I need a girls’ weekend, they are the gracious hosts.  For every holiday and birthday that I miss in America, they make it full of joy in Lesotho.  They are what keep me going.  They are what give me things to look forward to.  I could never in a million years take this journey without them walking it alongside me.  They are my role models, my therapists, my coworkers and my drinking buddies.  They are some of the strongest people I will ever know.

And I'm amazed at everyone who has reached out to me and sent me packages and letters of encouragement.  New shoes and a coat for my birthday.  Sauce packets from Taco Bell.  Family-size macaroni and cheese and tequila shooters.  Crafts for my kids and powdered soup during the winter and a box full of Ramen noodles.  The biggest solar charger I’ve ever seen.  Chocolate and cheese and Christmas decorations.  Spices and shirts and socks.  Girly soaps and perfumes that make me feel pretty.  Pictures and magazines.  So much tea and Crystal Light that I don’t know what to do with it all.  These packages are not cheap; I can see the postage prices on the box.  But you send them anyways.  I’ve been blown away by your kindness.  I’m speechless.  I am a lucky girl to have so many people who care about me.

So I wanted to say thank you, to all of you.  Your support means the world to me.  One of my biggest fears is being forgotten while I disappear into the mountains of Africa for two years.  I worry about coming home and losing touch with everyone I was so close with.  Your thoughtful words mean so much more than you will ever know.  Your care packages make it feel like Christmas year-round.  It’s nice to know that you remember me and think about me from time to time.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  I feel truly blessed to have so many fans cheering me on.