A vignette of my experience so far

As I walk to school, down the one main road in my town which literally resides in the middle of banana fields, I find myself wondering how I got here. However, once I get to the school and see the faces of all three hundred kids who know my name and come up to greet me with hugs and kisses, I am reminded of how. Teaching classes on self-esteem, values, goals, aspirations, stereotypes, relationships, and sexuality is a constant struggle as the things I say seem to go through one ear and out the other most of the time. In spite of this, I see daily changes in the kids that I work with simply because I am their friend.

In one of the first months in my community I remember my host mom laughing at me because she said that my only friends were kids ages six to sixteen. And now after living here for almost a year, I would have to say that I am privileged to say they are my friends as I have learned as much from them as they have from me. My classes and workshops have successes as well as failures with many frustrations along the way. However, what gives meaning to my service are not the classes that I teach, it is the kids in those classes that I interact with every day.

It really is true what they say about this experience; it is a one of a kind experience that will push you mentally, physically, and emotionally in ways that you never thought of or thought would be possible. Some days you will feel bipolar and wonder why you are here and why you can’t leave at the same time. You will find yourself counting down the time you have left and then you won’t be able to decide if that amount is too short or too long. I know that when I leave here I will feel joy to be returning back to my family and culture and yet sadness to be leaving my kids and culture that I have learned so much about and come to love.