The Most Beautiful Place on Earth??

Just a few random photos...The first photo is a picture of the Chicken Wings I cooked to eat during the Superbowl.. They were delicious! The second photo is when I got bored with my computer and photo shopped my picture so that it looks like a mugshot.. Hopefully this is the closest I ever come to taking a mugshot. The third photo is with my adopted sister, Davia. She is the daughter of one of my co-workers and she got an award at her school for her good grades. She is a very sweet girl with an amazing family! The fourth picture gives the allusion that I cooked a Bouillon (which is a Saint Lucian meal) but actually was just the assistant. It was a mix of dumplings, lentils, and chicken all cooked in one huge stew. I ate for a few days off of that one pot. The last photo is from a beautiful sunset last Friday night. The sky was ON FIRE!! Whenever I am having a rough time or a long day and there is a beautiful sunset it always makes me smile. Sometimes it takes a little sign from above to remind me that I have someone upstairs looking out for me ;). I hope everyone is doing well back in the United States. I am very happy and healthy here. I love you all!!

Peace Corps Choiseul

As soon as I tell anyone I am Peace Corps volunteer, whether it is in Saint Lucia or the United States, they ask me "What exactly do you do?" So I am going to briefly explain what I do/have done. The Peace Corps' mission has three goals-

1. Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their needs for trained men and women.

2. Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.

3. Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

They tell us at training that Peace Corps is a 24/7 job. This has been difficult for me at times. I am used to focusing when necessary and then relaxing when I have free time. Not to say that I am always tense here, but sometimes I forget that my actions (everyday and every night) reflect the Peace Corps program and the Saint Lucian view of United States citizens. Let's just say I have made some mistakes. I have been friends with questionable people, I have partied a little too hard, I have been in some difficult situations, but I have learned and grown from every experience. I am a 23 year old woman and I still have a lot to learn, that being said one of the things I appreciate about the Peace Corps is the idea of their three main goals.

The first goal is addressed everyday by my worksite at the Education Office. I report to the office 4 days a week and use it as my home base. I do all of my computer work here and it is the area where I can be reached to collaborate on projects within the schools. I am a Youth Development volunteer so Peace Corps believes I will be most effective if I am working within the schools. Here are a few different programs I have worked on: A pen-pal program between a Grade Four class here and a Fourth/Fifth grade class in the United States. Starting a Girl Guide company at one of the Primary schools. Football for Lives (an HIV/AIDS education program). Working with a Healthy Lifestyle/HIV/AIDS After-School program at a Primary School. Working on Football skills with females at the Secondary School. And other various activities. The education office is my "Primary Worksite" but I also have secondary projects. I enjoy working with the Choiseul Council of/for Persons with Disabilities. A few of our events have been a Christmas party for Children with Disabilities and a summer camp for Children with Disabilities. I also work on a Youth and Sports committee and we have had a very successful Recreation Day last summer which encouraged families to come and play games and enjoy some good, clean, fun. This year I plan to help with the Choiseul Carnival planning committee to help plan for Carnival. I also like to help out with whatever random things I can... My life is volunteering so if I am asked to help I will not say no.

Goals two and three are accomplished everyday. They are accomplished through the pen-pal program, through my visits home and family and friends visiting here. I am constantly singing the praises of Saint Lucia and also answering any and all questions about the United States from my Saint Lucian friends. Sometimes when I have difficulties getting motivated at the Education Office, I just remember goals two and three. So far I am proud of the work I have done here but there is soooo much more for me to do. I guess I should stop writing my blog and get to work!! Thanks to everyone reading this for supporting me in my journey! I love you all!!

A few pics..

These are some of the children from a Grade Four class at Riviere Doree Anglican School. Just another example of how beautiful and precious children can be.

2010...Already?

Wow! I cannot believe I have not updated my blog in over 5 months! I apologize to anyone who is reading this and assuming I disappeared. The last blog was quite a cliffhanger so I think it is my duty to fill everyone in on what happened. This is going to be choppy, like usual, in order to describe the last 5 months in a few paragraphs. Since I am writing this in good spirits you may ascertain that I made it out of Panama....barely! I stayed in my little hotel, Costa Inn, for about 4 weeks! Phew... So now my houses include, Broomfield, Fort Collins, St. Lucia, Prague, and Panama City. When you live somewhere for a month or more it counts as your house...even if it was a tiny hotel room. On the positive side, I am cancer free and I got to live in Panama City for a month. Not that is was not a trying experience, now that I am back in Saint Lucia I am trying to find the positives in my trip. After spending 4 weeks in Panama Peace Corps decided to send me to Washington DC to run a few more tests. They took great care of me and wanted to be absolutely sure I was clear before they let me return to Saint Lucia. After spending 6 days in Washington DC the doctor's at George Washington University Hospital cleared me to return to Saint Lucia.

After disappearing for a few weeks many Choiseullians thought I had gone home. I left on such short notice that not many people knew where I went. I should add that those who knew what was going on, aka a few friends in Saint Lucia including my amazing Landlady, Miss Grace, and my family and friends in the states, were amazing. They supported me, my mom even came to visit me in Panama to keep me from going crazy. It was great to have some mother-daughter bonding time after being away from home for soo long. My landlady, Miss Grace, was calling frequently and she took care of my house while I was gone. I am beginning to consider her my Saint Lucian second mom. Once I got back, after I tried to explain my story, it was back to work. With my departure next October looming over my head I have been trying to be productive before I leave. In December I visited CO and had great time seeing family and friends. The trip to Colorado was nice to show me how much I have changed. It is in subtle things but I know that Saint Lucia and my Peace Corps experience are having a positive influence in my life.

Another exciting event was in January when some students from the University of Vermont came to Saint Lucia to run an HIV/AIDS education program entitled, "Football for Lives." They were here for two weeks and they ran the program at 2 schools in my district. It was great having them, not only was the program amazing but they are really great people and we had a lot of fun. It was hard work for two weeks but they had such positive attitudes that it was not difficult. Now, it is February, October 15th (my departure date) is looming overhead but I am still trying on my work. Who knows what the next 9 months will entail? I am not sure what will happen but I know it will be great!!!