To A Very Special Mom

Dear Brielle,

Hope this card finds you well and in good spirits! We missed you on Thanksgiving, but you were having the time of your life visiting the most amazing sites! I am so happy that you have these wonderful opportunities.

Life is short-I still remember being your age- I thought I would never grow old.

So my dear…

LIVE, LIVE, LIVE

(but be careful)

All my love,

Mom

This was only one of the many cards I have received from my mom since I started my service in the Peace Corps. Now, I want to start off by saying that I really do have an amazing set of parents, but this is a Mother’s Day post (so Dad, don’t think I don’t love you as much).

My mom has always been my biggest supporter and my biggest fan. I started doing competitive gymnastics in elementary school. My dad had just opened up two pizzerias and was very busy providing for our family, and my mom spent her days driving me to and from school, to gymnastics practices and to and from gymnastics meets (hours away).  Now, realize, I’m not an only child…so throw another child’s schedule into the mix. My mom, rarely ever missed a gymnastics meet, always packed me a lunch for school and helped me with all my school projects (which were always the best in the class thanks to her artistic abilities).

Since I’ve been in Perú, the little things that I did with my mom when I was younger I think about often. Perú loves playing repeats of the show Friends- a show I watched religiously with my mom as a child.

I spent a lot of my last couple of months in America spending time with my mom during the day, whether it was going for walks (mostly  forced), watching Bravo, going to California Pizza Kitchen or sitting in Starbucks. I have slowly seen my relationship with my mom grow, though she is still very much a parent, I consider her a friend. Had you asked my angst filled 13 year-old self if I thought that was possible, I would have said no (with some expletives thrown in there), but more and more as I grow up I realize how blessed I am to have her as a mom.

My mom has dedicated her life to giving her children the best she could, and I owe my strength and passion for seeing the world to her. Because of both of my parents I have been giving the ability to study abroad in high school, attend the college of my choice (WE ARE) and live my dream as a Peace Corps volunteer. This journey through my service hasn’t been easy, but because of them I don’t feel alone in my daily struggles or successes.

She may not know it yet, but she has been the perfect role model for me. I will be a better person and mother because of her.

So Mom, I want you to know, that I am grateful beyond words for all that you’ve done for me. I hope you know that none of it has gone unnoticed. I was given a childhood people can only dream of. I have never felt unloved or alone because of you. So, thank you, for being my mom and for being so good at it J.

I love you.

"I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life." 
- Abraham Lincoln

Always your little girl,

Brielle

You're Gonna Poop in a Hole

A few days ago this video started going viral among Peace Corps volunteers in Perú. It's actually catchy and pretty spot on. 


I was talking with a friend the other day about how different the life of a volunteer is from the life of my friends back home. I decided to share with her some of my Peace Corps friends current statuses on Facebook. Then, a few days later, a good PCV friend of mine, Kim Ayers, posted something similar to what I'm about to share with all of you.


Since, I like to share my laughter with others I thought it would be a good idea to give you an idea of what my minifeed on Facebook has looked like over the past few months. I have kept the poster's anonymous for their own sake ;)


"Gonna pre-game 25 years with some cow stomach and campo cookies in the sunshine of Paltashaco, Peru while nursing diahrrea and battling fleas. Its not exactly what I imagined as a 10 year old when I would turn into an adult...it's much better."


"Somedays it's like I never learned Spanish. Example: Tried to explain the concept of the World Map to a teacher. She didn't understand. Used different words to explain again. She didn't understand. Changed my pronunciation of certain words. She didn't understand. Mimed the entire explanation... We start the World Map next month."

"I put pants on this morning. It is the first time I have put pants on in site since December. The only reason I put pants on is because they are the only item still clean in my closet. I am so afraid I am going to regret this decision. Vamos a ver...."

"One day, Im going to walk in a land where men don't lift up their shirts over their beer guts to 'cool off '... one very far away day..."


"Just looked up 14 most common symptoms of parasites...I have 9 of them. Fun times."


"Are scrunchies REALLY that uncool? I love mine and will wear it in the States, too!"

"You guys do know that we depend on you all for updates on current events such as: oh, say, when someone attempts to assassinate the president... um, has anything else happened? Wait, is this even true? (Anonymous PCV)'s host mom also says 100 U.S. astronauts have been brought back from space..."

"My host sister asked for my pee to wash her daughter with. Family integration: Complete."

"My new favorite site-blues trick is to ask my host mom if I have lice. I lay my head in her lap and she plays with my hair for about an hour and tells me I don't have lice. :) Awesome."

"For some reason I just realized the absurdity of a job where like 90% of employees poop their pants. Seriously? Who signs up for pants-pooping? Who even starts an organization so dedicated to poopy pants? Also, Doctor Suni says I don't have leprosy, so that's cool."

"Barking dogs and drunk dudes, basically the same thing."


"Rice and potatoes for lunch, then then two hours later second lunch of rice and potatoes. I 
just don't even care anymore."

"Frickafrack. I just got a stink bug in my post-shower hair. I smell. Real bad. Touche dead stink bug. I flicked you...you farted on me."

It was tough to pick ones I thought were funny because most of this has become really normal. I hope you enjoyed your glimpse into the lives of Peace Corps volunteers in Perú. 


"I will look back on this time and beyond all the poetic words and descriptions, all I'll be able to say is... 'That was crazy' 
-PCV Peru , Anna Kingman




Until next time,
Brielle