As a Peace Corps volunteer, my term of service is 27 months. I arrived in Albania in March of 2014. I lived in a village for two months for training. I then moved to my town where I would live for the next 24-ish months. We are preparing for our COS (Close of Service) Conference early next month and selecting our preferred date to leave Albania. Some leaving in April, others in May. After much consideration, I have decided to put my application in for an extension of service for another year. I am planning to come back home for a month in late June (so I can attend my brother's wedding), so I hope to see and catch up with many of you while I'm there.
Doing an extension means doing an assignment with a larger scope. My hope is to work with the leading doctor on HIV/AIDS in Albania and develop a national strategy to address HIV/AIDS. That would also mean a move to Tirana (the capital). There are lots of changes on the horizon, and I feel myself feeling very excited about the prospects ahead of me.
I also feel some fear of the unknown. This is all part of being an adult - being in situations where there might not be someone there to give you that high-five all the time, someone to guide you, someone to show you the next step. That is the risk of trying to pave a new path. Certainly paving a new way in the world can come with its share of doubts and uncertainty. The demons are everywhere. Lack up support, excessive criticism, and negativity can really take away one's motivation. Working in LGBT work is also a particularly lonely business sometimes. No one can guarantee your safety, people don't always share your enthusiasm or vision and you are constantly trying to find a way to fit in without having to pretend that you are someone you are not. One time may not be so bad. One thousand days? That can be challenging...
No comments:
Post a Comment