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“We can never know about the days to come but we think about them anyway” -Carly Simon

 As a practitioner of mindfulness, I work to be present in the present moment.  But this last week or so, I’ve had to more consciously bring myself back to that place.  I find that my mind is wanting to look ahead to the next stage of this journey.  Part of my practice is to examine why I seem to be straying from the present and I think I’ve figured out a few different reasons.  A big part of it is exhaustion.  The best way I can explain what this is like is to ask you to remember the hardest, most intense meeting/conference/workshop you’ve ever participated in.  Now imagine doing that for 9 weeks straight. Half of that time you’ll be with 27 other people nonstop and the other half you’ll be living with a family of total strangers.  The mental, emotional, and physical work of that is HARD. 

I think another piece of the puzzle for me is that I really want to get into the work that I was brought here to do—the work that I feel called to do.  We finished up our teaching practicum last week and it was one of the biggest professional challenges I’ve had in years.  But I loved it!!  I can’t wait to be in a school and working on the Peace Corps literacy project.  

I also got to go to my home community this week!  I got to see my house (home tour coming after I move in) and meet my principal and some of the teachers at the school.  We did a walk through the community and I got to meet a lot of folks who are going to be my community for the next two years.  And that was EXCITING.  
On my balcony!!
The week ahead holds a lot—the last days of training, assessments on competency for service and Kwèyol.  Swearing in where I take my oath as a Peace Corps Volunteer!!  And last, but not least, moving in to my home.  I don’t want to miss out on what any of those experiences has to teach me, so I have to just remember my mantra—BE HERE NOW.  

I leave you with a little collage of some of the teaching materials that I generated during mode school.  Just a little bit different than my usual set up! 😉


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