The Marathon

Peace Corps is not easy. It is a hard thing to completely put your life on hold for 2 years and forget about all the comforts of life that we've all grown accustomed to--no, that we all expect and demand. With the many hours of "thinking time" we have (we just spent an entire weekend without electricity) I've already seen myself go through many stages. First is excitement (let's do some good!), then doubt (Did I make the right decision to come here? Am really making that much of a difference?), then justification (As long as we can teach one person our duty is done. At least I am getting out and doing something about what I believe), then fear/longing (But, if I was home right now I could be having cheese and steak and fruits and cereal, mexican food, and McDonald's, and etc./What if I early terminated? What would people think of me?), then your second wind comes and the cycle begins itself again.

Justin and I likened our experience here to our marathon. The first few miles are always the hardest, then you get a good pace going and kind of forget you're running for a while & start to daydream. Then pain hits you somewhere (your feet, your knees, your side, or even the heat on your brow--wherever) and brings you back to reality to remind you what you're doing (you're running a marathon-- what kind of weirdo do you have to be to get joy from running 26.2 miles?! This was a stupid idea!). Then you have a bad attitude again for the next few miles, until you're able to fuel up at the next rehydration-station. Once your mouth and tummy are happy you realize you're more than halfway done and continue merrily at a comfortable pace--until, yet again, you are disrupted somehow by a pain or thought.

So the whole experience of a marathon is a scale of hills, of really high highs and really, really low lows. As it is with the Peace Corps. We have now been here for a good (or bad, but mostly good) 99 days. Yet, we're only on mile 3 of our marathon. This should be the marker of thoughts such as 'What are we doing? What kind of stupid idea is this? Who in the right mind would leave a good life, a good job and settle down for two years in a tent as a non-paid volunteer?!' And we've had those thoughts...or I have anyway. Thus the reason why I likened this experience to a marathon. If I can run a marathon I can complete my two year service. Endurance.

I've just finished reading a book called "A Walk in the Woods" By Bill Bryson and have really enjoyed it. It was a hilarious book, and really inspired me. Maybe one day I, too, will hike the 2,100 miles of the Appalachian Trail (in fact, with all this time on my hands, I've already been researching it a bit...call me crazy). I don't know why I do what I do, as crazy as it is, but I love doing it!