My cohort has passed the one-year of service mark and it is pretty unbelievable how quickly time has gone. It seems like just yesterday we were starting out in our training, not even official volunteers, wondering what our two years would be. Believe me, there were a lot of moments where I questioned my decision to move to the Dominican Republic. Now that I am here, I look back on all my new friendships and personal growth and I feel excited to see how my last year continues.
School took over my life in the fall and soon I was thrust into the crazy and overwhelming school atmosphere. I learned just as much from those kids every day as they learned from me. I learned I definitely do not want to work with literacy in the future. It is hard teaching kids how to read and I will continue with it for the next year, but it is not my calling in the future. But on the other hand, working with my students in tutoring and as a class in third grade was very rewarding. Every day when I walk into their classroom they scream my name and run to crush me with hugs. They love learning from me and that makes the small frustrations bearable. I smile ear to ear when those kids come into the library to sing our alphabet song and initial sounds song after practicing only a few times with me. The fact they even wanted to sing outside of class time and during recess shows me how much they care. Those are the little moments that matter most to me and push me through the tough times.
During recess when my kids are playing with the variety of literacy games, I love it when my students that still have trouble identifying letters come up to me and show me they know exactly which letter they are holding. I may not have found my calling in teaching literacy, but I do know this: I love helping and seeing that I have done something for the kids, even if its as little as me listening to them tell crazy stories when no one else will listen.
Apart from my wonderful students, I love my teachers. This year was important for me to build relationship and confianza (trust) with them in order to work well with them. The support they have given me since day one has made the most difference. Now I walk into school and feel like part of the family. I can walk in and gossip about my life or about the latest in the town. Since I know a good amount of people in my town now, I actually know whom the news is about and I don’t have to just nod and smile along.
My feeling of community and family transcends the confines of school and into the families around town. I have mi gente (my people) who I can always count on for a cafecito or just a plastic chair to use while we chat. This feeling that you are welcome into a place that is not your own is the most rewarding. At the end of the day, sitting with those people is not work, its just life. That is really what Peace Corps service is all about, making those connections and creating a new life.
As I look toward the future and this last half of my service, I also need to set goals for myself at work and personally. At school, leaving a legacy and something to remember for the future is important because I want to feel like my time here made an impact. I hope to work more closely with some teachers and help them progress in their profession. As for my kids, I just want to keep having fun with them and teach them that there is so much more to see outside of our small little town in hopes they will continue with their education. And lastly, but certainly not least, I want to build on those bonds with my families that I have already forged. I can already see these will be lifelong friendships, so I need to make the most of the time I have here and strengthen those relationships that make me happy to live where I currently live.