Today marks the day peace corps takes a step back and i take a step forward. Im traveling to my placement site where i will be working in a health center for the next 2 years. the prospect of this is still unnerving and the butterflies are ever more present. Sure, I know khmer and I can travel around this country with no problem, but that routine I have built up over the past couple months is no more and the network of friends and counterparts are all over the country... so now its up to me to figure things out and deal with problems.
I start working in a health center tomorow morning and I can only imagine how thats going to go. My health center director and the nurse I will be working with still are under the impression I know more khmer than I actually do. Its going to be frustrating and there will inevitably be communication issues, but ive done it before and the relationships will form. It will take some time but i know things will eventually get better if they start out less than great. Im looking forward to the challenge of starting this program. Noone has ever worked as a health volunteer in Cambodia and our group has the opportunity to make an everlasting impression on the program and the country. There is no script to follow and our program managers arent really sure how this is going to work out. Im going into a health center tomorow with no real job to perform... im going to be observing the health system and how things are run in the health center. But this opportunity is unparalleled to anything I could have imagined myself doing and the chance to really make an impact on this world is right in front of me. Today marks the day my training ends and my work begins and I couldnt be more thrilled to have the opportunity to partake in this awesome adventure.
Internet is still uknown, I dont know how laundry is going to work out, the food is going to be "new", and I dont even know how to use the bathroom in my new house. All of these things, while unknown at the moment, make peace corps what it is meant to be. Im supposed to figure out problems to solutions, no matter how complex or simple they may be, and over the next two years develope creative solutions that last a lifetime for the people of Cambodia. For now... its off to the village and start building those relationships which will carry me through my next 2 years of service in Peace Corps Cambodia. I hope all is well in the States... miss you all!!!!
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