ONE YEAR IN LESOTHO!

One. Whole. Year. That’s insane. Wild. Can not wrap my mind around the fact I left the US a year ago! In honor of that here’s a little reflection on the ups and downs of my time here, being a Peace Corps Volunteer, and living in Lesotho!

My High Highs!

Hands down the best parts of my life here are the people. I love my friends here! Our Peace Corps cohort is pretty tight and it’s really fun to have relationships with people who are in the same boat as you. There’s just a lot about living here that is hard to explain or translate back to everyone in the US, so the support of other Americans going through the same things is essential to my time here.

village walk buddies!

My students are my favorite part of every day! They are the coolest kids I’ve ever met and I truly love them all so deeply. Their joy and excitement in the little things is inspiring. Their want to learn and hard work to make that happen is so sweet to see. One of my kids has been struggling in math and working SO hard but still coming up short and failing most tests. We tested for this quarter last week and he got a 58 percent (which anything above 50 is passing in Lesotho)! And I could not have been more excited to write 58 on his paper and see his reaction when he realized he passed.

Little moments like that and just the sweetness of life here is refreshing. I was journaling the other day just reflecting that this is the only time in my life I’m going to be able to live with this much simplicity on the day to day. Don’t get me wrong, life is tough here, but not busy and loud like the US. The quietness and solitude that come with each day are a challenge but also unique to my time here. When else am I ever going to have the opportunity to live a little slower?

Weekend adventures and traveling have been a highlight as well. I love the trips that I’ve gotten to go on and the fact that I get to explore a new country! Little getaways to different districts and meeting up to have new mini adventures with other volunteers have been so fun. I’ve capitalized on school breaks and have managed to make it out of the country for every single one so far. I can safely say I’m almost done with all the places in South Africa I want to visit and am excited to get some other stamps in my passport this coming year!

I still have my “holy shit (sorry mom, pardon my language) I’m living in a hut” moments. It’s just so surreal at times that this is the life I’m living! Overall, super glad I’m here and am loving it. I’ve come to love doing my laundry in the river and sharing pancakes with my neighbor. I’ve become friends with the spiders that live in my roof. I’ve ceased to be surprised at chickens or goats or donkeys passing by my door. I’ve learned which hours are best to go for a run in the mornings where people don’t question where I’m going or what I’m doing (at least out loud). I’ve gotten more comfortable with being uncomfortable. I’ve stopped caring as much what other people think. I’ve gotten really good at navigating bizarre situations and not being surprised at the unexpected. I’ve grown accustomed to the fact that a 3 hour taxi ride is really not that far. All these things and so much more, I’ve learned a lot and changed in small ways and grown to see and appreciate things in new lights. I’ve never regretted my decision coming here, even on the days where everything just kinda sucks…

My Low Lows

Nothings perfect. And this experience is certainly no exception. As much as I’ve really enjoyed my time in Lesotho, it’s solidly the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

Emotionally, this has been a rollercoaster of an experience. My patience has never been tested more and I’ve felt like I’m on the brink of exploding several times. And y’all, I’m a pretty chill person. Not much affects me greatly on the emotional scale - or so I thought, haha! I’m tired of being stared at every time I go into town and being different literally everywhere I go. The emotional toll it takes to endure stares, marriage proposals, random people trying to talk to you, speaking in sesotho (or trying your best), knowing people are talking about you but not fully understanding what they are saying, never knowing entirely what’s going on around you, and constantly being put in new and confusing environments is large, to say the least. A lot of emotions come along with being a foreigner in a place where foreigners are uncommon, which can be tough to process.

snowy village views :)

Another emotional challenge is feeling alone at site. I’m the only American in my village. The only American within quite a few hours distance actually. Which is generally fine, but no matter how much I integrate into my community or work to speak the language and fit into the culture, I’m never going to make the mark. Which makes sense, I’m just a visitor here! And everyone is SO welcoming and kind and encouraging here which has been great. I love the people I know in my village. But there’s something hard about never feeling fully understood or known in daily life!

I’ve mentioned it before, but there are a lot of challenges working for Peace Corps. It has changed a lot as an organization to what it was 20 years ago. A lot more risk adverse now a days with a lot more policies. Which is fine, but the amount of inconsistencies and frustrations us volunteers have had with Peace Corps and staff in this country has taken its toll on service here and mental health of all involved. Dealing with Peace Corps policies can sometimes be frustrating and feel constricting and dismissive. Obviously, I’m still here and the pros of working for Peace Corps certainly outweigh the cons! But it is a challenging job for, at times, a challenging organization to work for. Lately, staff has been working a little more with volunteers to make service more agreeable for both parties, so that’s encouraging and hopefully some frustrations will fade away as we move forward with those conversations!

The Run Down

All in all, so glad I’m doing this. What a cool experience and great adventure. I can and can’t believe I’ve already been gone for a year. Boy, will I be happy to be back in the US (iced coffee. In n Out animal style burgers. driving. freedom. friends and family. ben and jerry’s half baked ice cream. washing machines. electricity. running water. need I say more?), but life here is pretty great and I truly am grateful for my experience here. What a cool way to spend 2 years in this little known, sweet, kind, gorgeous little corner of the world! I didn’t even know where Lesotho was when I first got placed, and I’m sure glad I do now! It’s a truly majestic country full of vibrant culture and some of the kindest people I’ve ever met. What a privilege to be invited into life here! Here’s to another year and 3 months of life in Lesotho!

Disclaimer: All thoughts coming from me and my beautiful brain. No reflections of thoughts and opinions of the US Government or Peace Corps here!