Merry Christmas from Botswana!

Another Botswana Christmas spent with the Monks/van Dyk clan!

From all of us to you, stay warm over there in the polar vortex! And we'll try to thwart off heat stroke in this 110 degree weather! Oh the difference 9,000 miles makes...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

"Top 12 of Twenty-12"

To highlight all of the fabulous adventures of the past year, here are my "Top 12 Moments of Twenty-12":

12.  Cape Town, South Africa

I started 2012 out by ringing in the new year in Cape Town. We ate food, saw the sights, went shopping, tasted some amazing wine, and went kayaking with penguins. It was a really fun trip with over a dozen other Peace Corps Volunteers to a place that everyone should visit at least once.

11. Moving to Gabane

In early February 2012, I moved from my quaint little village of Kumakwane to a new site 15km down the road. Gabane became my new home and Gabane Community Home-Based Care became my new primary project. This move marked a significant milestone for me and was one that opened so many doors. I have really flourished in my time here - gaining invaluable experience and helping the NGO grow and expand its reach.

10. Making New Friends

I became closer with those I befriended in my first nine months in Botswana and I made many new friends. These friendships enriched my time here. In my down times, these people lifted me up and brought a smile to my face. In my happy times, they made all the more special by sharing in the successes and joys of service.

9. Kumakwane Community Football and Wellness Event

On 10 July 2012, alongside a fellow PCV, an RPCV, and Friends of Sonoma, I hosted an event in the Kumakwane community to bring people together for health and wellness (and a whole lot of fun). It was a day filled with laughter and tears of gratitude from event hosts and Batswana alike. It was the practical application of everything you learn in studying grassroots development and programming. It was a success by every measure.

8. Teddy Bear Day

Teddy Bear Day was a way to honor and show love to 147 orphans and vulnerable children in the Gabane community. In association with the Mother Bear Project, we were able to give teddy bears to each of these children. These bears were more than a simple gift, but rather represented our continued commitment to helping alleviate the pain that they each carry. It is a symbol of the work I have been doing in Botswana. And, in the end, their smiles alone make it one of my top moments of the year.

7. Seeing a Leopard

This highlight goes along with another favorite moment of 2012, but its significance makes it deserving of its own spot in the list. The first moment that I saw a leopard was emotional for me. I hadn't expected it to be - we had just spent an hour sitting six feet from a pair of lions - but that first sighting touched my soul and my heart and made me literally cry because I was so moved and overwhelmed.

6. Christmukkah

I have known how much my boyfriend loves me for quite some time. He makes sure not only to tell me but also to show me he cares in a million different ways. But this holiday season, he went above and beyond to ensure that Hanukkah and Christmas were extra special. It will go down as one of my favorite holidays ever - and the first since my dad died where I have truly enjoyed it.


5. Okavango Delta Trip

The Delta is one of the most gorgeous places I have ever been. Having seen it, I now understand why it is one of the 1000 Places To See Before You Die.

4. Presidential Visits (Yes, TWO!)

In October, Botswana President Seretse Khama Ian Khama visited my NGO to help us with our food security project. During his visit, we tripled the size of our garden, enabling us to better feed the orphans and vulnerable children that attend our preschool as well as having enough produce to feed the home-based care patients. Wow.


In July, I hosted an event at my NGO for Former President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush. This event challenged me in ways I could never adequately express and opened my heart and  freed my mind in truly remarkable ways. Plus, it was an incredible honor.

3. Cassie's Visit

One of my very best friends boarded a plane and came all the way to visit me. We had the most ridiculous time - full of all the misadventures that I could expect when the two of us get together. We traversed the country (or at least half of it), saw some uniquely African sights, and had a whole lot of fun along the way. Sing-a-longs karaoke style included.



2. Falling in Love

Sometimes you have to travel halfway around the world and risk everything to find the life you have always wanted. That's what happened to me. In coming here and in sticking it out, I fell in love. I fell in love with a new country, I fell in love with development work, I re-fell in love with my home country, and I just plain fell in love with the most amazing man. I never knew I had the capacity to love and be loved like this. No matter what happens, I will forever be grateful for my heart expanding so much.

And finally....

Drumroll...

The number one spot on the "Top 12 of Twenty-12" list...

1. My Family's Visit!!!

In August, my family came to visit me! Nothing could compare to the moment I saw them step off the plane except, maybe, the moment I got to hug them all after so long. And then having them experience my life and share in this crazy Peace Corps adventure was beyond compare. Not to mention all of the new things we got to see and do together. It was a trip of a lifetime - for me, for them, and for everyone they got to meet along the way. There is nothing that could have compared to that time together. (Plus they brought me enough coffee to last me the rest of my service!)

Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013!

My boyfriend and I often joke that 2012 was "the year of the Angry Bird", mostly because that's when he introduced the game to me and when we set to work mastering every level of every version we could find. But, if I am being honest in reflecting over the past year, I would say it would more aptly be referred to as "the year of love". It was the year that I fell in love with Botswana, the year that I recognized all that I love about home and my work and myself, and the year when I learned how to love and be loved more fully. It was a truly special year. I can only hope that 2013 can be filled with so much love... and I can hardly wait to see what's next in the next 365 days! Wishing you and yours a very happy, healthy, and fun 2013! Happy new year!

From our heart to yours... love.

Christmukkah in Botswana

This year I had a very special Christmas and Hanukkah. This was primarily because of my incredible boyfriend, who orchestrated some of the sweetest acts and set out to ensure that joy and fun and all that is merry came true throughout the festive season. (Insert "awww" here. It's deserved.)

I was away on a trip to the Okavango Delta for the first two nights of Hanukkah. I was sad to miss them but decided that a once-in-a-lifetime trip with a couple dozen of my friends was well worth it so I headed north.

Early in the morning on day three of Hanukkah, I began the trek homeward. My boyfriend picked me up from an arbitrary bus stop along the way and seemed giddy beyond what would be normal for seeing me (not that I complained). We had agreed to celebrate Hanukkah together (his first ever!) but I assumed my Humanist boyfriend could not be harboring such excitement over Hanukkah... could he? The answer is YES. Whole-heartedly yes.

When we got home, he rushed to the tree (yes, we had a Christmas tree) and pulled out some presents. He was basically jumping up and down. His excitement made me boil over too. Then I looked at the presents and saw little hand-written cards with quotes and riddles on them and with little pictures in the upper corner of a menorah with lit candles that corresponded to the day. This first present was from the first night of Hanukkah (one lit candle) and the one beneath it the second (two candles). He then told me that he learned the prayers and lit candles for us for the two nights that I had missed. I was speechless. All my words were replaced with feelings of love and surprise. How adorable of a man is he?! I kept thinking. I hugged him and hugged him and couldn't stop smiling. My boyfriend celebrated Hanukkah even in my absence and he went a thousand extra miles to make sure this year's was sweet and special, just like him.

For the next six nights, we lit candles together and opened presents - each one better than the next. I saved his cards and re-read them every day. I taught him a little about the holiday and he practiced the prayers until he got them just right (even my dad's prayer). I hadn't expected this. It was the most precious thing and one of my favorite Hanukkah's to date.

On the last night of Hanukkah, my boyfriend, his sister, and I jumped into the car and drove three hours south to Rustenburg, South Africa for some high-intensity Christmas shopping, some McDonalds, and to watch The Hobbit in 3D. It was a ridiculous roadtrip but extremely entertaining all the while. We had a lot of laughs and missions were definitely accomplished. The car came home packed to the brim with gifts and our tummies with cheeseburgers.

And, finally, the time came for the Christmas holiday. We had planned to go to Mozambique for Christmas and New Years but had a change of heart and decided to spend the holidays with my boyfriend's family in his home village of Mahalapye. This was the first Christmas he would spend with his family since 2008, made even more special because his father would be coming from Malaysia (where he and his wife, my boyfriend's stepmom, live). There would be many of us there to celebrate and I was promised lots of food, fun, and family. I was definitely not disappointed!

We were greeted by my boyfriend's mom, dad (stepdad), sister, sister's boyfriend, aunts, uncles, cousins, and a farm-full of animals. It felt like a homecoming of sorts - encapsulated by excitement and enthusiasm and a little joyful nervousness. We spent the evening decorating the Christmas tree, baking, and finishing wrapping presents. There was a penetrable warmth to it (and not just because it was so so hot out). 

The following days were spent doing so many fun things with my boyfriend and his family. Of the highlights were hiking a hill overlooking the village and seeing volcanic rock, gathering pottery pieces from spring hare holes, hunting for quartz crystals with my Indiana Jones-like boyfriend, and playing with the animals on the farm (especially feeding the pigs!). Here are some photographs of the fun:

And, of course, there was Christmas day with the family. Opening presents, particularly watching the faces of the two youngest (Thalia and Learnmore) light up with every gift they received. It was magical and brought me back to a time when I was also as excited about a nerd candy rope. Not going to lie, it's a beautiful place to find yourself. Christmas day also included more food than any one person could possibly eat (including an entire table of savory snacks and a table of treats that held cookies I helped decorate and the traditional Christmas Cake that my boyfriend and I were prized with adorning this year). 

It was a wonderful month-long holiday spectacular. Truly, honestly, and really. It contained all the key components of the most magical of holidays. It had joy and surprise and fun and adventure and love and family. I am so grateful to this amazing man in my life for orchestrating it and for making the season just a little happier, especially since I had to spend it so far from home. (But at least I got to chat with my mom and sister ample times throughout the holiday! YAY!) And, if I'm being candid, it was one of the first fully happy Christmas season I've had since losing my dad. For that, I'm eternally grateful. Once again, hooray for happy holidays!

"The End of the World"

Today, 21 December 2012, was supposed to be the end of the world. Or at least that was the clamor back in the states. This "Doomsday" was hardly spoken of in Botswana and life continued as normal. Why? Why didn't the Batswana prepare? Store food and water and fret away in their homes like their counterparts in America? Well, probably, as Mental Floss (an online website that boasts it is "the place where knowledge junkies get their fix") states, the Mayan calendar actually continues for 70 octillion years beyond today. They site David Stuart, a professor of Mesoamerican art at the University of Texas at Austin, in stating that Westerners are the ones who came up with the doomsday theory. "'The Maya never said anything about the end of the world or anything about a great change in the universe on that date,' Stuart said." So there you have it folks! And, if you don't believe that guy, take it from me... I'm alive and well on 12/21/12! So good for you if you hoarded and saved because now you have extra stuff to share with those less fortunate this holiday season. And hip hip hooooooray for the world not undergoing any massive devastation (outside the norm... war, famine, and the like) because this means we all get to go on living another day. Lets make the most of our "extra" time... hug someone today and tomorrow and the next day... you get the point! Happy day!

Happy Holidays from Mr. President

I know it's a form letter sent to Peace Corps Volunteers worldwide, but I don't mind. It still feels good to be acknowledged by the President. Happy holidays to you too Mr. President. And thank you!

My 29th Birthday Week!!!

“The year you were born marks only your entry into the world. 

Other years, where you prove your worth, 
they are the ones worth celebrating.”

I believe that birthdays should be joyously celebrated. For as long as the people around you can tolerate you celebrating them. Or, at the very least, for a week. "The birthday week"! And, I'm happy to say, that my friends here indulged me in exactly that.

My birthday week started out with a lunch date at one of my favorite "people watching spots" in Gaborone with another PCV and the boyfriend. We had a birthday beverage and caught up on the recent happenings in our respective sites and then talked about our hopes for the upcoming year (both in terms of my birthday and our second year of service). Partway through lunch, my boyfriend asked if I wanted my birthday present then or to wait for my birthday. Before I could fully answer, he reminded me that it was, after all, officially my birthday week and handed me the bag. Inside was a box containing a fancy pants new dual sim cell phone! (I have been wanting one for a while and my brick of a phone was starting to putter out so this was a hugely exciting gift. Plus it is wayyyyy fancier than one I would have bought myself... YAY!) As I am sure you can imagine, I quickly opened the box and went to town reading the instruction manual and playing with it (and all its fanciness)! I now have two numbers that I can be reached on (woot woot - more double ups!) and I feel super high-tech and fancy every time I pull out my phone. (Yes, I have said "fancy" a lot but that's exactly what it is!)

A few days later, on the morning of my actual birthday, I got a call from my mama and my sister! I don't get to hear their voices very often so this was the most wonderful way ever to start my day! It never ceases to amaze me how an hour conversation with family can re-ground you and make you feel complete. It definitely warms a girl's heart and I was so happy to have that time to connect with my family.

I spent the majority of my birthday day at a workshop being held by Primson Management Services (from Zimbabwe) as part of the SADC capacity-building project that my NGO is a part of. The workshop was extremely worthwhile and we gained a lot of valuable insight into our organization and our plan for the future. I was happy to be a part of it and felt really productive during the entire day (which was really rewarding and made my day even more delightful)!

During the day, a number of other things made my day glorious, including a delicious lunch prepared by the women at my NGO and their singing the happy birthday song before presenting me with a Gabane Home-Based Care collared shirt to wear with pride "as a part of the Gabane family". Precious.  And, that evening, I was joined by ten of my friends for a birthday dinner and more merriment! It was great to get to spend time with wonderful friends. Finally (and perhaps most excitingly), I received a phone call from my Country Director with a proposition that could, if it comes to fruition, prove to be one of my life's highlights (and which I wish I could share right now but is confidential at this time - so stay tuned for the unveil!). Basically, I was giddy the entirety of the day!

I have to state that there was a bit of a downturn in my birthday week, unfortunately, due to a case of the flu (the real flu and not the tswana flu) and the loss of a dear friend from college. The passing of Michael O'Kelley will be felt for a long time. I was deeply saddened to hear that he passed away suddenly. Mikey was there for me during some of my happiest and hardest moments in life, he was always there with a helping hand and a smile, and was one of the most sincere people I have ever known. He left a huge impact on me and on those who knew him well. Any discussion of this week will have to include a memorial for him. Rest In Peace Mikey.

My birthday week concluded with one final celebration, complete with hugs of happiness and condolences (even some vicarious ones from friends who couldn't make it). Friends came from their respective corners of the country to Mountain Valley, a huge newly remodeled bar in my village, for a braai ("barbecue"), dancing, and laughs. I was grateful to everyone that came out because it gave me a chance to show off my village (which I am so proud of), catch up with friends, and round off my week with all the joy it started with. It was truly a blessing to share it with everyone.

 

This has been an emotional start to my 29th year. Full of happiness, excitement, education, loss, health and wellness, love, and hope. It has been a time when I have been reminded of all those things in life that truly matter. With that in mind, I really couldn't ask for a better birthday week. Thank you to everyone who was a part of it, both here and at home. With all my heart, thank you.

Memorial Day in the Peace Corps

"...the Peace Corps puts us 'on the front line' as it were, 
alone, armed with just our good intentions..."

"...it's about service to our country to bring about a better world for everyone."

As Peace Corps Volunteers, we do not get this day off. We continue to work tirelessly on our projects and for our communities no matter the day. We work "24/7" they tell us. And, in reality, it's true. Our mere presence is a representation of America and all the aspirations we have and the skills we wish to share around the world. Our mission is "world peace and friendship" - to help others. We are dedicated and steadfast to that mission for our service of 26 months (or more).

Similar to other deployments, our service comes at a price. I have mentioned how we miss weddings and births and times spent with loved ones. Many of us live without water and electricity and all the comforts we left behind. We agree to serve under conditions of hardship and we do this happily, knowing we are making a difference. Sadly, sometimes it also comes with the greatest price of all. This has been the fate for 279 volunteers who have lost their lives during their Peace Corps service...

This Memorial Day, while you pay your respect to all of the service men and women who have laid their lives on the line to protect our freedoms, let us also take some time to thank all of those who have chosen to serve (and die for) their country in the Peace Corps.

"[When you serve in the military, you have] the role of military protector. 

As a Peace Corps Volunteer, I represent my country as a capability builder,

not protecting but building. Trying to build skills and confidence 

in people so that they can live richer and more rewarding lives."

-PCV Botswana and Retired Air Force

Please read:

Fallen Peace Corps Volunteers

The Few, The Proud, Military Veterans in the Peace Corps

Memorial Day 2012: Honoring the Service of Fallen PCVs

A Happy Moment: Kindness, Communication, and Smiles

I have been sharing a lot of happy moments lately. This is no coincidence as my life is abundantly happy these days. But I wanted to take a moment to share one of my happiest moments ever since coming to Botswana. I am actually surprised I didn't blog about it before, especially since I share this tale so often because it has truly been one of those simple blessings that makes my heart flutter time and time again. This moment takes place during a particularly rainy day on the 24th of December 2011...

Over the holidays, I had the good fortune of hosting Hanukkah for a number of my friends here. People began coming in around the 22nd and continued to arrive throughout the week. As was the usual in Kumakwane, my Kums Kids came a-knockin' and were particularly excited to meet, greet, and play with other Peace Corps Volunteers. My little Bokena and Bofelo were a regular fixture whenever we were sitting around the house.

You may remember that Bofelo is deaf. We became friends and communicated mostly through miming. Yes, it was difficult, but we made due. Love is a universal language, after all, and we certainly shared that.

On that particular Saturday, however, everything changed. Why? Because sitting on my couch was my dear friend Clayton, who just so happened to have grown up in a deaf community and had also studied speech and hearing sciences in college. After explaining to Clayton (and the rest of my visitors) that Bofelo is deaf, Clayton decided to try and "talk" to Bofelo, realizing that sign language in Botswana was probably different than American Sign Language. After some time, Clayton called me outside to "show me something". I came around the corner and the two of them were giving me the "I love you" sign! It turns out that ASL and Setswana Sign are not that different and Clayton was able to talk with him with relative ease! He showed me Bofelo's name sign and they gave me one of my own. After a moment of shyness, Bofelo lit up. He was literally beaming with excitement and his face held a smile that was contagious. This was an exciting moment for me - one that no other could compare to. Here, in front of me, was a boy that I had befriended many months before and had been inviting into my home and cherishing but who I could not converse with. And I now was able, through Clayton, to talk to him and find out what made him tick. Without my friend, this moment would not have been possible.

Since that day, I have been able to "talk" to Bofelo with much more ease. I know now that he can write in english so we write each other notes. He has also helped me learn things in sign language so that I can communicate, even a little bit, that way too. We have grown even closer. It has been truly magical.

A connection started by kindness made even stronger through the kindness of another. The ripple effect - it is such a powerful thing. So I want to make a heart-felt THANK YOU to my friend Clayton, who gave me one of the most precious gifts and one of my happiest moments in Botswana. Thank you.

Cape Town, South Africa Trip

I intended to write this post immediately upon my return to Botswana, however that plan was quickly tarnished with all the hoopla of my site relocation. Sigh. But even all that chaos cannot put a damper on the amazingness that was my vacation to Cape Town!

This year, I rung in the New Year with a week-long trip to Cape Town, alongside 14 of my Peace Corps friends! I had expected to be somewhat overwhelmed in coming to Cape Town, having been away from that sort of life since moving to a rural village nine months prior. While I was awe-struck in seeing multi-story buildings, street signs, and abundance, I was surprised as to how fast I adjusted back into life in the fast lane. It was welcomed and exciting. I think we all felt this way about this respite. It was a week full of gluttony, as we ate delicious meal after delicious meal (everything from McDonalds breakfast to sushi to Mexican feasts); vanity in long days of shopping, manis and pedis, and Thai massages; relaxation on the coastal beaches; and an over-indulgence in wine, nightlife, and adventure! What follows is a picture tour of the highlights from the trip:

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the end, the trip was exactly what we all needed. We were able to get a glimpse back into the lives we left and feel connected to who we were before coming here. And then, in the end, we were able to come back rejuvenated and with a renewed sense of what we are doing here and who we have become.

The Holidays in Botswana

Despite the fact that I feel like I'm living on the sun because it is so so hot, it is finally starting to feel like the holidays. This is a mixed blessing but, for the most part, I am happy to be feeling in the spirit.

This year, I am most excited about sharing Hanukkah with my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers and host country nationals, many of who will be celebrating for their first time. (In fact, when it comes to Batswana, most have never even met a Jewish person before meeting me, so teaching them about Judaism and its traditions has been one of my favorite experiences.) In preparation for the holiday, I decorated my house with a Hanukkah banner and dreidels sent by my friend Jeff and I blew up blue balloons to tack up around my house. Then I wrote up the Hebrew transliterations for the blessings on the menorah so that people could join me in reciting them (and for the shehekianu - this is their first Hanukkah after all!), made posters of the dreidel game rules, and put out the cards made by Jeff's 2nd grade class for people here to wish them a happy first Hanukkah. My house now feels so festive. It made me smile to see my house all decked out for the holiday!

It also made my Kums Kids super excited! They saw the balloons and came running! They weren't sure what to make of everything but kept pointing at the signs with Hebrew written on them and smiling and then picking up my Hanukkah books (also courtesy of Jeff) and giggling as they "read" through them. They were beside themselves with excitement. In super broken Setswana (and with the help of my language teacher from PST who I kept text messaging to ask how to say things), I explained to them what everything was and a little bit about Hanukkah. They were really excited and started spinning dreidels and pointing at me and the things and talking way too fast in Setswana for any foreigner to understand regardless of their Setswana proficiency. It was precious. Afterwards, we lit the menorah together and then I gave them presents.

My sister, in a recent care package, sent me coloring books, stickers, and little stuffed animals for the orphans that I play with. I divided these things up to be gifts for them for Hanukkah. Last night, I gave Bokena and Bofelo little stuffed monkeys. They were ecstatic! They were hugging them and playing with them and the smiles that came across their face could light up the whole world. Bokena ran into my bedroom and grabbed my monkey, Jocko, (who was actually my dad's) and handed him to me and then grabbed my camera so that the three of us could take pictures with our monkeys. After our photo shoot, Bokena sat down to "read" her monkey one of the Hanukkah books and Bofelo set off to teach his monkey how to do word searches. It was one of the happiest moments I have had here - seeing them so full of joy. It filled me with joy too. In truth, it was probably the first time they ever got a present like that. To witness that and to be a part of it was truly magical.

I don't want the magic to end.

Today is the 22nd. That means that tomorrow is the 23rd. That is the anniversary of the day I lost my dad. I have been anxious about what this day would be like since it is the first time I will be away from my family for it. Although I have been having some bad dreams these last few nights, for the most part, I have been okay. I have chosen to focus on the blessings in my life, like time spent with the village kids, and that has made all the difference. I am also grateful because two members of my Bots 10 family are on their way down to be with me tonight and tomorrow so that I won't be alone. Even more, I am grateful that they didn't make me ask them to come. They just knew I needed them. I have a hard time asking for help sometimes so I appreciated not having to. It is comforting to know that I have people here that know me well enough and care about me enough to travel to be with me when I need them. That alone gives me strength and helps me know that tomorrow will be okay. (Not only that, but one of them is bringing a Cohiba for us to smoke in honor of my dad. I think that would put a smile on his face so I'm smiling too.) I would also like to thank all of my friends from home who have taken the time to reach out to me this week. You are so dear to me and your love and support means everything. Thank you.

In the days after, many people from my Bots 10 family will be coming to Kumakwane to celebrate the various holidays. On Christmas day, we will go to the lands to hear the choirs sing and be part of a traditional celebration here. I have been told that this is truly special and something that we cannot miss while living in Botswana. By the 26th, my house will be filled with twenty (or more) friendly faces to celebrate the last two nights of Hanukkah. I have been creating a menu to feed the masses and orchestrating revelry for everyone here to experience the festival of lights. I couldn't be more excited. True, I am also a bit stressed about making this a memorable and positive first Hanukkah for everyone (and also about cooking for so many - especially since my village doesn't have a grocery store so shopping involves planning, traveling, and carrying groceries quite a long distance), but I think it will be such a fun time and the sort of experience that will stay with all of us long after.

To wind up this great holiday, I will be heading to Cape Town, South Africa for a vacation with many of these same faces. Wine tasting, whale watching, Starbucks, good food, pretty clothes, shopping, beaches, Table Mountain, happy hour... the list of things to be excited about goes on. I can't think of a better culmination of this already magical holiday season.

World AIDS Day 2011

Today is World AIDS Day. This is an important day around the world and one that is especially important to Peace Corps Volunteers in Botswana. Botswana has the second highest HIV/AIDS infection rate in the world, with an estimated one-third of the population being infected. As such, each of us has been brought to this country to work on HIV/AIDS issues at a grassroots level in an effort to get to "zero new infections" by 2016. It is an issue that we have become passionate about and one that plagues our thoughts and motivates our actions. For me, that means working most directly with orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and in helping design programs to work with this demographic.

To learn more about HIV/AIDS in Botswana or the work that PCVs are doing, please click on the following links:

World AIDS Day in Botswana

HIV/AIDS in Botswana

A Message from the Botswana Network on Ethics, Law, and HIV/AIDS (BONELA) on Why Botswana Will NOT Achieve its Vision 2016 Mission

Save the Children: World AIDS Day

Botswana PCV Ross Szabo: What the Struggle Against Obesity and HIV/AIDS Have In Common

Peace Corps, Volunteering, and World AIDS Day

What is World AIDS Day?

Happy Thanksgiving!

The holidays have a very different feel in Botswana. Mainly because they don't seem like they are happening at all. This reality has been met with mixed emotions for me (and many of my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers) in that I am relieved since I don't actually feel as though I am missing the holidays at all and also sad because they are among my favorite times.

What is unique about the holiday experience here, however, is that we are able to share our traditions with host country nationals and celebrate in our own unique ways. For Thanksgiving, Peace Corps Volunteers around Botswana are having celebrations ranging from big elaborate potluck dinners to cleaning out the fridge and cooking whatever random assortment of foods happen to be there to putting on plays and hosting Batswana to teach them about American Thanksgiving. My holiday this year falls somewhere in the middle of all these options - I am having a low-key day of eating and drinking with two of my best friends here and all week I have been sharing about the holiday and why it is special (both historically and to me) with my counterpart and others from my village.

In my opinion, the most important part of Thanksgiving is the tradition of "giving thanks". In my home, we would go around the table and everyone would say something they were thankful for. I have reflected a lot lately on what I am thankful for. Among those things include: my health, new opportunities, media, perpetual optimism, smiles from the village kids, letters and packages from home, having internet access, booming thunder and three-dimensional skies, martinis, emails from friends, the dogs on my compound, coffee, learning to cook from scratch, and creating new friendships. These things have made this year so wonderful. This year, however, I am especially grateful for my family and friends. You have supported me, encouraged me, and loved me even from a half a world away. Your faith in me has helped me to see it myself and has given me the strength to keep going. Although I wish I could be with you this holiday season, I am content in knowing that we are there for one another and we are just a phone call or an email away. I love you so much!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! ♥

L'shanah tova!

Today is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. I have spent all week (and much of the previous one) explaining the holiday, its history and traditions, to host country nationals and fellow Peace Corps Volunteers. It has been well received and many have joined me in celebrating and honoring this day. I am grateful to be able to practice (and share) my Jewish faith even while I'm halfway around the world.

One of the things I like most about Rosh Hashanah is the opportunity to reflect on the past year and contemplate the binds that held me back so that I can move forward into an even more fruitful new year. The idea of rebirth and new life is a great one. So here is my reflection for you all: In this past year, I have started a magnificent journey full of ups and downs and uncertainties and challenges and rewards. I have had to let go of many of my preconceived notions of things and be open to significant change in myself. This has been met with resistance, fear, solace, and finally contentment. I am only now learning some very valuable things about myself. Although I have alluded to it in the past, one of these great binds is that I feel like I need to fulfill expectations. This means that sometimes I refrain from doing things because I am unsure of what the end result should look like (so I don't know what I'm working towards). This next year provides me with the perfect opportunity to just do things because Peace Corps service is all about unknowns, trial and error, exploration, and creating your own path and destiny. No one really knows what your service is "supposed to" look like or what it's going to look like in the end. It's liberating and I intend to let go of this bind and be liberated by it.

So, on this day, I would like to wish all of my family and friends a sweet new year filled with health, happiness, and peace. And the freedom to let go of the things that are holding you back so that you can have the best year (and life) possible. L'shanah tova!

Happy Birthday Daddy!!!

For those of you that don't know, my dad died on December 23, 2005. It's been almost six years since he passed away but not a day goes by that I don't think about him and wish he were here. Today, in particular, my thoughts go to him. Today would have been his 63rd birthday.

This is the first major family event that I am missing while in Africa. For the last few years, we have all gotten together on my dad's birthday to eat a good meal and make a toast to my dad and then share our favorite stories and memories. Even if we were having a hard time dealing with his absence, it was comforting to be around people I love and to be remembering all the things we loved so much about my dad. This year I am joining my family in this tradition in spirit from halfway across the world.

I am also being joined in celebrating my dad by my new Bots 10 family. They have sent me messages of love and support and offered a variety of different gestures all in memory of my dad. I have been so grateful for each and every person that has reached out today.

In fact, today has been a really wonderful day for me. I was a little worried since it had the potential to be very emotional. I am relieved and quite happy to say that it has been one of my better days in Botswana. (This is probably not a coincidence. I am sure my dad has some role in this somehow.)  My day started by waking up ten minutes before my alarm was schedule to go off. I felt rested - a rarity these days. I made myself a big cup of coffee and took a long hot bath. I had a physio appointment scheduled for today in Gaborone so, instead of going into the office, I wandered to the bus stop with all three of my compound dogs following close behind me. I recognized people as I walked down the earthen road and was greeted with big smiles and waves. I had a nice chat with a man at the bus stop and then caught a really wonderful hitch into Gabs. The man I had been talking with ended up paying for my ride without so much as a phone number request. It was just a nice, sincere gesture from a welcoming man. Then I got the front seat on the combi as it was about to pull out of the rank (this is HUGE because the combis get super packed and sometimes you're basically sitting on people's laps, plus the front seat gives you extra space). I got to my physio appointment about 30 minutes early because of all the wins with rides - I was prepared with my book (The Poisonwood Bible) so I was keen to sit and read in the waiting room. But just as I was getting comfortable, the doctor came out and said he could get me in early, which also left me with extra time for my appointment so I had a really long and wonderful massage. Afterwards, I went to one of the malls to get a mango smoothie and look for a pilates ball. Not only did I find one at the first store I went to but it was on sale and it came with a pump! (Those of you who know me, I'm sure you realize how happy this makes me! SALE!) Now I'm sitting in my living room, the smell of fresh baking bread filling my house, and listening to some amazing music. I can hear children laughing in the distance and can see puppies playing in the yard. It's all so pleasant and welcoming and wonderful.

I'm in a good place now. This is incredibly comforting. To think back even a few weeks ago, I don't think I would have fared as well. I am stronger, happier, and more comfortable in where I am, who I am, and what lies before me. And I am grateful. All the bumps and hiccups and heartbreaks along the way have gotten me to this point. If I am honest, I think that was one of the lessons of my dad's life. His life was full of ups and downs, some things that were wonderful and hysterical and sad and difficult, and there definitely wasn't enough time. But he kept at it and tried new things and stopped to watch a sunset or to play with his kids. So that's what I'm going to do to honor him this year. I am going to seize the day, keep on truckin when things are tough, laugh at every juncture, and take time to embrace the moments because you never know when it's going to end.

Happy birthday daddy! We'll keep on rockin in your honor!

Oh, give me the beat, boys, and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away