MST

Well, it finally happened—all of the Peace Corps Volunteers from my team were together and had our week-long mid-service training (MST). It was so great to see all of my friends living in Kosrae, Chuuk, and Palau! And even though it has been a year since we’d seen each other, it was as if not a second had gone by. It was nice to catch up and swap stories about our first years at site. It was especially great to see how everyone has grown and adapted to their surroundings.  And although we all live in unique and different communities, we all had similar joys and struggles that we could connect with.

But we spent the week in sessions that enabled us to share successes, swap ideas, and create action plans for the coming year.  We even had a few Q&A sessions with staff members where we were truly able to voice our opinions and concerns. It was refreshing to be treated like an adult, but I suppose that after a year we’ve earned it. But my absolute favorite session was a team building activity in which my whole team was divided into three teams and combined with several staff members to compete. We had three tasks to complete as a team in a sort of relay: husking several coconuts, opening the coconuts with a machete, and then grating the coconuts using a local grating tool. Team members were assigned to tasks randomly, and I was given coconut husking (I rock at coconut husking, by the way).  It was especially funny to see which of the rest of my group clearly don’t do these tasks at their sites. There were some obvious “I have no clue what I’m doing” moments. But it was all in good fun and it was great to cheer on my teammates and to see the staff in a whole new light.

At the end of the week, it was time for all of my friends to return to their islands. But unlike last year, when I was quite sad to see them all go, this time saying goodbye was easy. I knew they were all happy and at home on their islands and that they were returning to someplace good. It even sparked a desire in me to go visit a few of them on their islands. Who knows where this year might take me.

Additionally, the new group of 19 trainees (M79s), just arrived and we were able to all spend 2 days together getting to know each other, both M78s and M79s. It was sort of surreal, to be honest, to put myself back in their shoes, one year ago. I have changed so much in a year, grown stronger, and realized so much about myself. It’s almost impossible to imagine myself as the excited and scared 22 year old who came here last June. But it was great to be able to offer advice and stories for information-hungry newcomers. Everyone in the new group seems wonderful, and I can’t wait to see what this crazy thing called Peace Corps has in store for them.

Thanks to everyone who helped and supported me in my first year of Peace Corps.

Stay well,

Christy