Thoughts

At the beginning of my service, I used a journal. The practice lasted about three months. What can I say? I have a short attention span. Instead, I started doing “thoughts” pages with just bulleted tidbits from my brain. Recently, I was re-reading some of these gems, and thought I’d share a few with you. Enjoy!

~I scrubbed my floor with vinegar to keep the ants away and now my room smells oddly appetizing. (12/6/12)

~The “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” mentality is toxic in a culture of chronic laziness in the workplace. (12/6/12)

~I used a towel that hasn’t been washed in over a month. When did I become that guy? (12/6/12)

~I tend to choose a location to poop based on how many critters I expect to find there. (12/6/12)

~I literally can’t remember the last time I used a fork. (1/14/13)

~Rice stuck to the bottom of your foot is absolutely the worst thing imaginable. (1/14/13)

~It’s a sad day when canned meat becomes exciting. (1/14/13)

~I’ve never been more challenged to behave maturely than when I try to have a serious conversation with a man with no teeth. (1/14/13)

~If we were fully staffed at school for an entire week I think the world might actually implode. (1/14/13)

~I stepped in pee today and was completely unfazed. This may be a bad sign. (1/15/13)

~Is it too much to ask for my food to come without fur? (1/15/13)

~I think it is very telling that I second-guessed the identity of a child because he was wearing clothes. I literally didn’t recognize him. (1/15/13)

~Doing laundry is impossible when days alternate having power or water. (3/8/13)

~Watching TV in a hotel room is what I imagine shooting up drugs is like. (3/8/13)

~Just ate SHARK for breakfast. The real breakfast of champions. (4/21/13)

~“Are you full?” and “Are you finished eating?” are two entirely different questions. (4/24/13)

~Is it possible to both be a good teacher and hate children? (5/20/13)

~The only road kill I ever see are frogs, rats, or crabs. I’m not sure why, but I find this very amusing. (6/9/13)

~You know it’s hot when a 10 second rain shower makes every feasible surface steam. (7/18/13)

~There is a definite moment when you no longer need a spoon to eat peanut butter out of a jar. (7/24/13)

~Being a Peace Corps Volunteer is a lot like being an animal at the zoo—people constantly stare at you and yell strange things while you attempt to go about your business. (7/24/13)

~It may be time to call it quits when a cockroach crawls on your face while you’re attempting to swallow some pig fat. (7/29/13)

~Reading one book in one day is impressive. Reading four books in four days is just sad. (7/29/13)

~The children have only two volumes: screaming and asleep. Adults have three: screaming, asleep, and inaudible mumble. (8/26/13)

~Wearing a white shirt is like wearing a sign that says, “I’m an idiot.” (9/12/13)

~I’m not sure if I’m too young or too old to be living with so many children, but something doesn’t seem quite fair here. (10/23/13)

~I can’t remember the first time I decided that toilet paper was unnecessary, but I think that fact in itself is more terrifying than the act alone. (10/23/13)

~You don’t know real fear until an enormous pig comes barreling out from the jungle right as you walk by. (12/17/13)

~I just witnessed someone use a crow bar to separate frozen fish chunks. There is no more I need to say about that. (1/15/14)

~I can recall no stranger sensation than that of having a small insect trapped in my ear. (1/29/14)

~I am sometimes alarmed by how quickly I can devour a candy bar. (2/2/14)

~The good news is that bugs float, so they’re easy to pick out of soup and coffee. (2/22/14)

I hope you enjoyed these nuggets of my experiences.

--Christy