Peace Corps’ friends are a different breed of friends. They start out as government issued friends. Over time and sometimes due to proximity, they become lifelines. Meet-ups in the local regional hub when you just can’t handle village life anymore–PC bestie is there. WhatsApp calls for speaking in English when the 8-hour time difference to the US means friends and family back home are always doing something else when I have free time. Additionally, no one quite understands Peace Corps life like other PCVs.
I think it was the universe talking when I got medically separated and my PC bestie also got medically separated–not quite at the same time, but pretty close together. So imagine my delight when our schedules lined up just perfectly for me to spend a few days in DC with him before heading back to ‘Rwanda’.
We explored various cultural eats… Mexican street tacos, Vietnamese pho, Laotian samplers, authentic Chinese, and American Brunch. So many noms that aren’t available in my tiny South Carolina hamlet are available everywhere in DC.
I, of course, did some touristy things and explored the popular spots such s the Lincoln Memorial
Hit up some of the FREE museums such as Smithsonian, the Botanical Garden, and a little known one of the National Parks and Forrest Service where I got to meet my hero, Smokey Bear and his side kick Woodsy Owl. I even got Smokey’s business card.
Next steps
I took care of some close of service and medical separation paperwork at the DC Peace Corps’ headquarters. On one hand, I’m *slightly* disappointed that my Peace Corps’ service ended early. However, I felt my time on site was largely ineffective. As my village’s 5th PC volunteer in 10 years, there wasn’t a lot for me to do. Mbazi’s 1st volunteer showed up in 2008. Several building projects later, PCVs (meaning me) were kind of looked as a walking bank account. I wrote a grant for the health center. The Ministry of Health funded that so that’s cool. But when comparing myself to schools and water pipelines, a penile circumcision grant wasn’t really all that special.
But alas, my PC service is over. My besties completed his service too so it’s time to figure out what’s next. But before all that, I’ll head to continental Europe in the form of Paris and London with my mom. We’re shipping out on February 26 and headed back on March 12. It’s her first time and I’m excited to show her some of the things I’ve seen in my last 10+ years of travel.
