Telling stories since 2005
Wait? Are you still in Rwanda? The Peace Corps? The short answer to that question is no. No, I am not. As of February 3, 2020 I left Rwanda for what I think will be the absolute last time, but I’ve learned to never say never. Earlier this year I was medically separated from the…
Small town life I have lived most of my life in South Carolina [other states include North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee] — a state with roughly 5 million people in it, and just prior to departure, I moved back to the area I grew up in. The town I currently reside in has approximately 800 people…
On the surface Mr Wendel actually has nothing to do with this post. However that is one of the first songs I remember hearing played on the radio, It’s all about poverty. In the US. Not some rural village in Rwanda. Wealthy When I worked my last shift at the hospital on June 2, 2018,…
Splish, splash, I was takin’ a [bucket] bathLong about a Saturday night, yeahA rub dub, just relaxin’ in the tubThinkin’ everythin’ was alright Well, I stepped out the tubI put my feet on the floorI wrapped the towel around me and IOpened the door…………………………… Bobby Darrin Taking a long, hot shower [or even a short,…
What I am thankful for–Peace Corps year one edition Once upon a time a friend and I used to send each other our daily gratitude lists. A list that would have anywhere from 3-7 items on it that we were truly thankful for, and would sometimes be as basic as clean water and air or…
When I was preparing to go into Peace Corps|Madagascar, I read a lot of PC blogs from a lot of countries and I found that there are a plethora of “Day in the Life of a PCV” posts out there. At first, I read them with fascination, completely hooked on every activity. Example: 5:30am –…
What the actual F*ck am I doing here? It’s a question I ask myself daily, sometimes hourly, and occasionally every few minutes. Even now, I don’t have a clear answer. I’m a stranger in an area used to having Peace Corps’ trainees. As long as I stick to main roads and predictable schedules, all is…
Let’s begin with: I HATE PACKING. AND SHOPPING. AND WAITING. Add to it that I have already done this once when I thought I’d be heading to Madagascar [Read Every. Single. Thing. I packed for Madagascar] in February. When I thought I’d be heading to Madagascar, there was an above average chance that I’d…
Every aspiring journalist knows what the five W’s are–it’s essentially a how to for writing. Who, What, When , Where, and Why. If you can answer all those questions, then you’ve got an effective story. So let’s begin, shall we? WHO I’m Michelle and until the end of May, I’ll be hanging out a my…