Long time no talk! I hope you're doing well. I wanted to check in since I haven't blogged in forever. It's been 10 years since I returned to the U.S. after living in Mozambique for two years. Since moving back to the U.S., I've been a counselor, a teacher, and an astrologer and I've been through ups and downs. I feel like the extremes I experienced in the Peace Corps has helped me persevere and be strong through life's burdens. Even though I'm at a different place in my life these days and I'm not as much of an adventure/travel junkie, there has been no experience comparable to that of Mozambique, so far. The Peace Corps' motto was right, "It's the toughest job you'll ever love." If you feel called to join the Peace Corps, do it! It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet people from a different culture, possibly learn a new language, and make a difference in your new community. Best of all, you can learn a lot about yourself in the process.
After my return to the States, I thought, “Did I do anything that actually helped the kids I taught?” I still wonder about all the students I’ve taught and counseled over the years. I don't know for sure if I did, but every single one of them has made my life more fulfilling and I've learned a lot from them.
Yesterday, one of my former high school students named Delcio sent me this video of his 12th-grade students singing, “We Are The World”. I couldn’t believe that he teaches at the same school he graduated from, which is where I also taught! This video brought tears to my eyes because not only is it a moving song, but it reminded me of when I taught my students songs in English.
I’m not sure how much of an impact I had in Delcio’s or the other students' lives, but I’m grateful to have been able to have an immersive cultural exchange and learn lots of tough life lessons. I’ll never forget this pivotal time of my life.
Thank you so much for following my journey in Mozambique! Let's keep in touch mozampaz@gmail.com
The views expressed on this page are of that of my own and have nothing to do with the Peace Corps as an entity.
