I could write a sappy one-year post about how grateful I am for all of the amazing humans I’ve met down here, the incredible relationships I’ve made, the wonderful support I’ve gotten from friends and family back home, the projects I’ve started and can’t wait to see how they turn out…. etc. etc etc. BUT I’m not gonna do that.
Instead, I think it’s fitting to include some of my “Peace Corps moments” from the past year. My beautiful friend and I have been collecting these little anecdotes and stories about moments that happen to us that would only seem normal to another Peace Corps Volunteer. A year ago, I would have cringed at the thought of most of these moments, but now these have become all too comfortable to me, and too frequently the reality of my life. So enjoy these moments that I’m sharing with you and cheers to one year in Paraguay!
(Peace Corps does not endorse these moments)
(Also note: these are all actual messages that my friend and I have sent to each other throughout our service!)
Peace Corps moment- getting out of the shower and having to kill a tarantula naked
Peace Corps moment- when you have to pee really bad and you go into your bathroom and see there’s a frog in your toilet but it won’t jump out so you just have to pee anyway and hope it doesn’t jump up your butthole while you are peeing
Peace Corps moment: when the power goes out and all of your technology is out of battery or about to die and pretty soon I’m just gonna be alone in the dark with my flashlight
Peace Corps moment- when you’re stuck in a hot crowded bus and someone lets a nasty fart rip and you can’t even stick your head out for some fresh air because booties are all around you
Peace Corps moment- when your dog is playing with a poisonous bug but you’re about to get into the shower and you’re naked so you have to run around chasing your dog and kill the bug naked
Peace Corps moment- when there’s no power in the pueblo or any of the surrounding communities and you go by the electric company and all the guys are just sitting out front in the shade drinking terere
Peace Corps moment- I was eating my dinner and a fly flew up my nose and then it made me sneeze and then I choked on a noodle
Peace Corps moment- It’s one of those “dancing in my underwear to Taylor Swift while eating a whole bowl of cookie dough” mornings
Peace Corps moment- there was frog poop on my toothbrush this morning
Peace Corps moment- when your neighbor gives you a plate of pig skin with thick pubic looking hairs with a side of mandioca, of course. yum.
Peace Corps moment- cuddling with pets, because that’s the only cuddling you get in a loooooooong time
Peace Corps moment- when you’re showering and realize fire ants infested your shower so you’re just standing there naked and getting burned alive by biting fire ants
Peace Corps moment: when you are in the middle of pooping and a huge ass bee* comes in and is just flying around you and all you can do is scream and swerve in hopes that it won’t sting you because you can’t even make an escape because the bathroom is so small that when you open the door you are just even more trapped in the bathroom
*insert: any type of flying insect or jumping frog
Peace Corps moment- when it’s so hot your elbows are sweating
Peace Corps moment- when it’s so hot and you are pooping but you can’t stop sweating so you are just sitting there sweating and pooping
Peace Corps moment- when it’s so hot you can’t even send a text to type your peace corps moment to your friend because your hands are so sweaty you have to send a voice message
Peace Corps moment- when a drunk man accuses you of stealing his dog, even though it’s definitely your dog
Peace Corps moment- when you’re standing naked in front of your fan when your neighbor walks in
Peace Corps moment- when you are invited to dinner and you realize they are serving cow intestines