February began with a 3-month In-Service Training. It was here at a retreat center outside of Santo Domingo that the 13 remaining Youth Volunteers from my group congregated to share the results of our Community Diagnostics and look forward to the future. Our Dominican project partners were able to tag-along for the first two days of the training and aid us in our presentations. After our project partners departed, we volunteers had mountains of information relating to grant writing, potential projects, safety & security and more piled on us. It was a week jam-packed of info and activities and lots of fun too thanks to a pool, basketball court, bunk beds, Catch Phrase and good company. Just being surrounded by fellow Americans, the English language and good food for one week is more than enough to recharge one's batteries before heading back to our sites.
But the week improved as we joined a number of other Volunteers in the Capital for some R&R and the Super Bowl. We had a very un-Peace Corps experience as we watched the game in the Hard Rock Cafe in the heart of the Colonial Zone. Plasma TVs, Budweiser and wings are not things I anticipated seeing during my service, but for about 4 hours that was our (sur)reality. Great fun. The Saints won. And shenanigans were carried out in Parque Colón and in front of the oldest cathedral in the Western World. All in all a fantastic week.
Then it was back to our sites and time to get going on the painstakingly slow process that has been getting projects underway. I'm starting off with some English teaching and a Volleyball team before moving onto bigger things but even classes and sports have seen difficulties in their early stages. This is not abnormal but certainly frustrating. All in time.
My biggest and best (if I do say so myself) news of the month is that I finally, at long last, found myself an apartment (Pictures to come). It is a bit undersized and a tad overpriced but ideal for anyone living more or less out of a suitcase. I have spent much of this past week buying necessities like a bed and stove and hope to fully move myself in by March 1st. I am beyond elated about finally living on my own. While I genuinely like my host family, after four months even my real family can get on my nerves. Four months with one family and 6+ months with multiple host families has taken its toll. The mannerisms that were once entertaining, quirky or simply 'Dominican' are now becoming obnoxious and occasionally driving me towards the brink of my sanity. Por eso, the move is highly anticipated.
I have found the moving process can be difficult for a person without any form of transportation. Lugging things around on foot can get tiresome and paying for moto rides can get costly. But the ends most definitely justify the means and I am days from host family freedom. I'm gonna do myself a Tom Cruise-style Risky Business dance the moment the door closes.
So 3-month training, moving out and project stagnation are my February themes. Plus I hit the Quarter Century mark in age. The verdict is still out on whether this a good thing or a bad thing.
March brings a whole slew of activities both Peace Corps-related and non. I will be hoping to see my projects come into fruition while adding a few others and spending a weekend in the Capital for official PC business. On top of that, a group of 25 new Peace Corps Trainees will be arriving in my site for their month of Community-Based Training. The IT Trainees frequently carry out their training here in my city, my barrio and one lucky future volunteer will even be staying with my host family. Should be a nice jolt of energy to see 25 new bewildered gringos strolling around. I'm looking forward to meeting the new folks and having some fun. Rumor has it they make frequent trips to the playa, so I may have to hop on that bus.
On top of that March is the month of visitors. Many Volunteers have friends and family dropping by this month and I am no exception. My family will be kicking it in Punta Cana for a week, which should be terrific. Punta Cana is supposed to be the top tourist beach in the country and one of the tops in the Caribbean so I am excited to experience it. Plus, real food and unlimited drinks make me happy.
Fin.
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