As I sit in my Soviet style apartment listening to Adele's new album for the millionth time, I begin to reflect on a year that I was lost on the Mongolian steppe in a wild frenzy of amazing experiences and tribulations. I haven't been in Mongolia for quite a year yet, its been more like 11 months but I have had some experiences that many PCV's from around the world will never go through.
It has been a little over a month since I was uprooted from my original site in Gobi Altai province Biger soum. Some may think that the move was an upgrade. I moved from a school dorm without any running water or access to any fruits or vegetables (besides the occasional apple, cabbage, potato and carrot) and without and meat except for mutton, into a Soviet apartment with running water in the third largest city in Mongolia with access to all the fruits, veges and meats that I could ever want. Some people would say my life here must be much easier and better. Truth is, I miss living in the soum. I miss waking up to the sound of students running through the hallways of the dormitory, dancing and singing songs. I miss knowing every person around me and where the shop in town was a quick one minute walk from where I would sleep at night.
Living in Biger was a Peace Corps volunteers dream site. No, not the travel from Biger, because that was a nightmare in itself but the soum was a magical place that I truly loved. Travel from Biger to the province center in winter could take 7-9 hours in a van full of people, meat, clothes and goods all off road. It was a bumpy ride that to most would label as uncomfortable. I remember in the winter after the first big snow it took the teachers and I from the school 11 hours to get to the province center for our teachers day celebrations. I spent a good 4 hours behind the van pushing it from the snow, where the van would get another 50 feet and we would have to get out and push it again. It was cold, and I remember being miserable, but I was miserable with people that cared about me and it made it okay. To travel to the capital of UB where many of the required training's happen or medical appointments took place, on average would take about 30 hours in a van again full of people, animals and store goods. I remember the psychological toll that took on me, but it also allowed me to learn meditation and that I can really endure anything.
When I was taken out of Sierra Leone shortly before being sworn in as a Peace Corps volunteer, it broke my heart and I didn't think anything could hurt worse. That was until I was sworn in, moved to a site, worked closely with teachers, staff and students and was taken from my site due to an over-site when placing me at this site. I had gotten comfortable and then just like Sierra Leone, it was all taken away from me. If anything, I am learning about vigilance and adaptability from my service in the Peace Corps.
Since moving to my new site, I have been working with my new site-mates on community English lessons and movie nights. We are working to finish up a world map mural at the local orphanage. One of the site-mates from my same group and I are working towards putting together a team building young leaders camp for the orphanage this summer. I've been working with the English Olympics students from the school. I am having trouble integrating into the community as much here, but I guess that's what Peace Corps service is all about.
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