Making Sense of Four Turbulent Years

July 4, 2010. This is the date when everything changed. Up until that point, I lived what you may call a 'normal' life; from school, to college, to steady employment as a civil engineer. I may have been generally successful, but I certainly wasn't content.

This date marked my arrival in Bamako, Mali. The start of my first endeavor on international soil. I was now officially a Peace Corps Trainee, learning a new language and preparing to live and work in a rural Malian village for two years.

Fast forward four years and 25 days later...

July 29, 2014. Departing Manila's Ninoy Aquino Airport, I found it hard to put it all into perspective. I had just completed my final international assignment before graduate school.

Between these two dates, I have served in three different capacities within the US Peace Corps. And unfortunately, only once did I successfully 'close-out' my assignment.

My two-year assignment as a Water and Sanitation Engineer in Mali was cut short when, in April 2012, political instability brought about by a coup d'état forced all 180 volunteers to evacuate. My five-month assignment as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer, serving as a Disaster Risk Reduction Program Specialist in the Philippines, came to a premature end after just one and a half months when I had to resign due to a violation of Peace Corps' motorcycle usage ban.

The one assignment that ended as expected was as a Public Health Extension Agent in Kenya. I successfully closed-out my service, abbreviated due to my prior stint in Mali, after one year.

Leaving Mali was the lowest point in these past four years. Going to bed one night confident that I still had five months remaining, only to wake up the following morning knowing that I'd be gone within a week was devastating. My close friends in village and I counted on that remaining time together, both to tie up the loose ends of our projects and to share in our remaining time together. Fortunately, I found the time to return for a one-month visit before departing for the Philippines. Although far from ideal, this trip gave me the 'closure', both personally and professionally, that I desperately longed for.

Video: Cultural Presentations from Rosario

The following video is of the Stations of the Cross re-enactment held during Holy Week in Rosario, my Filipino community, on April 19th. Refer to my previous post entitled Rosariohanon's Passion of the Christ for details.

The following video was taken during the Kinis Festival held in Rosario, my Filipino community, on June 21st. Refer to my previous post entitled The Kinis Festival for details.