My Yoga Mat.

I feel like sometimes I am going crazy. Let me explain.


My days can be filled with so much drama. And I’m not talking about external, loud drama. I go through this roller coaster of highs and lows. Good day, bad day. Productive, non-productive. Happy, sad. I’ve written letters to a few of you about this (sorry if it sounded so dramatic - I really am fine!) but in an effort to explain I may have sounded a bit crazy. Luckily, I talked to another volunteer who is experiencing these same things so either we are both going crazy or at least I’m not going crazy alone.

Sometimes it’s even within a single day that I experience this sense of high and low. For example, I went to the primary school this week. I’ve been going to the school one day each week to get to know the children and teachers (understand that there are almost 700 children at this school so it's going to take a while...). It’s been good for networking in the community as well as to give me an idea of the type of education the children in the community are getting (I am also hoping that I can help with a project here at some point). It’s been really…interesting. But I really love going. Anyway, I went to Grade 1 and I was practicing Sepedi words with the learners (this is what they call the students) – they were actually engaged and listening. It was wonderful. HIGH!

Later that day, I went to Grade 2…and experienced another spectrum at the school. The class was overcrowded, the teacher wasn’t engaged, many of the children didn’t have supplies, didn't understand the lesson at all…LOW.

This is just a small example but it’s indicative of being thrust into a community, culture, place where what you experience is so…much. And, I know that I’ve had these same highs and lows in my life. I’m sure I did back home (or maybe I am crazy)! But I think the difference is not being able to process what you feel or hear or see.

Now I know why we are asked, during all of those Peace Corps interviews prior to leaving home, what we do to cope with stress. It’s not like I can get a massage (ahh!), take a bubble bath, go to a movie, get in my car and take a drive, eat chocolate (unless I have planned accordingly several weeks in advance)…you get the picture. Someone asked me in a letter recently about my yoga mat – if it was a good decision to pack and bring on my journey. The answer is yes. Definitely yes.