I'll Be Coming Home Next Year

I sat there in awe. The white, puffy clouds in the blue sky above me shimmered gold in the setting sun. As I lowered my gaze, the blue became purple, and the clouds darkened. Across the rice fields, that purple turned to gray and finally black, as a thunderstorm crept its way over the plains. The flashes of lightning at a distance only illuminated the magnificent view, and I thought to myself, “Wow, am I ever ‘sambatra!’ (blessed/lucky)”

I was drinking a few beers (THBs for those of you reading my last beer-heavy post), eating a delicious dinner of steak and fries, and watching the storm from atop a balcony at the new bar/restaurant just outside of my town (new to me, at least). While I may have felt a bit unfulfilled by a dinner without rice, it was a delicious change of pace and a nice way to start off my Christmas vacation. Perhaps what I was most struck by was the beauty of my surroundings: a storm rolling in over the miles and miles of rice fields, framed by mountains of grass and the early evening dusk.

Sitting there, watching this storm and relaxing, I realized how lucky I am to be here in Madagascar. Often, we Peace Corps Volunteers get caught up in complaining: my (Malagasy) coworkers are alcoholics; my community won’t work with me; Peace Corps doesn’t do this or that… Perhaps like anyone else, we get caught up in the minor details of our job or project or life. So caught up that we forget how special this experience is, and how amazing this country is. Or, I do, at least.

So, in honor of the holiday season, I think we should all take a moment to step back and see what makes our lives special. For me, it is being in an absolutely beautiful country, populated by all sorts of interesting people. It is a good time to take a break from the concerns of my daily life, such as the measurements of this season’s SRI [rice] plantings (25 cm or 30 cm??) or the schedule of an export shipment. Most people look to the future at New Years, setting goals of self-improvement for themselves (not necessarily long-lasting goals). But first, take some time to think about the people or places that make you smile. It is… refreshing.

So yes, I am headed on vacation. South-west bound, should be exciting! As for the title of this post, there are a couple reasons I used this particular lyric:

1) it is an awesome song.

2) One of the greatest people ever, who for the last 3 years held the professional title of “Potential Lunch Winner,” sent me a Foo Fighters shirt that was red with a lightning bolt. As I was watching a lightning storm, and hoping to not be struck myself (in my old training village it was taboo to wear red in a storm, or else you’d be hit by lightning), it seemed fitting.

3) It’s true. As of now, I should be back stateside early June 2011 (may need to stop off in Ethiopia to visit a certain ravenous bear). I just finished grad school applications, so hopefully I will soon have an idea of where I will be headed. Looking forward to many reunions at that time!