RPCV Lesotho, Africa
8716 W. Broad St.
Richmond, VA 23294
USA
Date: 1 November, 2004
Location: ABC New York
Re: This is the hard part
Getting into the vibe of Africa was the easy part when compared to getting back into the swing of things stateside. Actually, perhaps I am a bit dramatic. I am adjusting much better than I had anticipated. Yet it always seems the unexpected obstacles are the hardest. I'm fine with the tall buildings and the loud cars and the massive amounts of people. After a few practice runs, I am even okay with the grossly over-stocked grocery stores. But I still have to keep myself from approaching random people speaking with American accents and asking them what in the world they are doing here. The first two weeks I was in a complete haze - neither here nor there and, even worse, not knowing where I wanted to be. But slowly emotion started to seep back in to my daily schedule and all of a sudden I am threatened with really having a life here and I am not sure I feel like I am ready for that.
I am on the brink of starting to take life seriously again (hopefully not too seriously, though). I have a three tiered strategy on the work front: 1) applying for venture capital jobs with a hope to switch into the socially conscious venture capital niche once I make contacts, preferrebly in the NE; 2) applying for international micro-financing positions in case Bush is reelected and I find it morally challenging to stay in the states; and 3) applying for temporary work here in NYC to buy me more time to find the right job and more money to travel and have fun. But before I really get started, I am going up to Boston and down to Richmond to visit friends and give my sister a break from having a couch-surfer.
I started an attached page to detail my travels in East Africa, but cannot keep myself in front of a computer for more than an hour at a time, so I am kind of giving up on the project. But I am in the process of getting all of my photos organized and look forward to sharing them online with you. I am reconnected to the world with a cell phone (917-826-6601). I have not been good at all at calling people - I am terrible on the phone - but I do look forward to talking to many of you.
Glad to be back,
Jennifer
Date: 1 OCtober,, 2004
Location: Johannesburg International Airport
Re: I'm Coming Home!
Well, I survived. Are you surprised? I kind of am. But what a wild ride it has been! I feel like I should be in shock...sitting here at the airport, two hours away from boarding a plane and leaving Africa for the first time in 28 months. But, in truth, I'm not in shock at all. In fact, it all feels quite natural. I am ready to go. I am ready to start a civilized life again. I am ready to start living the lessons I have taken in during my time here. And I am damned excited to see many of you!
I recently visited some of the webpages of travellors I met on the road, and realize that in many ways, I jipped my webpage audience by providing cheap summaries of my travels instead of play-by-plays. I am working on it and will post details of my travels in the coming weeks. I look forward to sharing with you my adventures, and also documenting what I have done for personal reasons.
The past few days have been a nice farewell to Africa. I met up with an Australian woman and we have spent the last week together finishing off Malawi and getting to South Africa. It was wonderful to be brought out of my head for awhile and share so openly with someone who became what I consider a true friend. We missioned down from Blantyre on Wednesday, and after 26 hours on a bus, found our way through Pretoria. She took off today, and I dreaded sitting at the backpackers watching a clock, so I went to a mall and saw Farhenheit 9/11...I did it consciously so that I would have an adequate amount of skepticism upon reentering America. It was a fabulous dose of reality. But it also doesn't diminish my excitement about returning.
So that's that. I will keep up with my webpage until I get settled in the states. I will also try to be in touch with many of you starting on Sunday. Yippee!!! I did it! I am bad-ass.
Jennifer