Tag: blogging101

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Peace Corps Expectations

I bolded the parts that particularly resonate with me. They may be particularly difficult or particularly important or both.

  1. Prepare your personal and professional life to make a commitment to serve abroad for a full term of 27 months. 
  2. Commit to improving the quality of life of the people with whom you live and work and, in doing so, share your skills, adapt them, and learn new skills as needed.
  3. Serve where the Peace Corps asks you to go, under conditions of hardship if necessary, and with the flexibility needed for effective service.
  4. Recognize that your successful and sustainable development work is based on the local trust and confidence you build by living in, and respectfully integrating yourself into, your host community and culture.
  5. Recognize that you are responsible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for your personal conduct and professional performance.
  6. Engage with host country partners in a spirit of cooperation, mutual learning, and respect.
  7. Work within the rules and regulations of the Peace Corps and the local and national laws of the country where you serve.
  8. Exercise judgment and personal responsibility to protect your health, safety, and well-being and that of others.
  9. Recognize that you will be perceived, in your host country and community, as a representative of the people, cultures, values, and traditions of the United States of America.
  10. Represent responsibly the people, cultures, values, and traditions of your host country and community to people in the United States both during and following your service.

 

This photo is circa 1966 of my loving parents when we lived in Hawaii. They set high expectations too!

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GranEllen on the move

The photo is from last week’s ‘Bon Voyage’ party that included family and framily (friends of the family). Clockwise from me are my 8 grandchildren: Avery, Violet, Owen, Mack (on Owen’s shoulders), Felix, Anthony, Mia, and Opal. I will miss them dearly but I also know I would regret not taking this opportunity. This is really happening!

Here is my itinerary since May, hence the title ‘GranEllen on the move’.

  • May 11-13, girls’ weekend in Highland, NC
  • May 14-30, Florida visit with Mom, my brother John and family, Gary & Beverly, Anna, other friends
  • June 1 – back in Georgia for party with BSC (former employer) colleagues
  • June 5-10, Northeast Pennsylvania for my sister, Vickie’s, next round of chemo and to visit other friends and family
  • June 11-13, Arlington, VA visiting daughter, Melissa, and family
  • June 14, Aberdeen Proving Ground with son, Sal
  • June 15-17, Hatboro, PA (near Philly), meeting Marina’s family (Sal’s girlfriend), hiking, and site seeing
  • June 18-19, back to Northeast PA
  • June 20-22, drove with my niece, Andrea, to visit my brother, Eric, and family in Pittsburgh
  • June 23-26, back to Northeast PA
  • June 27-July 9, Vickie, Andrea, and I flew to Florida to visit Mom and then for our traditional Satellite Beach family vacation. There were 19 this year!
  • July 10, back in Georgia, spending the rest of my time with family and friends
  • July 11-12, fishing in N. GA with son, Josh, and grandson, Anthony.
  • July 12-13, spent the night with dear friend Sherry and family
  • July 13-14, hiked Stone Mountain and Braves game with Julia and Annette (RTI colleague)
  • July 17-21, Melissa and family visited for the family Bon Voyage party and other activities
  • July 23 – elegant luncheon at Joan’s with dear church friends
  • July 28, another ‘bon voyage’ party with friends from church and my neighborhood

I am humbled by the love and support from my family and friends. Thank you all!

 

 

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Musings about journaling/blogging

I started this blog in May but obviously it has not become part of my normal routine since it is now July 27 and this is just my third post. I realize now that I am a pen and paper journalist. I was trying to make myself an online journalist but nothing was getting written to the blog. Through the years, I have journaled consistently, filling many notebooks with my thoughts. I go through cycles where I journal daily or weekly for months or years and then I stop. The reasons for stopping vary. One time I started an exercise class during the time when I was journaling. Another time, my sleep habit changed so I no longer journaled before going to sleep at night. Whatever the reason for stopping, I eventually go back to putting thoughts down on paper. Sometimes, I will then type my thoughts and edit them as needed. I made a decision that this is what I need to do for my blog. I will keep a written journal and then type/edit it into this blog space.

The photo shows a nice space for journaling – Holy Trinity Episcopal Church (Decatur, GA) Chapel garden.

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Where’s GranEllen?

Where’s GranEllen is my site title, not just the title of this post. I chose this because I am frequently asked by family and friends, “where are you now?”, “where will you be next week?”, “where are you going?”, “where will you live?” Currently, I am staying with friend, Joanna, and her cat, Nellie. Nellie has developed a recent habit of bringing small chipmunks onto the porch to show off her hunter prowess. Fortunately, they have been healthy enough for us to shoo them back outside.

These initial posts are my preparation for blogging in Namibia as a Peace Corps volunteer. I am learning to write, tag, and edit posts and also include photos – a major accomplishment for this 61 year old brain!

I like hanging out with Nellie, the cat.
I spend a lot of time out here these days.

 

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The Journey Begins

18192689_10208829060947081_4739667291031082142_oI sold our beloved home of 30 years on April 16, 2018. This was a sad day and a happy day. Sad because it represents an end to the best years of my life up to this point and happy because it represents the start of fulfilling a life-long dream.

The journey started on an October morning last year when I was scanning the Peace Corps website. I had a habit of doing this every 3-4 months in hopes and preparation for actually applying one day. Secondary Math Teacher in Namibia was the first position I saw and it was so appealing that I decided to apply, right then and there. The gist of it is that I was invited to serve and received my legal and medical clearances in April.

I depart on August 13 to train and serve two years in the Peace Corps as a Secondary Math Teacher in Namibia. I will use this blog to document my Peace Corps service, my adventures, my highs and my lows and also to keep in touch with my friends and family.

The views shared on this page are based solely on the personal experience of the author, and do not in any way reflect the position or views of the Peace Corps or any other part of the US Government.