Grounded

I'm not sure what's been happening lately, the awe factor of living in a village in Malawi has definetley rubbed off but right now I am content in the fact that this is my life. I have 6 months in and 20 or so months to go and although I wish the excitement and awe factor were as strong as they were when I first arrived, I can happily say that the challenges and moments of realization that i'm dealing with are most welcomed. My 6 months here have caused me to ask myself more questions then I thought possible in such a short time. The idea of going home before my time is up does not really linger in my head because really, it's not a possibility. I've made a committment to the people i'm serving along with a committment to myself that no matter how tough it may get, i'm strong enough and determined enough to stick it out. Life is not bad here, learning about yourself, what you're capable of, putting trust in the unknowns you wouldn't have put trust in before, and in general just being is the most challenging part for me.
I received a prayer calendar in the mail, by far the most helpful thing I have gotten. I took down all the verses and each day I will randomly select a verse, look it up in my bible, and try to focus on what that lesson is. I can't how amazing this has changed my perspective, my ability to cope, and my ability not to lose focus on the bigger picture. It never seems to fail that the verse I randomly choose is so fitting for what i'm feeling at that moment. I have always viewed religion as a personal thing, I have my views you have your views, and really when it all comes down to it, it doesn't matter what your views are because i'm still going to have my views at the end of the day. Reading and reflecting passages has allowed for me to learn and question the actions I have towards those around me. I feel that we all have things that we need to work on and everyday is a constant learning experience, but learning about yourself and challenging yourself by far is probably going to be the biggest thing that I take from here.

Prior to coming to Malawi, I have always been a planner. I knew from my freshman year in college I wanted to be a Peace Corps volunteer. I made it happen and just as I have made this happen, I know that whatever I decide to do in the future it will happen but for now i'm going to enjoy this ride we call life that i'm on, stay in the moment and stay grounded.