Some Perspective

So the blog has taken a bit of a downer tone as of late, yes? As a friend recently commented, I sound 'broken'. Well, I'd like to strive for a bit more balance and hopefully demonstrate my very much not-broken-ness-scousity... Anyhow, here's a clip from an email I just sent my pops this week. I'm doing okay, please don't worry.

"Thank you for the encouragement, Pops. This experience has certainly lived up to the whole 'life changing' billing it received from everyone I talked to about Peace Corps before joining. What's most amazing to me, right now, is how this has become the hands down most turbulent time in my life (physically, emotionally, locationally) and yet, I'm finding new, unimagined and incredibly deep levels of peace, happiness, joy, and child-like mirth. My blog has been a little heavy on the somber notes lately, but just yesterday, I was buying some groceries, and thought of a silly little joke from some TV show. The impulse to laugh out loud and my full-bodied reaction to the humor of it was overwhelming--stronger than the reactions I recall having while in the States. In some ways, I'm a more reflective, serious, anxious and sad person than I was before, but I'm also much happier, more joyful, silly, relaxed, laid back and peaceful than ever in my life. And it's all that much more special, important, and eye-opening to me for the juxtaposition. If I can be feeling these positive moments so viscerally WHILE I'm also burdened by the other side of the coin, just imagine when it's lifted! Such an exciting time to be alive!"