Videos & I Hope

I am excited to finally share a few videos. 

This first video is the boat ride/wetlands tour we took during our Close of Service conference.

The second video is of the nursery school kids singing on my last day with them. 

And this third video is my last minibus adventure.  While we were sitting waiting for the bus to fill a guy started harassing Becky and asked her some pretty personal questions so Princess being the 'hold nothing back' gal that she is chimed in...I love Princess! 

I hope you were able to get a little glimpse of life in Guyana.

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My friend Jillian is amazing and I'm sharing a poem she wrote because it's lovely and it speaks true to how I feel about my time in Guyana. 

I hope by Jillian Johnson
Oh Guyana. I hope I loved you enough.
I hope I turned up in the days that the sun was high and warm and worked hard under your heat and sweated enough.
I hope I taught you something.
I know you taught me something. Or two.
I hope the day ended feeling better than it started.
I hope the next day starts better than it ended.
I hope I tried for you enough.
I hope you felt the fast beats of my heart and the tears of my eyes.
I hope you know that I tried my best.
I hope you know that I loved your children like my own.
I hope you know that many of times they were.
I hope you see a difference because of what I did or did not do.
I know that I will be different, because of what I did and did not do.
I hope you show your beauty to others, like you have shown me.
I hope others will see your beauty that is truly here to see.
I hope you know that you brought some of my favorite people of life together: In my heart and in your country.
I hope you feel the feelings I have for you in every breath that I have left to take.
I hope you know that at times it felt like it was forever, but that quickly slipped to lost when I was awake.
I hope you know that I woke up with you, dreamt of you, slept with you.
I hope you know that I broke for you, struggled for you, fought for you.
I hope you know that I loved for you, for everything and everyone you generously gave to me.
I hope you know that I cared for you and will continue you to do so daily.
Oh Guyana, I hope I loved you enough.

In My Final Hours

Somehow time got away from me and up until the last moment I was still saying goodbye to people, packing, finishing documents for Peace Corps, and hanging out with good friends, whom I’m going to miss so much.

Thursday night I stayed at Princess’ for the final time and Friday I signed, dotted my I’s, crossed my T’s, and said farewell to Peace Corps. Then Becky, Princess, and I headed to the Linden bus park for the FINAL time and I said, “hallelujah” to my last minibus ride!! Friday night we had a little dinner, which was perfect, just my style. It meant so much to me that Mrs. Gibbons and Dawn come over and brought some channa and macaroni and cheese. We reminisced over memories and talked about all the crazy, good times we’ve shared in Guyana, even the memory of ‘flat bird’ (what a nurse called me in the first month at the health center) was brought up. My eyes were teary all night. After dinner Becky and Princess treated me to ice cream and we got caught in the rain, but it was actually kind of nice. We continued packing and by 2:30am I felt like I wanted to close my eyes and try to sleep for an hour so the 3 of us laid in my bed (my last time under the mosquito net!) but my mind was just racing and my heart was feeling very anxious. At 3:30am I got up, made some coffee, ate a bagel, and then Becky woke up and we talked some more. Around 4:45 a sleepy Tim and Chelsea came down stairs to see me off with hugs and tears. They are going to be the last ones standing in Linden and I’m so proud of them, I will truly miss them, we have been through a lot together.

Rastaman James picked us up at 5am, Becky and Princess came to airport with me, which was so sweet of them. It was a very rainy morning and my last drive down the Linden highway was a bit scary, we hydroplaned a lot, but we made it to the airport safely and in time. My bags were a tad over the allotted weight so we had to move some things around, I was glad I had Princess and Becky there to help me, the airport can be stressful. I hugged Becky and Princess goodbye, again with tears in my eyes and then I was on my own departing Guyana.

Seeing as I hadn’t slept I was tired and once I boarded the plan I closed my eyes and after a few minutes I heard someone say, “Sosebee”, I opened my eyes and there was a ground personnel asking me to please come with him that I had to look at my bag. It was still raining and there were a few employees gathered around my bag they called me over and a man came over and told me he was checking my bag for narcotics. He pretty much ripped open every single thing I had wrapped up and then proceeded to interrogate me, asking me how long I’ve been in Guyana, what I was doing there, who I worked for, and if I had my supervisor’s number. I told him I was a Peace Corps volunteer and told him the name of our country director and then he said, “Oh, I know who is” and said my bag was okay and let me re-board the plane. It was so weird and it really bothered me and of course I cried once more when I returned to my seat. I have had the worst luck at Cheddi Jagan International Airport and boy am I glad to not deal with that airport any longer.

And now, I’m sitting in JFK waiting for my flight to Salt Lake City….

It’s definitely been an emotional roller-coaster ride for me the last few days…I just can’t believe I’m finished and now I’m a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer.
I can’t believe I’m back home and it’s time to embark on a brand new adventure…readjusting to this American life and figuring out what my next step is going to be…it’s definitely an exciting time in my life and I’m ready for whatever life has in store for me next.

Saying goodbye only allows us to say hello again!

Oh, Miss Jillian!

LAST MINIBUS RIDE!!!!

Man, way to go out with a bang, I mean messy hair!

A dear lady made me a goodbye heart cake

My farewell gang--love them!

Mrs. Gibbons and Dawn

I have to thank God for watching over me and keeping me safe over  the past 2 years, especially on all those minibus rides!


I’ll be writing and reflecting more about my time in Guyana and the whole experience once I get some sleep.

Saying Goodbye

It’s crazy to think that another new group of volunteers are embarking on this adventure come the 1st of February. Although, I won’t be in Guyana to greet them or get to know them I can’t help but think how they must be feeling right now…how I felt 2 years ago, packing my bags and venturing out on an unknown, foreign experience. It’s interesting to compare my thoughts and feelings as I was leaving home and arriving in Guyana to now, leaving Guyana and returning home. The thoughts and feelings are very similar--scared, uncertain, excited, nervous, sad, hopeful, and knowing this change is good for me.
Honestly, I never thought I would be this emotional when the time came to head home, after all I’m returning to once a familiar land…I’m returning to my friends and family. But it’s hard and I’m sad to leave Guyana, I’m sad to say goodbye to the amazing people I’ve met here. Guyana has become a part of me, it became my home and I’m truly going to miss it.

I have come so far in 2 years and I’m so excited that a new group of people are leaving the comforts of their lives behind for a little while to experience a new, great, different, adventurous, crazy, beautiful roller-coast ride that is Peace Corps Guyana.

It doesn’t feel real that on Saturday I am leaving Guyana and heading home…it’s just so crazy that my time here is ending. Where did 2 years go?
I am so grateful for this experience and for all the friendships I’ve made along the way. I know this experience was exactly what I needed at this point in my life. I will never forget my time in Guyana; it’s truly a beautiful country.

There are so many people to say goodbye to...neighbors, nurses, teachers, market vendors and shop keepers, taxi drivers, boat drivers, patients, the laundry guy, and everyday people I pass on the road. It's been hard saying goodbye.
Yesterday was my last day at the hospital kitchen and today was my last day over the river, at the health center and schools. I have become a part of a community and I'm really going to miss everyone who's been so kind, welcoming, and friendly towards me. I'm sad I didn't get to say goodbye to a few people over the river today but I hope they know how much I enjoyed getting to know them.

It's been hard saying goodbye to the kids, the students who have touched my heart. At the nursery school the headmistress had them sing me songs and give me hugs and kisses, it was so cute. My heart goes out the kids in Christianburg and I'm so blessed I got to spend time with them.

The goodbyes are only going to get harder in the next 2 days...

 ...but it won't be hard saying goodbye to this guy!

My Last Weekend In Linden

My last weekend in Linden was good...a few girls from GUY23 and Becky came to spend the weekend. We spent a rainy Saturday afternoon down by the creek not too far from our house (I don't know why we haven't been swimming there all along) and it was a lot of fun. There was a rope tied to a tree so we could swing into the water.

Becky's first time ever on a rope swing

Cowabunga

We just stayed in the water while it rained

Then we spent the evening at Barrow's, our favorite restaurant. Chelsea, being the amazing person and friend that she is arranged for them to prepare cookup rice and plantain chips (the only things I wanted before leaving Guyana). I'm truly so grateful for everything her and Tim have done for me...they have been like family and I'm really going to miss them.

The night was full of dancing and laughter...it was a great last Saturday night in the place I've called home for the past 21 months.  I am so blessed to have met such great people in Guyana and I'm so thankful for this whole experience.  Guyana and Peace Corps are going to be a part of me for the rest of my life.

The group

Can't wait to hangout with them stateside!

Becky and I were making up new dance moves...this one was hailing a taxi

Right now my heart is full of love and appreciation for everything and everybody here. 

I just can't believe it's all ending in 5 days...it's a very weird, bittersweet feeling.

And this week is going to be very emotional for me.

Things To Remember...

Things I wish to remember about my time in Guyana...
The talks and advice shared with Mrs. Gibbons
Enjoying my morning walks along the river on the way to the health center…just alone with my thoughts and the beauty of the morning sky
The beauty of the jungle
The birds singing early in the mornings and the melody of frogs and bugs at night
The taste of plantain chips and cookup rice
The friendships I created with the girls at the hospital kitchen
Those moments on the minibus when my heart was full of love and appreciation for this experience
Group meal nights with Tim, Chelsea and Tony
The random crazy nights out on the town in Linden
The “what the heck” moments where I could look at Chelsea or Tony and we’d be thinking the exact same thing 
Morning walks/workouts with Chelsea
Girl’s weekends spent at Princess’ where we’d stay in our jammies all day and watch Lifetime movies
Total randomness
The freedom
Lying in my hammock
Traveling around Guyana
Witnessing the awe and shock on the faces of the people who visited me
Baking and cooking with Becky
The kids and how sweet they are
Being called “teacher Sara”
Living simply

Things I want to remember about myself while in Guyana...
(attributes to carry home with me)
Go with the flow…things don’t always go as planned and that’s okay
Be patient…‘just now’ things will happen
Be open to new things
Budget money
Compassion for others 
Confidence
Independence
Able to deal with diversity 
Push myself…it’s good to be pushed out of comfort zones
Less sensitive to bluntness and people being critical  
Learned about the power of prayer and I want to continue/enhance on my spiritual journey
I am me…I can’t pretend to be someone I’m not
Value great friendships
Sense of self 
Volunteerism 
Only I have the power to make myself happy 
Be aware of the beauty in my surroundings
I enjoy cooking
Always be grateful

Babies

I had the opportunity to help Chelsea with her Food for Healthy Babies program.  She had the idea to develop a program for at risk (malnourished, under wight, or who may be HIV positive) babies. Basically, it's an educational feeding program focusing on introducing solid foods to babies. We developed lessons on feeding baby with a cup and spoon, doing food demonstrations on making porridge, fresh fruit juice, homemade baby food (which they had never seen before),  and baking healthy snacks (focusing on the importance of feeding baby with wholesome foods instead of packaged snacks), and parenting with love (making meal time fun for baby).  Overall, although we ran into some errors, the program was successful and we enjoyed the time we got to spend with cute babies and friendly mothers.

I just love these little ones!

Rockstone

Chelsea's mom and brother are here visiting for Thanksgiving and today I spent the day with them, our friend Carissa and our neighbor Lisa. We went to Rockstone, an Amerindian village about 45 minutes away from Linden. Chelsea wanted her mom and brother to experience another part of Guyana...a boat ride on the river through the jungle. And that's just what we did. Chelsea arranged our transportation on a mini-bus and a boat man to take us for a tour on the Essequibo river. This part of the river is different than other parts of the river I've seen because it has rapids and rock formations all throughout the river. It was neat to see another part of this beautiful country.

This weekend in Rockstone is the famous fish festival but while we were there not much was going on, they were still setting things up. I guess Sunday is the busy, crazy day of the festival. But to participate in the fish festival festivities I ate curry fish and rice.
It was my first experience eating a whole fish...scales, bones, and head.

Thank goodness the eyes were removed. 

I am so grateful for Tim and Chelsea and Chelsea's mom, for letting me be a part of their visit in Guyana!

Shell Beach

I feel like words can’t describe this past weekend. It was one of those adventures where I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to be a part of; it was truly a once of a lifetime experience.

Shell Beach is located in the far northwest corner of Guyana, in Region 1 and is home to 4 types of sea turtles, the endangered Leatherbacks being one of them. Years ago men would hunt and kill sea turtles but for 23 years now Shell Beach has been working to protect sea turtles, as they are part of a non-governmental conservation program protecting and tracking these sea turtles.
The village it self is very small with 150 residents but during the months of May-September this village is all about sea turtles. There’s a group of men who work patrolling the beach at night looking for sea turtles who come ashore to lay their eggs.
It was incredible to see the work they do.

11 of us went for the 4th of July weekend and it was so much fun! We left Linden Friday afternoon and made it to Charity (Region 2) where we stayed the night. We left from Charity Saturday morning around 10am and sat on a boat for 6 hours going on the Pomeroon River, out on the Atlantic Ocean, and through the rain forest. The ride itself was an adventure, as we twisted the turned through 99 turns.

At one point I really had to pee but we were on the river in the middle of nowhere. The boat driver said I could pee off the back of the boat so I made my way to the back and told everyone not to look. As I was squatting I fell into the water, it was pretty funny. Then I had to wrap up in a tarp for the rest of the way because it was cold. Good times!

We arrived at Shell Beach around 5:30pm, unloaded the boat, settled into camp, ate some food and prepared ourselves for the mosquitoes. Once the sun went down swarms of mosquitoes came out, I’d never seen anything like it. They bit through our clothes and bit everywhere it was pretty intense.

That night the guys were setting free a few baby turtles. They were so cute and it was awesome to see. They told us about 1 out of 1,000 baby turtles survive…I hope those little fellows are okay.

Then we walked the beach in the dark for about 4 hours looking and hoping to see a turtle. Unfortunately we didn’t see one. But it was awesome to walk along the beach in complete darkness, listening to the waves crash among the shore and seeing silhouettes of coconut tress.

We got a few hours of sleep and spent Sunday lying around the beach. The water was pretty nice, not to muddy and there were actual waves but there were these little fish that bit so I didn’t stay in the water too long. It was just so relaxing being at the beach.

Come sun down we prepared to set out again; luckily it was windy, which kept the mosquitoes away for a little while.

We walked for about 2 hours without seeing a turtle but we just knew we were going to see one. We took a little break from walking and sat for about 30 minutes when the men spotted a turtle! She was hanging out in the waves and we could barely make her out. She took her time coming out of the water but when she did and we finally got to a shine a light on her it was amazing to see this beautiful creature in the wilderness. It seriously felt like we were a part of National Geographic.
She dug a hole with her back fins to lay her eggs. When she laid them the guys had to remove and bury in a safer spot because she laid them too close to shore. Once she finished laying her eggs she buried the hole and made her way back to the ocean. The whole process took awhile but it was simply incredible to witness.

Monday we left Shell Beach around 8:30am and made it back to Linden just before 9pm. It was such a long travel day. We took 2 boats and 3 buses. We were all sun burnt and itchy with mosquito bites. But we all experienced a priceless, once in a lifetime adventure.

I wish everyone could experience Shell Beach!

I just love the sky here

This cow was walking back and forth along the road and these 2 white birds were following it.
It reminded me of one of my favorite children books
"Are you my mother?"

The Pomeroon

March 14, 2010
Today was an awesome journey! We went up the Pomeroon. The Pomeroon is a river community that stretches for miles and it’s beautiful. We (my host family and friends) piled into a boat (keep in mind that these are not like the boats I am use to, they are made of wood, really low, and don’t go that fast) and cruised all day stopping at different house along the way. The first house we stopped at had a monkey as a pet. I couldn’t believe it! Although, I felt bad for the little guy because he was tied by a rope so he couldn’t go far and he was mean. From there we went to another house that’s owned by a guy from Canada and his Guyanese wife. They just built it and it was so nice, it totally looked like an American house and it was beautiful with an amazing view. Then we went to another house where we had coconut water and stood in the rain, which was awesome!
Next came the jungle river cruise/ Indiana Jones experience! We went up a side of the river that totally reminded me of the jungle cruise ride at Disneyland (minus the animals) it was incredible! I kept thinking to myself, “I can’t believe I am experiencing this right now!” At the end we came to a little village, which an organization just build new houses for the people who live there. It was actually a cute community and everyone who lives there has their own garden and they trade food with one another. Someone said there was a place not far where people find skulls and other bones. So of course we went and it was really something! We walked through the rain forest/jungle and every few steps our feet would sink into the mud. We didn’t walk far but we came to this clearing where there were a lot of fallen trees and this guy stared digging and found some bones, parts of a skull and ones that looked like back bones or a part of the knee. I think those bones are from hundreds of years ago but no one knows why or what happened. When we returned to the village someone called us over to show us a skull they found that morning. It was the whole thing including teeth; it was extremely neat to see. This adventure has been the best so far and I can’t believe I live here.
On Saturday was our culture day with the PC trainees, staff, and host families. It was at the lake and it was a lot of fun. I amazed myself and participated in the fashion show. Actually my host mom volunteered me and she dressed me really nice in Indian wear, which all of the other girl participants were also wearing. I let her doll me up and I strutted down the stage and did some twirls and I ended up winning! I was pretty impressed with myself.

Life in Guyana

I would first like to say that it’s my goal to not post my frustrations but this experience is a huge roller coaster ride that’s going up and down hourly, daily, weekly, and probably monthly. I was talking to others about this roller coaster and it’s not like anything we’ve experienced before and some of the emotions are new. I am trying to stay in tune with my emotions and why I am feeling a certain way. A huge part of this experience is remembering things are different here and I have to figure out a way to balance my personal life, background and knowledge with that of the Guyanese lifestyle, background, and knowledge.
Anyway, I am sure you are all wondering what life is like here in Guyana…I would like to give you an example of my day thus far while in training. I wake up around 6:30am go down stairs and eat breakfast, which ranges but luckily I have been getting toast with peanut butter, eggs, or even corn flakes with cows milk (my family has a cow, it stays in what they call the back dam) . Then I get dressed and around 7:20am I wait out front with my host mom for a taxi or mini bus. I get in the car or bus with a bunch of little kids, all dressed nicely in their school uniforms. About half way to my training facility I have to take another car or bus and I am at “school” by 8:00am. We briefly go over any pressing issues or questions and then have a break down of the day/week. There are 35 of us total, while half of us are health and the other half is education, we spend half of the day together as a big group going over PC (Peace Corps) important materials such as safety and security and medical/keeping us healthy information. Then the other half in our different groups learning about health or education in Guyana and how we are going to be apart of that. We do a lot of group work and discussions, which is interesting to hear about other people’s experience and views. We get an hour lunch from 12:00-1:00, it feels like I am back in elementary school, as we examine each other’s lunches and share. Portion size is huge here, I guess they don’t want us Americans to go hungry…I really need to take pictures of my meals. After lunch we have more sessions and group work. Then around 4:15pm we are released and I get to go on my journey back home. Transportation where I am at right now pretty much stops running around 6:00pm (the town shuts down really early) so that does not leave me much time to hangout after training or at the internet café. I get home and my host mom is usually waiting for me, I either have a snack or depending on how late it is I have dinner. I then hangout and talk with my host family or walk around the village with my host mom to other houses and visit with friends and family. Then I prepare my mosquito net, shower, do homework, write letters or in my journal, and I’m usually in bed between 9:00 and 10:00. The days seem to go by fast. I am really looking forward to after training when I am in my site and working.
Now, a note about food here…”staples” better known as carbohydrates are huge here and pretty much everything is fried. For the most part I have been enjoying the food, with the exception of hot dogs and all the frying, also raw vegetables are not really common here everything is well cooked. My favorite dishes so far have been pumpkin curry with rotti, channa (garbanzo) curry with rotti, cook-up (rice with beans and corn) fried plantains and frozen (it’s like a popsicle) my host mom makes. I am having a little challenge with some the meat, I just don’t like meat but I am loving the fruit I just wish I could eat more of it.
Last thing, I am in love with the night sky here, the stars are amazing and bright.

A Stanger in a Stange Land

That's our motto and I definitely feel that way. The country is beautiful and the people are friendly. I am having a difficult time with the language barrier but I am sure that will come with time. I am living with a host family on the coast, they are Indian and really nice, I have a 15 year old brother, he let me try to play his video game last night, I am not that good. There are animals that roam all over and are very loud during the night (dogs bark all night) but I am comfortable here and learning the ways. I am in training all day (8-4)and my brain is on overload. My group consists of 35 people a good mix of guys and gals,there are 5 married couples and one older couple. My home is about 20 minutes away from training and I have to take 2 different taxis it's costing me about 400 Guyanese dollars a day to travel, thats about $2 US. My family has been mostly feeding me American food, like fried chicken, french fries and I had a hot dog for breakfast this morning, that was hard to eat. So I am hoping I will get to go to the store and get some cereal soon. There are rice fields all over this region and my host dad works at the factory, he is going to take me there to see it one day. I can't believe I have been here 6 days, it seems so much longer. Life here is definitely slower and that takes some getting use to. Sorry, this is random and short but I am just excited I finally got to blog! Know that I miss and love you all.
Sara

My Assignment

First, I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year!

I received my call of duty: Guyana. It's not an island in the Caribbean, it's at the top of South America between Venezuela and Suriname. However, it is a non-Spanish speaking country. It looks like the towns are on the coast line, which is the Caribbean and there are many rivers through out the country. It's the Amazon rain forest so it's going to be very hot and humid, I will have to adapt to the humidity. I have been doing research and it seems there is electricity, running water, and houses made of wood or concrete.
My job title is Community Health Education Promoter, which I am really excited for, it sounds like what I got my degree in! As of now it looks like I have to be there February 9th. I have a lot to do in one months time....aahh. I found someone's blog, guyanesemark.blogspot.com he served in Guyana from 2006-2008 if you want to read a little of his experience to get a feeling for the adventure I am going to embark!

Guyana the country in red at the top