(I had to write these journals for a class this past Spring. Thought a few entries would make a good preface for my blog... )
Monday March 17, 2011
So this is Spring Break. Chelsea and I left town to find some powder that our sober skis have been craving. Naturally we went to Colorado, not only because her family was there but because the ski season is still in full swing while Michigan is already shutting down. Give Michigan literally 13,000 more feet and they’d have awesome skiing too. I think we got about 100 miles outside of town without talking to someone outside of our trip. The total mileage of our trip to Denver was 1200 miles, so we didn’t get far. Both her and I know where we are going in the Peace Corps so we no longer have to answer the once infamous question about placement with a vague answer and a shrug, “Yes, I’m moving somewhere for two years at some near date, but I have no idea where or when”, or also the recently popular, “I’m going to a Spanish speaking country in mid-August and that’s all I know”. Now I brace with excitement, the words spilling over my lips when asked the question, “So where are you going?” Panama, I answer proudly. Panama. The pleasant look of surprise passes over their face, “Lucky girl” they must be thinking as pictures of palm trees and beaching sweep across their vision. I quickly explain to them that this will be no vacation; I’ll be roughing it hardcore. Sometimes I don’t even believe myself about that yet. Still too excited.
There are certain times in life when you find yourself close to strangers, particularly in closed or close quarters. Places like elevators, public restrooms, waiting rooms. It is never expected that you talk to the other people you may encounter, acknowledgment is polite, and small talk is friendly. Riding the ski with strangers lift is one of those places where communication may occur or may not occur. You naturally have something in common which can spark small talk, which is, skiing. You can pretty quickly gauge how chatty a person wants to be. Tourists are always eager to talk and as long as you are interested they will tell you about where they are from, what they do, how their vacation is going, etc. The friendliest ones ask you questions back. The locals, while sometimes are friendly, most of the times are more quite, focusing instead on their next sweet ride. Chelsea is one of those friendly locals, always asking the usually willing tourists about their day or finding out where the other locals live, what high school they went to, etc. During our first day skiing at one of the more touristy resorts we talked to a lot of friendly people.
We talked to many other people on the chair lifts in a similar manner. If we didn’t get to talking about the Peace Corps we could talk about Michigan Tech endlessly. We would explain where in Michigan it was, no we weren’t yoopers, and yes it is very cold. Or we would talk about our engineering backgrounds, which are always an impressive hit with the educated gentlemen of a similar field. That naturally would lead into our nearing Peace Corps service. Chelsea and I both understood our own excitement, and whoever was leading the conversation would allow the other to respond with their own country of service, instead of answering for them. No one should take away the gift of telling people where we are serving, and we understood that. Here is a specific instance.
Early in the day we met a woman and her husband who were visiting from Florida. She was a retired physician and he was still practicing. She was now a practicing grandmother, she told us. She obviously loved to use that line. When we got around to Michigan Tech and then the Peace Corps, she was delighted to tell us that her daughter had also served in the Peace Corps. This made us excited as well. Her daughter was now a real person [emphasis mine], with a job, husband, and family, but had volunteered in the Philippines. She even extended a year if I remember correctly. This woman was very excited for us. “Good luck” she said as we departed, and she truly knew the experience we would be taking on, better than us I’m sure.
I had another experience telling a stranger about the Peace Corps. This experience was the opposite of the woman whose daughter was in the Peace Corps. This girl was doing my hair, or trying to do my hair. She was definitely younger than me, probably 19 or 20. She divulged that she was from a small town about an hour off the highway that leads to the ski hills. She spoke innocently and with little intelligence. I had little patience or wit for small talk, not for this reason, but because I would really rather she focus on not screwing up my hair. The Peace Corps came up, and her response was as unique as all get-out. She asked me whether I got to travel out of the country while I was in the Peace Corps or if I would stay in the United States. After my initial shock I explained to her what the Peace Corps was. Give her a break, I thought, just because I am obsessed with the Peace Corps at the moment doesn’t mean everyone else even thinks about it at all. When I mentioned Panama she said, “That is where people go for spring break and stuff, right?” … and I gave up.
I’m sure I’ll have many other opportunities to tell people about the Peace Corps. I’m sure the excitement will wear off too. Until then I will bask in the glory of that is letting people know where I am going and when I leave.
