I’ve decided to try and give a closer perspective to the daily life I encounter as a Peace Corps Volunteer, so here it goes. My schedule fluctuates often, but most of the time the week-days consist of teaching, developing the library, and completing GAD task force duties. When I’m not running around town preparing for camp or collecting donations, my ideal school day in my village goes as follows:
6:30 AM- I wakeup in the mornings to roosters crowing and usually Reggae, Celine Dion, rap, or Christian Gospel music peeping through my windows from nearby neighbors.
6:30-7:45 AM- I listen to a podcast, read the news, eat oatmeal and drink instant coffee (real coffee is not available in Guyana). I then complete the morning routine with a shower/bucket bath (depending on water situation) right before leaving for school to cool off as I am usually sweating from the heat by this time. 😉
7:45-8:15 AM- I complete my 25 minute walk to school through the village with other students.
8:15-8:30 AM- I prepare the classroom and greet students.
8:30 AM- 2:30 PM- Almost always, I teach Grade 1 throughout the day. Sometimes though, I help HM with any needed tasks, and work on the library.
2:30-4:00 PM- During the school year, I stay after to sort and document books, or prepare the library in one way or another with the Grade 5 Library Committee consisting of 10 students.
4:00-4:25 PM- I complete my 25 minute walk back home, where I sometimes stop by the market for fresh veggies and fruits.
4:30-8:00 PM- My afternoon activities are quite broad, but usually consist of: exercising, GAD Task Force tasks, preparing lessons, completing school tasks, cleaning, write, gaffing with neighbors, catching-up with friends and family, playing with whatever animals are currently living in my home, hobbies and wandering around aimlessly (which accounts for more percentage of the time than I’m willing to admit for).
8:30-9:30 PM- I get ready for bed, take my second bath of the day (sometimes 3rd if it’s been a extra hot day). Then, I crawl under my mosquito net into bed, and end the night reading with my headlamp or watching a TV show/movie on my laptop.
My weekends usually consists of visiting other volunteers, gaffing with neighbors, or simply spending the weekend relaxing at home. I assure I have one day a week where I focus solemnly on cleaning, as my weekly chores consist of hand-washing clothes, sweeping, mopping and dusting. I also use this day to create my weekly to-do list of any tasks or goals I may have for the next 7 days.
It’s a pretty laid-back lifestyle, right? When I first arrived to site, it was difficult to adapt to these techniques. Now, I find myself relaxed and growing with the “just now” pace. My ADD scatterbrain has found a home where it can roam freely and not be judged for having one million tabs open at once. I am simply living. In Guyana, there is so much “relaxed” time, I crave it if I’m away from home for too long. When I have weeks of training, you’ll often hear other volunteers and myself make comments like, “alright, it’s been really nice being together but…I need some ME time now.” This is equivalent for, “I’m ready to lay in my hammock all day and read a book or stare at a wall.”
Hobbies:
• Reading
• Journaling
• Art projects (my latest craze- coloring with oil pastels and collaging)
• TV Shows/Movies
• Exercising (Running, Yoga, Bikini Bod Fitness, exercise videos)
• Cooking (which typically involves a selective few dishes)
Books I’ve Read So Far:
1. The Strength to Love, Martin Luther King Jr.
2. Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert
3. Ender’s Game, Orson Scott
4. Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer
5. The First Days of School, Harry K Wong
6. Buddha’s Brain, Dr. Rick Hanson
7. Ishmael, Daniel Quinn (second time)
7. The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin (currently reading)
TV Shows I’ve Watched:
1. True Detective (Season 1, and currently keeping up with Season 2)
2. Game of Thrones, Seasons 1-5
3. Orange is the New Black, Seasons 1-3
4. Breaking Bad, Seasons 1 and 2
5. House of Cards, Season 3 (watched the others back in the States)
6. The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Season 1
7. Arrested Development, Seasons 1-4
8. Summer Heights High, Season 1
Movies I’ve Watched:
Infinite.
Podcasts:
1. Invisibilia, NPR
2. TED Radio Hour, NPR
3. Adventure Zone
4. Real Time with Bill Maher
5. This American Life
June, 2015:
June consisted of camp preparations, teaching, developing the library, working on having my children’s story published (will keep you updated as the process continues!), and preparing for the summer. We made a big step in the library this month, as we finally raised enough funds to put security bars in the windows of the library. This is HUGE as we can now safely put books in the room without having to worry about people breaking in. If you are interested in helping out the library or discovering more, check us out at GoFundMe and our facebook group.
July-August ,2015:
These are going to be my busiest months yet. I head out next week to Idaho to see my beautiful sister Julie’s wedding (congratulations Julie and Tyler) along with being reunited with my family and America for the first time in nearly 15 months! Hooray! I then return to Guyana for GAD training, hosting Camp GLOW, more GAD training, MST Training, and then my Buckskin friend Swatch coming for a visit (yay!). I hope everyone has a wonderful summer and as always, thank you for the continuous support!
kayleepcv 