Accomplishments Or Feeling good about learning how to cook without a microwave

It's official, I've hit the half-way mark of my Peace Corps service. It arrived last Saturday, actually, accompanied by all the expected feelings: surprise (at how fast time seems to have passed), nervousness (about how much I've changed and how much change is left to happen), panic (do you know how much I have left to do? And everything takes so long here!) and euphoria (only a year left and then back to the real world. And showers!). But where, where was the feeling of satisfaction? What have I done over the last year?

I decided I'd better answer that question, for my own sanity if nothing else. Taking a cue from K2 (the other PCV named Kelly in Mafeteng district) and Maria's (our former Assistant PC Director for CHED Volunteers) infinite wisdom, I decided to make a list of everything – and I do mean EVERYTHING – that I've “accomplished” this past year. But why just make a list, as much as I love them, when I have so much time, creativity and wall space at my disposal? I turned the list into a collage, a visual reminder to me of what I've done here...and what's left undone. Since I can't upload a picture of this visual masterpiece right now, here's the list in no particular order, other than clockwise from the top.

• Serving in the Peace Corps
• The CV
• Visiting Qacha's Nek district
• Learning to knit
• Stigma workshop in TY
• Discussing Obama and the election with Basotho
• Visiting Thaba Bosiu
• Mafeteng Speak Aloud 2009
• Cross-cultural exchanges
• Visiting Swaziland
• Visiting Mozambique
• Writing a PEPFAR grant application that is now the Lesotho standard
• Visiting Berea district
• Visiting Cape Town
• Trying (persistence!) to teach lifeskills
• Visiting Leribe district
• Anna
• Encouraging Basotho to get tested for HIV
• Participating in Training-of-Trainers (TOT)
• Ke bua Sesotho hanyane! (I speak Sesotho...a little!)
• PSI Lesotho – Outreach; Post-test Club; Stress workshop; Newsletter
• Pre-Service Training (PST), Phase Two Training and In-Service Training (IST)
• Visiting Ts'ehlanyane National Park
• Serving as District Security Representative (DSR)
• Visiting Kruger
• Penpal exchange with IKM-Manning Middle School
• Visiting Istanbul
• Miscellaneous South Africa trips (so far on the list: Wepener, Bloemfontein, Clarens, Ficksburg, Ladybrand and Nelspruit)
• World map at Tsa Kholo High School
• Blogging
• Member of the Gender and Diversity (GAD) committee
• Flat Stanley project
• Marketing with Likaledi (Ashley's ausi who makes really great bags. I'm helping her with some basic marketing instruction.)
• Facilitating Volunteer Reporting Tool (VRT) training
• Visiting Quthing district
• Living without the comforts of home
• Mafeteng Handicraft Fair
• Practicing yoga
• Teaching myself how to cook
• Visiting Maseru district
• Swearing-in as a PCV
• Visiting Malealea
• Hand-washing clothes
• Visiting Stellenbosch
• Living in the Teng (a little bit rougher than most places!)
• One year in Lesotho

You might have noticed – in addition to all those acronyms – three very important omissions from that list: the Mafeteng Hospital Library, ECCD playground installation and the Thaba Tsoeu HIV/AIDS and Health Day. The reason for this is that, well, I don't feel that those projects are quite “accomplished” just yet. Just as new accomplishments will be added as my service goes on, so will these projects when I've reached a point where I feel they are more complete.

I'm not quite sure if this new addition is good or bad. Sometimes I look at it and think, “Man, that's right, I have done things here,” and others, well, I feel the list should be much longer. But either way, there it is, my first year of Peace Corps service boiled down to a list. Just the way I like it.