reflection, transition: staying to move forward

As I waded through a deeper period of reflection this past week, I realized how authentically I needed to define what's next to go to truly be able to process and discuss what living and working in Cambodia has been like, has meant to me.

Which is to say, I was reminded of the fact that I like to have a plan, and a goal, and next step ready to go before I transition.

I knew what I was doing after college by November of my senior year. Two years later, I had a job in January before my job as a teacher ended in June. Two years after that, I knew for a full five months that I was moving to Cambodia (as did my amazing place of work I was distraught to leave) before my last day of work occurred.

And in true form, I recently cemented a plan for my time immediately after my time as a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) ends.

The day after I become a Returned PCV, I become a [short-term, contracted] member of Peace Corps staff.

It would be very inauthentic for me to continue to extrapolate on my reflecting and transitioning and what I was feeling and thinking this past week, without writing that down, here.  For you, whoever you are, and, mostly, for me.

So, I'll be living and working in Cambodia through the end of August/beginning September doing something I love: training and developing teachers for a challenging, but ridiculously enriching, role.

True to form, I created many a pro/con list during the stages of deciding to apply, and then deciding to accept once offered the position.  Thoughts of jobs I'd be foregoing in America that would begin in the perfect mid-July (after I'd returned and settled back into the U.S.) time frame, thoughts of being here, alone, without Topher, while he returned, alone, to face the somewhat intimidating home and world that needs re-organizing in Maryland, and thoughts of complexities and opportunities and challenges swirled around this head for a solid while before it became official quite recently.

Which is all to say, yes, Chris, I will in fact be far cooler than you for the rest of our life because I get to tell our future kids that mama lived in Cambodia for two more months than daddy, which makes her far more legit and awesome, overall.

Plus, mama bakes you cookies and daddy is the one giving you all those noogies.

So there's that.