On May 20th, 2015 I finished my service as a
Peace Corps Volunteer in Nicaragua. I was able to celebrate by ringing the bell
with many others from my group. I am proud of my group and grateful for all of
the wonderful support from Peace Corps staff and my family and friends both in
Nicaragua and the US.
Since then I spent most of June in Nicaragua, applying for
US Residency for my husband, which he got pretty quickly. We moved back to
Madison together about a week ago and have a lot of culture shock ahead of us.
A fellow Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) said that one should think about
life after service as Peace Corps 2.0. I am taking that advice and trying to
re-integrate into a life and city that once was all I knew. I need to re-learn
the culture, get used to the food, start a new job, find a place to live and
re-connect with family and friends, just like when I got
to Nicaragua two years ago. Many things are still familiar and haven’t changed, like my
favorite parks, and sites around the city. Other things, like the necessity of
having a smart phone, being on time, and the fast pace of life are going to
take some getting used to. I have really enjoyed hot showers, the comfort of my
bed, and how convenient cooking is here. I still have yet to share some of the
best parts of Madison in the summer, like biking, swimming, concerts on the square,
and the farmers market.
On top of my own re-integration, I am also trying my best to
help my husband get used to life here. I think this is an incredibly unique opportunity.
He was a large part of my integration and understanding of Nicaraguan culture
and daily life in Telpaneca. He helped me with Spanish, connected me with
community members, supported my work, and helped me have a social life outside
of work. Now I get the chance to do the same for him. We are both excited about
our new chapter and we are grateful that we will be able to continue exploring
together.
Along with my Peace Corps service, this blog has also come
to an end. Thanks for reading. Please feel free to email me for any other
updates or to keep in touch. Allison.Feuerstein@gmail.com
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