I "graduate" from Peace Corps in less than three months. We recently had our Close of Service Conference, and now we are officially in phase-senioritis. Those "taking an extra lap" are perhaps more admired than they were back in high school or college, but the rest of us still feel kind of sorry for them. I have a lot in common, I think, with my cousin who has just entered his post-high school summer- we are both being peppered with exhaustingly grown-up questions.
How does it feel to be in the last three months?
Well, my motivation is already traveling southeast Asia without me.
What are you doing after Peace Corps?
Traveling southeast Asia and going to grad school...
Where? When? Studying what?
September and I'm not really sure yet. But maybe May. Depends on the school I go to.
How was Peace Corps?
(Awkward, self-conscious laugh) It was something... I'm glad I did it (though I know that's not what you asked me, but how else do I sum up what's happened over the last two years??).
One problem: my cousin is eight years my junior.
Eek. Change the subject.
Okay, I turn twenty-five tomorrow. I've done some stuff since college - all productive stuff, though none of which provided me with much of an income. I feel like I have more of a direction than I did three years ago, but the place I'm in is so different than the majority of my peers that I'm starting to think I skipped out on a chunk of my growing-up-hood. Facebook has suddenly turned into EngagementBook soon-to-be MarriageBook soon-to-be BabyBook and it's so scary I'm thinking of taking myself out of it altogether. I'm quite happy in my IgnoringRealityBook.
And what is Twitter? I've looked at the website and everything, but why is it so popular?
Did you know that the iphone has no keypad? How weird is that?
I'm out of it. And I'm nervous about diving back "in" it. My mom visited me for the last two weeks and bathed me in happiness and security. She is a cocoon; I forced her to share hotel beds with me so that I could kick her in the night and make sure she was still there, like a security blanket. When she left the rainy loneliness found me once more. But, in all honesty, you get used it it; soak it up, retain it like a sponge and realize - life goes on. And it's not too bad. One foot in front of the other; the only person in the entire world you have to worry about it yourself... and actually, that can sometimes be a huge, selfish relief.
After all, I've got a lot of things to do before graduation.
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