On October 4th, 2007, I received an official invitation to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador, which I accepted 6 days later.
I will be joining the Habitat Conservation Program so I will probably be posted somewhere around the Amazon Basin. This is very exciting to see this LONG process finally paying off. I could not have dreamt of a more ideal country than Ecuador to live for the next two years or so, it is so rich culturally and with such an amazing biodiversity. Poltically, the Latin American region as a whole is going through one of the most fascinating moments in modern history as socialism is rising into what is called ‘the third wave’.
I am now waiting for my mission in Ecuador to begin. My staging in DC starts on February 4th and my group will depart for our new home on February 6th.
In the meantime, I am wrapping up things at work, making sure the transition goes smoothly for everyone in the office and the organization as a whole. It will be sad to leave Ecoventures International (EVI), it has given me so much, a lot of which I hope to share during my work in Ecuador. I will certainly be bringing some of EVI’s training material, a lot of which I helped translate into Spanish. Eventhough I am moving on, I know that I will always stay very close to this organization and hopefully see it evolve in an impactful way.
Ever since I accepted this invitation, I feel in a daze trying to comprehend what exactly I am getting myself into. I feel ready however for whatever is out there. All my friends and family have been extremely supportive and reaffirmed that this is the best decision I could have taken at this point in my life. I recently turned 30, unmarried, no children, and a restless passion to get out in the world to learn, discover, feel, absorb new cultures. I’ve been thirsty for as far as I can remember. I have a severe case of travel bug, I just cannot stay in one place for more than a few years.
This has obviously some detrimental effect on my relationships. Long-distance relationships have been the story of my life since I was 18 years old! This sucks!!!
And I care so much for my girlfriend and feel terribly bad about abandoning her yet another time. I just can’t help it. I am totally incompatible with any romantic involvement at this time, no matter what my feelings are for her. I don’t know how this experience will change me, or her, or any of my friends or family for that matter. The only thing I do know is that I’m doing this, I really can’t wait to leave.
Peace Corps is such an amazing opportunity for me, if I don’t do it now, I will probably never get another chance and regret letting this one by. The decision was not an easy one, but it felt quite natural at the same time, perfectly in line with my life-style and aspirations.
Since this is my first entry and that some readers might not be acquainted with me yet, here is a brief summary of my background:
I was born in Paris, France from and American dad and a French mom, giving me dual citizenship. My family travelled a lot between their two countries as I was groing up but most of my schooling was completed in France, in a Parisian ‘banlieue’. I then went to college in Boston University where I got a degree in Economics that really didn’t inspire me much, quite the opposite actually so I returned to Europe and landed in Barcelona, Spain where I taught languages (English & French) and reflected on the meaning of life, most specifically my own existence. What a great place to get epiphanies, let me tell you!!
Barcelona was a life changing experience and after three and a half years, it was heart breaking to leave my most beloved city in the world. I left for an honorable reason however and for another charming destination, the capital of Scotland. I did Masters in Ecological Economics at the University of Edinburgh (which I recommend to everyone interested in finding viable solutions to our global crises) and enjoyed the highly stimulative vibe that reigns in this mystical city. I returned to Paris trying to land an entry-level job in a cool NGO, even offered to volunteer for a micro-financial organization but was unlucky. Frustrated and anxious, I left for Cameroon to do a short development mission with a French NGO that completed a very productive year 2005. I then left for Puebla, Mexico to live with my girlfriend and immerse myself once again in a new culture. It was a lovely period for my relationship but extremely frustrating professionally as I rapidly got fed up with teaching languages and was eager pursue a career in sustainable development. Hence I departed once again after about 8 months in Mexico and headed to the USA. This is where I got an internship position with EVI based in Washington, DC and later became full time staff.
I have been living in the nation’s capital for about a year and a half now, a pretty decent place to live by all standards, but I am also glad to continue my journey.
You are all more than welcome to join me!