The end of 2012 is nearing us! I can hardly believe it. I got to visit the school I'll be working at and my future apartment in Kufranjah, Ajloun this past week. I'll be working at an all girls k-9 school, with the exception of kindergarten and 1st grade which is co-ed. I met my principle and many of the teachers and they all seem wonderful. The students were excited at having a new person at their school and were all very eager to practice their English with me, introduce themselves, and ask about me. The town itself is beautiful. I got to see my apartment. The last tenant left a lot of furniture, so I am very lucky in that respect and I also have a wonderful view of the Ajloun castle, fruit trees, part of the town, and the mountain side.  I met my landlord and his family who live upstairs from me and they seem sweet. I'm excited to have my own place, but it's comforting to have a family living right upstairs from me if I need anything or get lonely.

Christmas came and went here. We had a bit of celebrating with other volunteers on Christmas day- ate pizza (comfort food!), played apples-to-apples, danced, talked, exchanged secret santas and so on. I tried to skype my family but caught them just as dinner was starting, only to get a quick glimpse of their Christmas Eve feast and a few smiling faces.  It was one of those moments when I once again realized how far away I am... I'm living on the other side of the world! As they were eating dinner Christmas Eve, I was watching the sun rise Christmas morning.

Fortunately, we did get a chance to go see the Christmas lights a few days before Christmas itself. Madaba has a big Christian population so some of the churches and shops do get decked out and I did get to see Baba Noel (Santa) speed by in a pick up truck... 

Christmas tree in Madaba

Posing in front of some Christmas lights.

Me and my host sissies

As for now, I'm done with my practicum in Ma'in so my days are mostly spent at training sessions in Madaba or having Arabic class in Ma'in. I have about 3 more weeks before swearing in as an official volunteer and then moving to Kufranjah. It's another one of those awkward in between times. I'll be really sad to leave my host family and friends in my community, but I'm anxious to set up my home and establish myself again in my new (more permanent) village.

Tomorrow my host sister is turning 6, so we will be having a birthday party for her. I just finished blowing up about a dozen balloons! The kind that you can make hats and animals out of. I'm about to google how to do that...! Saturday we get to go visit the Peace Corps office in Amman and the American embassy for a Peace Corps holiday party. I'll get to meet some of the volunteers who are beginning their second year in Jordan (the J15s) and maybe some J14s who have finished their service and are headed home soon. I'm looking forward to it.

I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas and the last few days of 2012! Happy new year!

Pictures are worth a thousand words

Time is flying by. The past several weeks I have been busy working at the school, studying Arabic, exploring Madaba and the surrounding areas a bit, finding out where my future site will be (!), playing with the kiddos, eating too much sugar, and learning to cook all sorts of things.

My host family and I dining in Madaba

I learned to make duwali!!(beef and rice stuffed grape leaves)

Cooking is a family effort

The crew making some sabanekh

Sabanekh! Spinach and onions and spices in doughy goodness. (I rolled the ones that are slightly burnt and awkward looking) 

Showing off.

Last week, I found out where I will be permanently living, beginning January 15th. I will be working in a k-9 all girls school in a town in the governate of Ajloun. The town is about 25,000 people and everyone has been telling me how beautiful it is there. There are lots of trees, perhaps not by my Seattle standards, but by Jordanian standards yes.

I'm about 75 km away from Amman.

My Peace Corps supervisors on our site announcement day! 

In Jordan, the semester is winding down and exams have begun which means there are no regular classes. My month of teaching in Ma'in has come to a close, and we finished with an all staff Mansef lunch celebration.

Myself, Georgina and Elenoire, 4 of the English teachers and our Mudira (principle) on the right.

I have gotten to explore Madaba a bit.

Downtown Madaba- wonderful cake shop on the right and the Cap (not a typo) on the left.

Sunset over Madaba, taken from my Host-Grandma's home.

Journey from Madaba to Ma'in

From my village you can see the Dead Sea. We drove to the viewpoint after a long day in Madaba. This is the closest I've gotten so far but will get down there for a float before long.

Sunset over the Dead Sea.

I got some sort of bug yesterday and got sick while at the center in Madaba (it might have been from something I ate, I'm better now). I came back to village, still sick. In America, we usually let said sick person go "sleep it off". In Jordan, we surround sick person, offer every type of herbal and home remedy, blame the cold weather, and tell neighbors that the person is sick so that they can come over and offer condolences. It's a bit overwhelming in the moment, but ultimately very sweet. I was given yogurt with garlic chunks in it (not so bad but far from delicious) and several blankets and sage tea (which is actually really good and soothing) and was not allowed to move away from the space heater. I kept crying. I felt terrible, I was exhausted, and also extremely moved that they took such good care of me! Noor (age 7) was diligent in wiping away my tears with a tissue and Jana (4) put stickers all over my forehead. I'm not sure if that's part of the healing process, but it made me smile anyway. 

I got to bed at a reasonable hour and had to teach this morning. I woke up not feeling great, but decided to go anyway because we're only at the school twice this week. I'm glad I did. I am learning that I do love teaching. Ever since I was little I've wanted to be a teacher but have always had my ifs, ands and buts about it. These past couple of years, and past few weeks in particular, have confirmed that it is something I genuinely enjoy doing. And that is a wonderful feeling.

One month in.

Today was another day at center in Madaba. Amongst other things, I learned that centipedes can spit, sheep can bite, and scorpions like to hide in sleeping bags. We had our first aid course today and went over every possible thing that could go wrong. Lessons learned—don’t pet the sheep and shake out your sleeping bag and shoes. A lot more is obiously covered during center days- some if it is repetitive and doesn’t always apply directly to Jordan, but are things the folks in DC require us to cover. After center we came to the hotel (where we all come to take hot showers almost immediately) , ate dinner, and then played the game Mafia for about 3 hours. 

Days and weeks are beginning to go quickly now that I’m more in the groove of things. A month ago today I was getting on the plane to head to DC! Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays I co-teach 1^st, 7th and 10^th grade at the all-girls school down the street from me. Girls are so enthusiastic to participate. Every class I am greeted by all students standing up and in unison saying “GOOD MORNING TEACHER”. Me: Good morning! Them: “HOW ARE YOU TEACHER”. Me: I am good, how are you? Them: WE ARE VERY GOOD, THANK YOU TEACHER. Every question I ask results in almost every hand going up in the air and girls yelling “MISS MISS MISS MISS MISS MISS MISS”, begging to be called on. All the students have one classroom they stay in and it’s the teachers that move around. None of the classrooms are labeled, but people in Jordan are extremely helpful and hospitable so if I ask anyone or simply look a little confused for a split second I will quickly be escorted to my desired destination. There are 2 classes for each grade, but recently one of the 1^st grade teachers has been sick so Ala and I have been attempting to teach to about 40 1^st graders in a classroom designed for 20. It is really… overwhelming. Thank goodness they’re cute. 

The women I work with are amazing. There are 2 other volunteers working at the school with me and during break the teachers bring us tea and coffee and sometimes a full on bread, hummus, lebana, olive buffet. Once again, Jordanians are extremely hospitable. I can’t get over it. From teaching I go to Arabic class and from there I come home to eat lunch and often nap. Evenings are spent either playing/watching TV/studying with Jana and Noor and Khalid at the house or sometimes at Mama Bashar’s house (she lives across the street and has 4 teenage daughters). It’s a wonderful village and it will be hard to leave in January! This coming weekend I will be visiting another Peace Corps Volunteer in Ma’an, in the South of Jordan near Petra. I hear things are quite different in the South so I am excited to see and experience a new part of the country. 

I find out my permanent placement on December 10^th and will move there on January 15^th!!

Baa baa black sheep have you on the moon

During the first 3 months of Peace Corps, known as Pre-service training (PST), we live with a host family, have about 25 hours/week of formal Arabic class, co-teach English classes twice a week, and spend Sundays and Mondays in Madaba at “the center” with Peace Corps Volunteers and staff. It's busy but good. I may still be in what some call the honeymoon phase, but I can honestly say that I love just about everyone I have met so far- volunteers, staff, and locals.

Today was another long day at “the center” in Madaba where Peace Corps trains volunteers on just about everything imaginable- different styles of teaching, how to teach along side Jordanians, cultural norms, how to use a Turkish toilet (really), safety, health, and so on. We are taught how to integrate ourselves as effectively as possible into a new culture.

And here I am, week 3 of living on the opposite side of the world, immersed in a lifestyle that I perceived would be so different from my own. There are a lot of differences I have noticed, some I anticipated, some not, and it is really nice to have Peace Corps’ support to discuss these. But more importantly I have learned that although cultures and traditions and languages differ from place to place, people are people. We socialize over good food, awe at cute babies, cheer when we kill the mosquito that has been flying around the room for the past hour with a single clap, eat sweets, yawn a lot in the morning, feel better after a cup or 3 of coffee, practically pull teeth to get kids up and ready for school on time, ignore 2 year old tantrums, laugh a lot, visit, feel sad saying goodbyes, and love our families and friends more than anything. We just don’t see that stuff on the news. We read about the bad stuff and create this skewed idea of “the other”.

Center days are from about 8am-6pm so by the time I got home today (home being a village about 10 km Southwest of Madaba), I was hoping to nap/read/study Arabic. However, today being a particularly windy and rainy day, the power went out which causes extra excitement and pandemonium in a house full of kids (8, 5, and 2). I got out my headlamp and we lit candles and made shadow puppets on the wall, forts out of blankets, ate popcorn on the kitchen floor, and tried to keep Khalad (age 2) from knocking down candles and potentially burning the house down. It’s probably been my favorite night so far. Jana evidently just learned the song baa baa black sheep at school and sings it ALL THE TIME but her rendition goes something like “baa baa black sheep have you on the moon, yessir yessir tree tree tree…”. Her and her older sister Noor are 2 of my favorite people ever.

Alhamdulillah(thank God), everything is going wonderfully. I feel so very blessed to be here!

The journey begins

The past several days have been a whirlwind. I arrived in DC on the night of 10/27. Training started the next day. We met downstairs at noon and started filling out pages of paperwork. There was a frantic feeling in the air and even though I had only formally met a few of the volunteers already, I could tell we were all feeling the same- excited, overwhelmed, and a bit uncertain. As paperwork finished, the icebreakers began. We went around the room and stood up and each introduced ourselves. 25 of us in all. Our Staging Director, Emily, eloquently stated that for the first time since our Peace Corps journey began we were in a room full of people- none of whom we had to explain or justify our decision to join Peace Corps Jordan. Orientation was long and useful, but a blur by now.

Our flight was supposed to be on Monday, but got delayed because of Hurricane Sandy. We spent most of the day in the hotel, with the exception of a windy and wet jaunt down to Safeway to get enough food to prepare ourselves if power did go. 

Fortunately, Sandy didn’t hit DC hard but did allow for another day of rest, repacking, and J16 bonding. We played charades and listened to Connor and Laura play the guitar. Tom whistled.

 Tuesday we were told that they were able to book us a flight to Jordan. We had an hour to get our things together and board the bus. We left DC at 7:00pm on Tuesday October 30^th, had layovers in Vienna and Frankfurt where we occupied the time playing Moon Pennies and Around the World, and finally ended up in Amman on Thursday at 3:45am. 

With Moon Pennies you can buy a goose, but not a mouse

Sultan, our training manager and Bryan, our country director, greeted us at baggage claim and helped us load our belongings and selves onto the bus. We slept for a few hours at our hotel and then started day 1 of training at noon.

Our Country Director, Bryan, welcomed us. He shared with us facts about PC Jordan: Peace Corps Volunteers began their work in Jordan in 1997 and since then more than 500 volunteers have worked in Jordanian communities. We are the 16^th group to arrive – J16. Once the J14s leave in January, I will be one of about 60 Americans serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Middle East.

The rest of the day we met a lot of PC Jordan staff, went over the Emergency Action Plan, medical information, got our cell phones, a little bit of money (dinars) and more information than I can recall. We all had to get flu shots and a few other immunizations. Directly after getting mine I came upstairs to “rest” before dinner. I slept the most intense rest I may have ever slept in my life. My roommate later told me she had tried to wake me up for dinner but it was a no-go. I woke up around midnight and was wide-awake most of the night. I drifted in and out of sleep but was soon awoken by morning prayer- loud, beautiful songs that are sung twice in the morning (for several minutes each time) before the sun comes up. Since then I have been laying in my hotel room, watched some Arabic pop music videos, watched the sunrise, and am now eagerly awaiting for it be 8 o’clock so I can go get breakfast.

Amman sunrise from my hotel room

In one week I'll be where again?

  Since finding out that Jordan would be my new home for a couple of years, I have been defending that country as if I was born and raised there. The face- that concerned, sorta excited, but confused cringe I get when I tell people I'm moving to Jordan- I hate that face. I feel like it's my duty to be on the defense- list 10 reasons why Jordan is safe or spit out statistics of crime rates in the US, to put things in comparison.

After months of reassuring myself and others that Jordan is indeed a safe and wonderful country, I read this in the paper: Jordan foils al-Quaida plot. When I first read it, I freaked out and for the first time started second guessing my decision to move. I spent about 2 hours googling terrorism (bad idea). Panic and anxiety ensued. I'm leaving in a week and holy sh*t, this is real. A couple hours of reflecting on this tossing and turning in bed sleeplessly, I suddenly realized that this story is a positive thing. Apparently,  authorities have been monitoring this group since June, so Jordan is as safe (if not a degree safer) than it was back then. I should feel reassured that the Jordanian government and security forces are well trained and keep close watch on suspicious groups. Okay. Deep breath. Now, more reflection.

Directly after a disaster we become preoccupied with it- obsessed with it sometimes. We are reminded that life is finite and that is terrifying to us. Following the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan last year, I remember researching the Cascadia Fault line that runs from Southern Canada to Northern California and learning that a giant earthquake is likely to occur in Seattle within the next 200 years. Following the shooting in Aurora I researched US serial killers. There have been a lot of them. 

It's hard not to let the fear of the what-ifs paralyze us.

Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold. - Helen Keller

I know that I am going to a part of the world that we hear about in the news constantly. It is a very tumultuous time and US relations with the Middle East are tense. Extremists and terrorism are a threat. I am not ignoring this or pretending that it is not a threat. Instead, I put it in perspective that even though it exists, it will be by no means a daily reality. Current Peace Corps Volunteers serving in Jordan remind me that day to day I will be working on lesson plans, having tea dates, getting to know the neighbors, doing chores, studying Arabic, playing with the local kids, and being over-fed by my well intended new community. Just as I am too distracted by friends and family and work and every day blessings to worry about the what-ifs while living in Seattle, I remain confident the same will be true in Jordan. 

That funny in-between stage

I got my flight itinerary the other day. I leave in less than a month! Excited nervous overwhelmed emotional. I fly into DC, have two nights at a hotel with the other volunteers, and then we fly out together and get into Amman at 3pm on Tuesday October 30.

Deepak Chopra writes "All great changes are preceded by chaos". I like change- I thrive off of change even. Staying in one place doing the same thing for too long makes me antsy. Even though the act of change itself is hard, it's this in between stage that's killer. Things have most certainly been chaotic, to say the least.

I was walking through the arboretum and couldn't help but compare the changing leaves and clear cut signs that Fall has arrived to this weird in-between stage that I'm in. Nature has a way of changing so eloquently and effortlessly- something that we as humans aren't so easily capable of. Trees actually have chemicals that they secrete during fall that forces the leaves to fall off. We don't produce these same chemicals, so letting go is harder. But just like trees, we need to let go to prepare for future growth.  Whether it be physical things (like 24 years of accumulated what-not in the closet at my mom's house) or emotional baggage, I gotta let a lot of it go to prepare for this new step.

I have a lot of wonderful people in my life here who have been beyond supportive of my decision to move. I'm so grateful for them but it makes leaving that much harder. But, as they say, change is the only constant so I better just keep rollin with it.

What I'm listening to these days

 

Learning the Arabic Alphabet is more difficult than I thought. But this song sure is catchy.

What I know so far

I started reflecting on how by choosing one path, I am essentially abandoning another.  Perhaps abandoning is a strong word, but I'm certainly taking a leave of absence, so to speak, from Seattle life. Ya can't be in two places at once. Life is good here. I fall in love with Seattle and the people here all over again just about each and every day. It hit me today that immediately following my departure quite the series of events will take place: election day, Thanksgiving, Mom's birthday, Dad's birthday, Christmas, New Years, and inauguration day- to name a few.  It's comforting that I'll have 26 fellow PCVs with me who will be able to relate, but I anticipate a bit of intense culture shock with some accompanying homesickness. Fortunately, I will without a doubt have a lot on my plate to distract me. 

This is some of what I know so far: 

• I will spend 11 weeks of pre-service training in Madaba, Jordan, a touristy city southwest of Amman. Madaba is a fairly "modern" city, has a large Christian population, and many tourists. 
• Training will be intense, focusing on language, cross-cultural communication and adaptation, development issues, current events, health and safety, and the technical skills pertinent to teaching English and working in primary schools. 
• I will live with a host family throughout training.
• I will be assigned to my permanent site towards the end of training (January 2013) where I will likely live in my own apartment.

• Jordan is currently the only Peace Corps program in the Middle East
• Current PCVs that were stationed close to the Syrian border have since been relocated. The Peace Corps makes safety and security a huge priority- particularly right now. They relocated volunteers preemptively. (I've listed some links about the Syrian conflict at the end)
• There have been some protests in Jordan after the Innocence of Muhammad video went viral, but have been mostly non-violent  Timeline: Protests over anti-Islam video (Aljazeera)
• In general, Jordanians are friendly and hospitable to Westerners. Many urban Jordanians were educated in the West and speak excellent English. Some will likely voice criticism of American policy in the Middle East (sure to be a topic of interest following the results of November 12th...), but individual Americans are generally well-liked and treated respectfully.

That being said, the single most common piece of advice I get from returned Peace Corps Volunteers?  Expect the unexpected. 
 
Links: 
Syria Uprising Timeline - NY times
30,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan

Obama vs Romney on Middle East  
 

“To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.” ― Pema Chödrön

Seattle is so comfortable, changing yes, but ultimately so incredibly comfortable. At times remarkably so. Other times a bit stifling. The other night at a party I reunited with friends I hadn't seen in some time and updated them that I was soon moving to Jordan. Most were excited, some quite shocked that I would even consider moving to the Middle East during this time of "Muslim Rage" (more on that later...). Regardless, the more I repeat it out loud, the more real it becomes. 

An excerpt from the PC Jordan Welcome Book:

The most successful Volunteers maintain a healthy balance between idealism (“I have something to contribute, I can make a difference, and I have the luxury of time and opportunity to do so.”) and pragmatism (“I want to develop new skills, advance my professional development, challenge my own thinking, and explore where and how I fit in the world”). If you are too idealistic, disappointment will come hard and fast when you cannot single-handedly transform the world, your village, or those you work with. However, if you are overly focused on personal achievement, you may lack sufficient motivation or commitment to overcome barriers, resistance, or inertia, and may miss the joys and rewards of living simply. 

I am doing my best to approach this experience with this mindset. I have a lot to give but certainly a whole lot to learn. 

Second

The Peace Corps' mission has three main goals:

1. Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
2. Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
3. Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans    

I am beyond excited for this new adventure. However, the complexity of the Middle East is overwhelming me. I studied International Studies in college. I have an average understanding of the Middle East. Unfortunately, an average understanding means there is still quite a bit I do not know or understand, and probably quite a bit more I don't even know I don't know.  Part of the reason I am keeping this blog is to fulfill goal #3 - promoting a better understanding of other people and cultures. I'm not going to pretend like I know more than I do. I accepted my invitation to work as a primary school teacher in Jordan for a lot of reasons... I have wanted to teach since I was a kid, I've had an increasing fascination with living abroad since college, I believe that peace can't be created solely by the government and people in power, I think I have things to offer. But a huge reason is that I have so much to learn.

So here I go, exploring the unfamiliar- and sharing things as I learn. Any and all comments and opinions are always welcome!

I have been reading so much about Syria lately and want to document my understanding of what is going on now. In August alone, more than 100,000 Syrians fled the country- the highest number since the conflict began in March 2011. "August was arguably Syria's most violent month yet, with the pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reporting more than 5,000 deaths." Up to 183,000 Syrians have entered Jordan and are currently arriving at a rate of about 1,000 a day. (BBC). Jordan doesn't have the means to support the giant influx of people and life in refugee camps is rough- little water, food, and constant uncertainty. There is no real sign of political progress or a military solution that could let them return home anytime soon.

As I prepare to leave family, friends, my home and life I have created in Seattle I sometimes find myself getting really anxious. 27 months is a long time to be away from all that is familiar. But there is such comfort in knowing that when I do come back, the majority of my family and friends will still be here, my neighborhood and beloved park across the street will remain relatively the same. I can not fathom having to get up and go overnight- not knowing when or even if you will be able to return home or if there will even be a home to return to. Saying goodbye to friends and family that you may never see again. Living in tents with intense dust storms and little protection from the sun. War can seem very abstract when it is across the world. It's very very real. READ THIS.  My heart is with the hundreds of thousands of people there and throughout the world whose lives have been so drastically altered by the effects of corruption and war.

First

 

I think I should start a blog. It will sharpen my writing skills- help me remember things done and feelings that went along side them.  And share with other people a bit about living in a part of the world not so well known.

But that will have to wait- until October 31^st to be exact. I was supposed to go to Latin America- so much of what I have done has more than adequately prepared me for development work in Latin America: being raised in a parish that has close ties to El Salvador, studying Spanish in high school, and quite a bit more in college.  Studying Abroad and turning 21 while in Argentina and graduating from the University of San Francisco with a dual degree in International Studies and Latin American Studies. Following graduation I spent 6 months in Central America exploring and volunteering. I returned home and decided to apply for the Peace Corps to solidify, in a way, the time I have put into exploring and learning about this complex, beautiful, fascinating and yet still mysterious part of the world.

I turn in my application.  I ace my interview and soon get nominated to go to Latin America with an estimated departure date of August 2012. I am stoked and ready for this. I follow the Peace Corps’ very precise medical requirements: I get each tooth xrayed, 8 vials of blood drawn and tested for diseases I haven’t heard of, pee in some cups, and visit a couple of psychiatrists to verify that I have the mental stability to serve in the Peace Corps. I become exhausted by the long and drawn out process this has become… but have committed to it and am ready, knowing that this is only the beginning.

10 months after turning in my application, I get a letter inviting me to go work as a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) in Jordan. 7 days later I write them back saying I do indeed accept this invitation. And I could not be more stoked.

To clarify for those who don’t have their world map handy, Jordan is south of Syria, west of Iraq, northwest of Saudi Arabia and east of Israel/Palestine.  They speak Arabic, 95% of the population practice Islam.

The more I read and research this country and part of the world, the more excited I become.  What about Latin America? Well, Latin America will still be there 27 months from now. My knowledge of the culture will not simply disappear. Nor will Latin America’s need for development.

For now, I have been given what I believe to be a once in a lifetime opportunity. US/Middle-East relations are not going to disappear. I get to experience first hand a culture that I (nor many Americans for that matter) know little about. I get to work with kids. I love working with kids. I get to learn a new language and learn about a religion quite different from the one in which I was raised.

I get to teach others about where I come from. Although I have mixed emotions about English becoming the global language, I recognize the importance of learning it and am excited to teach it to others.  I come from a society where sex is openly talked about and women are considered equals in many ways. I want to help educate others that an independent, powerful woman, one who speaks her mind, does not sacrifice her role as a loyal wife, wonderful mother, and respectable member of society. I look forward to learning more about gender roles in Jordan and how women actually feel about them. I like to consider myself open minded but know that many of the ideas I have about the Middle-East, and women's' rights more specifically, are based off of stereotypes propagated by the media.  

I could spend the next two and a half months doing nothing but researching the Middle East, but that still would not really prepare me for this.  Don’t get me wrong, I have already been gifted 4 ginormous books including an autobiography by Queen Noor, a book on the history of Islam, Thomas Friedman’s From Beirut to Jerusalem (a history and analysis of Jews and Arabs in the Middle East), and Our Last Best Chance: A story of war and peace by King Abdullah II. I plan on reading all of these. But still, I think it can be advantageous that I don’t know a lot. That sounds silly, but going into a culture thinking that you know just about everything because you have read x number of books and got an x grade point average from x university studying x culture can result in pre-conceived notions and unfulfilled expectations. I like going into this with a fresh perspective, an open mind. I have no grandiose dreams of single-handedly solving the world’s problems, but if by the end of my service I can come home knowing that I have made even the smallest change in someone else’s life, I will consider my aspirations fulfilled. So here I go, with few guarantees other than that the learning curve will be high, the food will be good, and that Seattle will still be here when I get back.