Back to Reality

I had such an amazing time at home and realized that the Lord really blessed my time, as I had so much quality time with my family and friends. As my plane flew over the Rocky Mountains, tears streamed down my face - realizing that I was leaving my home once again.

I arrived in LA and ran into Charles and Mike - two other Peace Corps volunteers that went home for holidays. They had similar feelings: they enjoyed home and considered staying there and not returning to Samoa. We sat in the airport and scoped out the new Peace Corps trainees as they awaited their entrance into PC Samoa. We finally introduced ourselves and gave them a brief overview of what Samoa was like. It took me back 8 months to when I was sitting in the same airport - excited, scared, expectant and sad to leave my old life behind.

Adjusting back to life in Samoa was a lot more difficult than adjusting to being back home in Colorado. I immediately noticed the bugs, the heat, the dirt. I was depressed and wondered why I even got on the plane. I was extremely tired from the plane ride, so I fell asleep from about 10 am to 4 pm. When I woke up, I went over to the school. I was greeted warmly by the staff that was still at school. It was refreshing. Maybe this place isn't as bad as I am making it out to be. Person after person was so happy to see me. They wanted to know all about my trip and acted like I had been gone for ages! I quickly remembered how friendly and selfless the Samoans are.

Life isn't about being comfortable. In fact, when we are comfortable we start becoming independant and have no need for God. When we are experiencing hardship we rely on God and He teaches us so much. I realized that as much as I love being home with my family and friends in my homeland, it is easy for me to independent. When I am here my strength comes from above and I am growing so much in my faith. Although there are many times that I do not feel "comfortable" there is a peace deep in my soul - knowing that I am walking in line with God's will for my life. Nothing can replace that.