VOLUME 5 ISSUE 1
Page 5
The past two years have definitely changed me, and my
outlook on the world. Some of these changes are selfevident. Contrary to what some of you might think (and
have suggested), my time outside of the US has absolutely made me appreciate the privileges we all enjoy merely as a result of our citizenship. In most parts of
the world, a US passport is still like an "unlimited rides"
ticket to the world's amusement park; and I am humbled
by all that being American has afforded me. Let me say
it clearly, and for the record: I love the United States of
America, and am proud to call myself an American citizen. But, as an American living outside of the United
States, it is impossible to turn a blind eye to all the ways
in which our collective arrogance and selfaggrandizement have tarnished our reputation on the
world stage, and have over-shadowed all of the good
work that we, as individuals and as a nation, do at home
and around the world. I had this opinion before I moved
to Macedonia; my time here has only reinforced it.
I am also confident that some of the ways in which this
experience has changed me won't truly become evident
until I leave this place. I know that I see the people and
the world around me through different eyes now. I think
that I am a better person for this experience. I hope that
living here has made me more tolerant, more patient, and
more open to new people and new ideas. But only time
will tell about all of these things, and all of you will be
the judge.
I believe that, mostly, Jennifer and I have served as
Peace Corps Volunteers with grace and with style. We
have had our moments - individually and collectively - to
be sure. When we tell you that one year of married life
in the Peace Corps is like five years of married life back
home, we are not kidding. Just in terms of the sheer
number of hours that we have spent together in Macedonia, this is a fact. While it would be absurd (and unfair) to try to suggest that all of our time here together
has been "quality time," I can honestly say
that I wouldn't trade a moment of it because it has
made us who we are now, as a couple and as individuals. It would be naive to think that, after Peace Corps,
life will be nothing but smooth sailing for us from here
on out. But I know that our "time on the water" over
here for the past couple of years has brought us closer
together in ways that the winds of time will not destroy
(how's that for a mixed metaphor?!). Jennifer: you are
my heart and soul, and I couldn't imagine this journey
without you.
Finally, to all of you at home - thank you. Your love,
support, enthusiasm (and care packages!) have buoyed us
up throughout these past two years. Not only did a lot of
you manage to slog through my much-too-long-and-alltoo-frequent e-mails, but many of you even wrote back
to me with words of encouragement, perspective,
and incredible insight - which have inspired me, sustained me, and made me laugh...all at the times when I
needed those things the most. (Of course, all of those
kind words also rewarded my tendency toward verbosity...so I guess you have no one to blame but yourselves
for all of my rambling missives!). I know that Jennifer and I could have made this "cruise" alone, but it
definitely wouldn't have been the same without all of
you to share it wit h us.
I guess that about closes out this chapter. Our official Peace Corps Close of Service date is December
22nd. After that...we still aren't completely sure what
the next adventure will be. Whatever it is, you can
be sure that its early stages will include catching up
with as many of you as possible...and even boring
you with some of our 4,000+ photos. In the meantime, I will leave you with some wise words from a
much wiser man than me:
Burned Out?
Do not burn yourselves out. Be as I am. A
reluctant enthusiast and part-time crusader. A half-hearted fanatic. Save the
other half of yourselves for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the
west. It is even more important to enjoy it
while you can, while it’s still there. So get out
there, hunt, fish, mess around with your
friends, ramble out yonder and explore the
forests, encounter the griz, climb a mountain,
bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep
of that sweet and elusive air. Sit quietly for
awhile and contemplate the precious stillness
of the lovely, mysterious, and awesome
space. Enjoy yourselves. Keep your brain in
your head and your head firmly attached to
the body, the body active and alive. And I
promise you this one sweet victory over our
enemies, over those desk-bound people with
their hearts in safe deposit boxes and their
eyes hypnotized by their desk calculators. I
promise you this: you will outlive the
bastards.
-- Edward Abbey
Ajde, Chao!
--Sean