COS Conference

    The Peace Corps get each group of volunteers together for some training and R&R a month before the first ones start to leave (called Close of Service "COS" in PC-speak).  We met for 3 days and stayed 3 nights at a really nice lodge 40 km from here, with hot showers, a fine restaurant, hot showers, great views, and hot showers.  It was really good to be with our group one last time before we start to disburse.  I'm very fond and admiring of nearly all of them.  This was a nice way to wind up.  As one could anticipate, the PC drags all kinds of forms and procedures into the COS process, and part of our assembly was to talk through that; they just can't help themselves.  They also help the volunteers with the transition process, which has frequently proved to be as difficult and stressful as any of the transitions during PC service.  Many of our group will enter graduate schools in public health, public policy or foreign affairs.  Others  will need to get jobs right away, and are daunted by that prospect.  The Country Director asked Katherine and me to assist him in a presentation on resumes, networking, and interviews, which we think went well and was useful.  In the evenings some brought draft resumes to us to review.

      The first morning some of us who used to exercise regularly together during our trainings in the first year got together for one last morning Insanity.

    Some of what we did was a little high school cheesy, but I loved it, and was deeply moved.  We were offered the chance to write notes to each other.  Many we received are deeply touching:  "role models,"  "supportive," " steadying," "caring."   Many referred to "mom" and "dad," and to especially vivid times we've shared over the two years.    Some comments I did not understand:  my "goofy jokes" -  what?   But all are very moving.   Brief encounters and comments over these two years have often been strongly felt.

    Here is a group picture we took.

      Now on to Bushfire, a 3-day music festival in a beautiful part of this country, where we'll see again many of our buddies, plus many from the group that came last year, now replacing us as the veterans, and also PCVs from all over southern Africa, plus lots of NGO types who drive up in their big SUVs.  Then back to "real life" for  9 weeks of teaching, tutoring, trying to move some special friends to a new stage of their lives, and closing up our life here.   But after COS conference it feels very different; we've moved on now to the leaving stage.