Early Termination!

Greetings my dear followers of my journey with the Peace Corps in Kenya!

It is with great regret that I have decided to early-terminate my service with the Peace Corps. I will be leaving Kenya this Wednesday April 17th, arriving Indiana the following day on Thursday April 18th. I will be back in the states. I guess you could say I went on a seven-month all-expenses-paid trip to Kenya. But don’t get me wrong – that wasn’t the purpose of my joining the Peace Corps. There are a few reasons why I decided to, what the Peace Corps calls, Early Terminate. I would have had 20 more months remaining if I stayed on.

In despite to my short period of in-country, the experiences I gained are priceless. I appreciate our humanity and the goodness in each and every one of us that can be found world-wide. I believe everything is relative, such that, you can pay forward your goodness and caring for others, whether it is for someone down the block, or 8,000 miles away. I know I can continue my goodwill toward others wherever I am, here or back home.

It was not a spontaneous decision but rather a thought that have been brewing within myself for several weeks and in despite of hating to leave anything that I started unfinished, it may be the best move for me.

What really matters is happiness. I was happy and excited before I left for Kenya; happy in the six months leading up to service, The weeks leading toward the day I made final decision to come back, I experienced the lowest low I’ve probably ever had in my life. I’d wake up sad and go to bed sad. I felt like there was no exit. I find myself talking with my family and friends back home (via emails, iMessages, and FaceTime) far more than I spoke with my in-country friends. I long to be part of the activities occurring back home with them.

I love my Kenyan Deaf students, and feel terrible about leaving them. However I hate their environment, its constant negativity, that they have to live in and endure on a daily basis. I get very frustrated with the Kenyan school administration and teachers on their attitudes; even though I acknowledge that my school is among the best Deaf schools in this country. From my time with my (wonderful, patient) host family to living in my village, I was never really at ease here. I made some good connections with my fellow volunteers but no real close friendships. To make matters worse, I am the only Deaf volunteer in my group, and there is only one other Deaf volunteer in-country; but her site is quite far from me. I was lonely in a "strange" country.

To me, it didn’t make sense to spend the next two years acclimating to a lower-than-my-normal happiness level. Life is short, rather than trying to stick it out for two years, I chose to maximize my life, each and every single day starting now. There are volunteers out there who stick out just to accomplish their two year terms for the Returned Peace Corps Volunteer status (like a trophy) even when they were so miserable and unhappy. So I made the decision to return to the US.. With that said, the Peace Corps Kenya staff couldn’t have been more supportive and positive throughout the process.

I gave away almost everything in my possession: clothes, books, dictionary, atlas, umbrellas, rain gear, paper supplies, jackets, shoes, household items and many other items to the students, and some of the support staff that helped me greatly. I came in with two rolling bags, backpack, some carrying bags, and am leaving with just one rolling bag and a backpack.

It felt so weird inserting my Indiana drivers license along with some American cash in my wallet. I became so used to Kenyan's shillings. I am sure there are going to be some adjustments for me back home.  I find myself stumbling with KSL and ASL when talking with my American family and friends.

I plan to post one or two more posts on my blog to wrap things up. But I would like to thank you, my dear followers, for your support, feedback, and comments. You have been with me every step on my journey. Without them, I would probably have gone mad.

Hey, for some of you who may speculate, you can be assured that I am perfectly fine and healthy, both physically and mentally. I am happy and at peace with my decision. I believe I only have myself to prove, not to anyone else. A chapter in my life may have been closed; however, a new one has just started, in a new volume! I am excited for what comes for me.

Hey, look on a brighter side, I get to miss Indiana's winter! And I get to appreciate mothers going through 9-month pregnancies while I endured only 7 months, grins.

To my family and friends, seecha shortly!

Kwaheri!

Jay

P.S. Enjoy the last few parting photos...

James Francis Brown, Form 4 student from Tanzania

Edward, with Kenyan tour book that I gave.

Abudal, a Wajir, the one that beat Davin in a foot race wearing flip flops, that led Davin into breaking his arm.

Susan (Suzy) Wabu, a Form 4 student -- a bright Deaf lady with great opportunities in her future.

Deaf staff from Uganda

Bright Deaf student with visibility problem.  I gave him hand-held magnifying glass to help with his reading.

Samuel Kagia, my counterpart, and Simon Kaiga, my wonderful friend

Continue to be amazed to what they were able to haul on their puny 125-250cc Pik Piks

An exotic bird, but poorly shot using my portable camera

Regional Deaf schools sports competition

Deaf girls playing handball competition

Deaf boys playing volleyball competition

With a fellow Deaf Education volunteer Elizabeth

Simon Kaiga with his brother, also a teacher at another Deaf school

Never get tired of cute Deaf Kenya children

Deaf students from four regional schools waiting for their awards

Deaf Pride!

Can't be talking about us Deafies eh? This is a hearing school property that we used for the competition.

Fire pit that I built few days after I moved in last December

Fire pit burning whats left of my existence.  Vegetation overgrown due to the rain season.