Daisie's Peace Corps Blog

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-22373654

Great article about Mexico…it helps shed some misconceptions!

As I have mentioned previously, finding a job is one of the difficult parts of returning to the US.  Especially for professionals.  Its hard to imagine going back to being a drone in a big company.  I want to continue to make the world a better place and I am looking for that opportunity.  As part of this mission a good friend of mine in Mexico suggested that I meet Kimberly Wiefling, author of Scrappy Project Management and editor of Scrappy Women in Business.  She is an amazing woman, full of energy and loves to share the wealth!  She invited me to be a guest blogger on her Scrappy Women blog:

http://scrappywomen.biz/be-the-change-by-daisie-hobson/

Its short and sweet but I think it will encourage people to volunteer more and do things that fill their heart.  Please check out my blog and check back for more awesome stories by amazing women!

WOW!!  This blog certainly has evolved over the last year.  It went from blogs about life in Mexico and the PC training, to the many wonderful trips I took all over Mexico to book reviews and recommendations.  I want to thank everyone for reading!  I hope you have learned a lot about life in Mexico and the Peace Corps.  It was an amazing two years and it was…and still is hard to leave.  I made lifelong friends and I can’t wait to return!

Sooooooooooo now I bet you are wondering…what’s it like to be home?  What changed?  What didn’t?  What do you miss?

Well I am writing this blog in Japan so I guess I still really don’t know what its like to be home.  I am still feeling pretty homeless and unsettled.  In the month that I was “home” I spent a week in the bay area (with two different people), then a week in Oregon getting to know my dad and his family and then finally two weeks in Arizona with my mom and family.  At that point I called my brother and said “Hook me up!! I am ready to stay in one place for a while!” and then I was invited to Japan and a week later…Japan here I come!

So…having said that…what changed?  Really not much and I guess that was the surprising part! Besides my mom buying a new house nothing really changed.  I went to the same nail salon, the same massage place, the same taqueria, the same grocery stores, the same everything…I guess it seems weird because I have changed so much that its surprising nothing else did.

The other thing I am noticing is that I am still speaking a lot of Spanglish…even here in Japan I find myself speaking Spanish…gracias, aqui, si si si! It’s great though when someone answers me back…de nada!

In general though I guess the hardest part for me and I am sure it is true for most returned PCV’s…is finding a job.  We joined the PC to change the world…or at least make a small difference in part of it.  I find myself wanting to still do that…but of course I want to get paid for it this time.  I don’t want to be another number in some giant organization!  I want to be a person who matters and who does things that matter.  Do those jobs even exist?  Am I being selfish in wanting something like that?

The good news is…is that I feel like I am in a place where I can dream the big dreams and take risks.  I have very few things to lose at this point (hence why I am in Japan).  I am having a difficult time dreaming big but I am hoping that some of that is fear and I will clear it soon.  Before I left for Japan I signed up for a temporary agency for contract work.  It won’t be life altering work but at least it will keep me busy and stop the bleeding!  Even with telling myself that I am job hunting “fulltime” I am tired of being home all day long doing nothing but job hunting. After a month I am finding very few new items.

So what else is new?  I miss the simplicity of Mexico, walking every where, cooking with super fresh veggies and the people.  I have tried walking everyday since I got back…super easy to do in Tokyo but harder to do in the US.  I have had to give myself assignments in order to motivate myself.  Walking dogs and going to the grocery store are good ones but other than that I feel like I am walking aimlessly around.  Like I said…I am hoping getting job helps some of this.   I also think being settled in one place for a while will help.  We shall see…

So, aside from not having a job and looking to create something wonderful…moving back to the US hasn’t been as hard as some people would think.  Yes, TV has gotten even more insane (so I am choosing not to get one) and now I have to start paying more attention to the news (and sports).  I am a lot more flexible and adaptable than I was before so I think that helps a lot but only time will tell!

I have been asked to blog for a couple different groups.  One is Scrappy Women and that one should be published sometime this month.  The other is a Silicon Valley Project Management group and that will be published in May.  I am thinking about making some changes to this blog since my service is over and maybe create a few new blogs…maybe one specifically for book reviews and another for positive thoughts and coaching.  Who knows…regardless I will keep you posted

I am approaching my last day in Mexico more rapidly than I expected.  Originally, my last day would be around June 1.  It’s never set in stone because it depends on the individual and what they are working on.  I am headed home early because I need to have surgery.  For over a year I have been suffering from continual ear infections.  Once a month, and now once ever two weeks I get an ear infection and it looks like its because I have an enlarged adenoid which is blocking my ear drainage.  For at least 6 months the doctors were blaming it on allergies, luckily our new PC Doctor finally decided to check to see what I was allergic to, and as it turns out…nothing!

I am sure you are like…what you’ve been sick?  You never said anything???  I don’t like to complain much and mostly what it does is cause pain and some discomfort.  The thing that bothers me the most is that I lose all my energy.  I am glad this problem happened when I was acting as a volunteer.  If I was in the US I would have been fired, either for missing too much work or low performance because I worked through being sick.  I am nervous about the surgery but glad to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I am tired of always being sick.

So as you can tell I feel like I have to justify why I am leaving.  There is a huge part of me that feels like I failed.  I only have three more months, why can’t I just suck it up and finish.  There are soooo many reasons to stay and just as many reasons to return home.  I didn’t make this decision easily but truth be told, I am bored, I have finished all my projects, my kids are on to new and different adventures and I miss my friends and family.  It just feels like its time.  I did what I needed to do in Mexico and now its time to face reality.

So I write this blog as an explanation…I know a lot of my readers have been following my many adventures and even living vicariously.  I am so grateful to my friends and family who have supported me through my service here in Mexico.  I named them on FB but I want to give them another shout out!

My family: Mom, Maisie, Mary Jane and Hannah!  You guys were a blessing…clothes, Christmas decorations, candy, electronics, school supplies, random shit like Krazy Glue, chocolate, chap stick, salad dressing mix…etc… Most importantly love!

My sorority sisters: Lisa, Crissie, Jenny Lynn, and Lynnae!  Coffee!!!  Chocolates, Twizzlers, school supplies, owl stuff, Lipton Tea Bags, etc… and again most importantly LOVE!  They all have kids and they helped me not only with materials and support but the chocolate, tea and coffee certainly refueled me when I needed it. They are all super busy with their careers and children and I appreciate the support, words of encouragement and love that came with the packages and cards.  I LOVED the pictures that came with the packages.

Tiara and Tim!  My two bestests Both of them sent me tons of letters and cards along the way and even visited me!  Even the most mundane details kept me connected to home.  They are the kind of friends who even after not seeing each other for 6 months once we are together it seemed like only yesterday.

I am so grateful for all of the people above and the many other people that prayed for me, sent me words of encouragement through cards, FB or email.  I know that what I did at this time of my life is unusual.  I left a perfectly good career to work for nothing in a foreign country.  I was blessed to be able to do this and I hope that I represented my family, my friends and my country well.

I had an amazing experience in Mexico and I hope that I have shared it with you all effectively.  I hope that through my words you have learned about the beauty of my Mexico, the culture, places, people and food!

Years ago I ran across the quote below and decided to live by this definition of success.  I hope that at least one person breathed easier because of me… we certainly had a lot of laughs

This is my second Christmas in Mexico and its magical.  Dia de la Independencia, Dia de los Muertos and Semana Santa are also awesome holidays in Mexico but for Christmas they really go all out…lots of decorations, fiestas, pastorelas, piñatas and ponche. Yes, I will explain what all of that is.  I think what I like best is that we are still following old customs, we aren´t politically correct and its less commerical.

Officially Las Posadas are supposed to start on Dec 16 and end on Christmas day.  The nine days represent the 9 months of pregnancy.  Las posadas started in Spain (surprise!!) and there was a procession of people who went house to house looking for a place for Mary and Joseph to stay to give birth to Jesus.  Las posadas in Mexico isn´t that much different but its more of a party and instead of starting on the 16th a ”Posada” can be anytime before Christmas…so basically your Christmas parties.  In all posadas, in your house, your neighborhood or for your company, there is at least a nativity scene if not a full reenactment of the Nativity including the three wise men.  What I found interesting is that they will not place baby Jesus in the manger until Christmas day.  This took me some time to figure out…at first I thought at someone was stealing baby Jesus…

I have been to several official posados and they include reciting the rosary, singing songs about Mary and Joseph (Mary and Jose) and a piñata.  This is where the piñatas became popular.  Originally they weren´t shaped like burros or Dora the Explorer.  Originally they were a 7 point star.  The 7 points were to represent the seven deadly sins with the goodies of the world inside.  The stick is the Christian faith that is beating evil to share all the goodies with the world.  Of course the official drink served is “ponche” which is like a hot cider made with local fruits and of course tequilla is added when requested.

Throughout the season kids and adults hold “pastorelas” which officially translates to the “shepard´s play”.  It was a way for the Spanish to visually tell the story of the birth of Christ and the fight between the Angel Michael and the Devil.  As time went on in true Mexican fashion the mexican people added their own flavor to the play by adding shepherds to the story.  These shepherds hear about the coming of Christ through the Angel Michael and decide to see it for themselves.  Along the way they add more people to their pilgrimage and they fight evil.  I watched several versions this year and I enjoyed them all.  One even added a random dance number to it…and yes, of course, it was Gangnam Style!  We can´t close 2012 without one last tribute to the Korean pop culture hit.

Both years I have left before Christmas day and have been pretty secluded.  What´s interesting in Mexico is that Christmas doesn´t end when the presents are opened.  Apparently Dec 28 is called Innocents Day and its like our April Fools day.  Lots of tricks are played on that day and if you don´t remember what day it is you could be in trouble.

Turns out the biggest day of the season is actually the Epiphany, Three Kings day or Dia de los Tres Reyes Magos on Jan 6.  The night before kids tie letters to the three kings to a balloon and release them.  Since of course the kings brought presents to baby jesus, the kids get presents on this day too.  Usually the biggest and best presents are given on this day.  Most of my kids either got tablets or game systems this year.  On this day a “rosca” sweet bread cake is served.  Inside this cake is a baby jesus and whoever gets it is supposed to provide tamales during the Candlemas, or the Presentation of Jesus celebration in Feb.  Unfortunately I keep missing this part of the celebration but it was a joy to hear all about it and see their gifts.

As I mentioned before and as my photos show, Christmas in Mexico is magical.  Not only are there lights but they have full nativity scenes in the central parks.  Christmas in Mexico is Christmas, it is celebrating the birth of Christ and not presents.  Its not about how much money we can spend and how many presents we get but about the Saviour.  I have been blessed to be apart of the celebrations!

Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año Felicidad!