So there we are in Philadelphia, 47 eager souls, recently signed-in peace corps trainees, sitting at round tables and sharing fun tidbits about Turkmenistan. It's four-thirty, we're an hour into our orientation and about 29 hours shy of departure for our new home... when there enters into the Franklin Room a man with white whiskers. He's the man responsible for the eastern europe/ central asian/ asian section of the peace corps. Without further ado, this man announces to us that the Turkmen government has cancelled our program without apology or explanation, and we are all being sent home the next day! It's an interesting thing, witnessing 46 hearts being crushed with a single blow. I could feel the tension crackling in the air switch from an exuberant giddiness to a palpable, melancholic, seething disbelief. How could this happen to us, good people making huge sacrifices to help people in need? How could we possibly get so completely screwed over? After a year of interviews and medical exams and countless piles of paperwork, after the rudiments of a new language, research into native food, music, fashion, pasttimes... we find out on the day of our departure that it's for naught. The second thought is, what now? This experience has been the ultimate compliment to the Peace Corps's ability to choose the most flexible applicants, because within five minutes of the announcement, minds were racing to form plans B, C, and D, were working to solve problems of logistics, were fighting to stay calm and rational in the face of a phenomenal disappointment. Hats off to you, T- 18s, for keeping your cool in the face of hot anger. I'm sure the gin and tonics we all grabbed on breaktime didn't hurt any, either ;)
So that begs the question: what now? I'm happy to say that of the 47 crushed souls, it seems that 47 are awaiting new placements. Disappointed, but never defeated!! Reassignment has already started, and T-18s are headed to Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Tonga, Mozambique, Ethiopia... and we are still finding out where else. As for me? My placement should come to fruition within the next 24 hours, and hopefully leading to a new departure date within 7 - 10 days, or enough time to process a visa.
Some final reflections on this experience: Although hugely disappointing, I like to think that this is one more level of peace corps experience that most people neve have the... pleasure? of experiencing, but it's nice to know that the limits fo which I am searching, the limits that I am joining the peace corps to find, aren't anywhere near approached, in spite of this disappointment. Immediately I began thinking of road trips to Cali in the interim period, pastry school in Paris, docenting in NYC... while waiting to go into PC. Way to go, everyone!
The other thought is that when saying goodbye to people you love, you should either always feel devastated, or you should never feel devastated... and let's face it, the latter is easier. Here I was, saying goodybe to my family for 27 months, breaking hearts in the process... only to be back in Toledo the next day! On the other side of the coin, we say goodbye to loved ones expecting to see them again soon, or later, and all too often the end result is never. A wise man once told me, the world is round and we will meet again upon it, we just don't know when or where... ain't that the truth!
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