Alisha Williams

So I have been here nearly one year. It is surreal and fantastic; I feel as though this great wash of change has enveloped me and I know in my heart that the next year is going to hold twice as much growth. I have challenged myself. I have challenged myself to come to Togo and work for the Peace Corps and that I have accomplished. Further, I now challenge myself to learn as much as I can- about myself, about this lovely culture I am enmeshed in, about international development, about gardening and agriculture. There is too much learning to regurgitate it all, but I know that this experience will define the rest of my life. I know that in the next year I will challenge myself in ways I can in no way perceive in this moment. It will be the time in my life that I chose and learn the skills that will bring me to the next stage of evolution. This pinnacle of experience and personal growth is valuable beyond comprehension and I feel the internal twinings and cogs of excitement and nerves beginning to whir.

I have just returned from mid-service conference, and while it is not quite the mid-service point for my program I know that it is quickly approaching and that the next year is going to fly by at an incredible velocity. There was a lot of sharing of information, tips and what not. Everyone presented something successful they have completed in village- daunting but interesting to see what others are up to. I talked about a demonstration garden I worked on throughout the summer. The various one on one gardening and farmer consultations I have given. Small potatoes but work nonetheless. The conference ended with a hilarious talent show (yes we are starved for good entertainment) and an auction for the Gender and Development small projects fund. Both were all good fun, considering nearly all the volunteers in country were present. Many memorable items were auctioned off for ridiculous prices- example: A warm bottle of Corona went for something like twenty dollars. A five night stay at the Country Directors house (with the use of a real washer and dryer!) in Lomé sold for two hundred dollars. Good times.

I am looking forward to all of my prospective work options but hope I can find a balance between them and looking inside to find the peace within. I have met and cultivated friendships that I know will last a lifetime. I will execute projects that will catapult me into new realms. I look forward to what there is to find.