A Hiatus from the Blogosphere

I haven't posted in over a month and with good reason. Since the beginning of July I have been busy, busier than I ever thought a Peace Corps Volunteer could be. I knew the schedule that lay before me was chaotic, but I also felt there was little I could do about it and that I should just suck it up and get through it. Within a two week time period I went a camping trip, climbing and sleeping at 15,000 feet in the Andes. I organized a huge event where a Division I basketball team from the states came to my home for sexually abused girls to give a basketball workshop and hand out shoes to everyone in which I brought in lot's of PCVs and Lima friends. I had friends from high school and college come visit me. I had my one year medical checks and project presentations in Lima with my entire peace corps group. I had to wrap up all of my projects at work and tie up all of my loose ends so I at the end of this hectic two weeks, I could fly home and be in a wedding the day after I arrived in California.

I had run my marathon at the beginning of July right before all of this madness started and I don't think my body ever fully recovered.

I decided before all this stuff started, that I was going to take some time off my blog because I knew I just wouldn't have the time. I meant to write that I was taking a break but I found myself feeling so tired and not having the energy to do something as simple as write a simple blog.

On the plane ride to the states it hit me just how tired I was. My whole body hurt and the last thing I wanted to do was party all weekend long at a wedding. But once again I shrugged off my exhaustion, dug deep and tried my best to be my energetic, positive self. I thought maybe I was just tired from all the traveling. I knew that the past few weeks had taken a toll on me, but I didn't realize how much until the day after the wedding. Finally after arriving at the house where I grew up, I felt the repercussions of what I had been doing to myself. I was sick.

I had been dreaming about my trip to California since before it was even planned. There was an endless list of people I wanted to see, places I wanted to go and food I wanted to eat. I was shocked and deeply saddened by my inability to do any of it. After a few days of rest it became apparent that whatever I had was not getting better and I needed to go to the doctor. I was diagnosed with tonsillitis and Mono. I had to hold back tears or relief when I found out what was making me feel so aweful. Relief that I wasn't week or a wimp, that there was actually something wrong with me. After going to the doctor, I didn't leave my house for days. I slept more in the following week than I probably slept in the month of July. I was happy to be recovering in the comfort of my own home, with my real parents there to take care of me, but I was sad that I was loosing my vacation.

Shortly after getting diagnosed I informed Peace Corps Washington and they put me on medical hold. Meaning, I couldn't return on my scheduled date and could only go back to Peru once I was medically cleared. I was again, both saddened and relieved by this news. I felt relieved that I had time to recover, that it wasn't a ticking clock counting down get better in one week or else. I was sad because I realized how much Peru had become my home and how much I missed my life there and wanted to go back.

So here I am now, the day before I was supposed to fly back to Peru and I'm on Medically Evacuated status. I probably will not blog again until I get back to Peru, which could be another two weeks at least. I'm going to take this time to let my body heal and spend time with my friends and family. I promise I will be back to my old self again as soon as I possibly can. Thanks for reading.