Okay. I have been meaning to write this blog post for awhile now. I mean, I did promise to tell you all my extension reasons. Of course, I could just copy and paste the entirety of my extension request letter, but that seems lame. So, what to do, what to do?
Well, I guess I can only really talk about myself. From personal experience, extension reasons are not clearly cut or easily defined. Anyone can give you the standard set (i.e. "
I feel like I just hit my stride," "
My work just took off," and/ or, "
I'm just not done, yet."). For most cases, those standard responses are a serious part of the extension decision.
I do feel like my work just took off and
I know I still have a lot left to give.
Yet, if it was just that, I would be heading home in December.
No. There is so much to an extension it cannot be blogged about or written in an email. Extension involves talking with family, considering friends' opinions, thinking about the overall life "game plan".
Extension means preparing to watch all your [PC] friends leave and start the next phase of the Volunteer life cycle and knowing that for you, a couple really dark days lay ahead.
Extension means considering the meaningful impact you could be making at home versus the hopeful impact you may make where you currently are living.
Extension means commitment and continued bouts of hand washing clothing, missing major theater blockbusters, and learning about celebrity jail times months after the fact.
Yeah. Extension decisions are definitely not as clear cut as anyone would want you to believe.
But, in the end, it all works out. Or at least I have to believe it will because...I am in for one more year. Extension approved.
My first summer day-camp experience in greater 'Baijan was spending a week at Jane's Lankeran marathon-like two month long day camp series [link]. I remember the 14 hour bus ride, battle the mosquitos, and learning that several PCVs had changed their names to things like Mario and Luigi.
