As an instrument of human creation, music has an uncanny ability to express an emotion, capture a moment, and even define a whole time period of one’s life.
Category: My Peace Corps Story
An Evergreen Reclamation
A cool forest air rolls through the windows of my Ford Escape as it slowly eases to a stop. The soft breeze continues on, caressing the treetops of Allegheny National Forest in western Pennsylvania and offering a brief respite from the heavy heat of summer humidity. Several cars rest idly by in the parking lot, [...]
A Mango for the Road
I guess I’ve been putting this off for awhile now. It hasn’t been for any particular reason, I just haven’t felt much up to writing these past couple months. Not too long ago, I posted on here about the conflicting emotions and feelings of Closure, especially as it pertained to the conclusion of my Peace [...]
Run Wid It
"Music, at its essence, is what gives us memories. And the longer a song has existed in our lives, the more memories we have of it." -Stevie Wonder Music can be a funny thing. Some songs you fall in love with immediately, others require listening to a few times before it becomes a favorite. Others [...]
Closure
I know what I’m looking for, but right now I just don’t know how or even where to begin. Last week I traveled back to St. Lucia for my cohort’s Close of Service (COS) Conference, which came and went like a passing breeze. It was a challenging week emotionally, as one PCV described the atmosphere as [...]
Peaked
I guess you could say that I have “peaked” here in Grenada. Last weekend, I hiked to the summit of Mt. St. Catherine, the highest point in Grenada at roughly 2,750 feet above sea level. Yet, in reality there’s more to it than that. This week we returned to school from the two-week Easter vacation, meaning [...]
These Glory Days
A beautiful sunsrise as seen from Bathway Beach.Green Island and Sandy Island can be seen on the horizon.My beach bum companion for the morning.My hammock set up for the night beside PCV Deb Campelia.My first beach-side Caribbean bonfire. Rubbing soft sleep from my eyes A bright light takes to the sky, An emerging sun on [...]
Unbridled and Free
I lean back on the steel screen fencing of the market, watching as vehicles cruise past on the road. Throngs of people bustle throughout the cloud of barbeque smoke billowing from a grill over the street. Some of them are running errands, others waiting on a bus or chatting with a friend, leaving the rest [...]
Marching On
7:21 a.m. My phone alarm’s muffled ring comes from somewhere buried under the sheets. In that momentary burst of energy that comes from a sudden arousal from sleep, I dig through the bed sheets, tossing pillows aside and hitting the snooze button almost immediately. The alarm now silent, I exhale softly. Rolling back over, I close my [...]
“Always the Same; Yet Ever Different”
“A feeling generated by the mystery of water; water that seems alive, always rushing past yet never going, always the same yet ever different.” * * * My time at home began with a long, quiet plane ride from Grenada to Miami. The gentle whirring of the plane’s engines provided a monotonous comfort. There’s always [...]