First moments in site

(I published this post along with the next one on the same day, but the content is about things that happened about two weeks apart).... I’ve been in site now for almost a week now, and I could have packed the world with me and nothing I would have brought could have helped me with the life changing decision being a volunteer signifies. Of course we try and picture ourselves in rustic conditions with Kodak moments of serendipity with local farmers or laughing children, but to me all of that seemed so distant and surreal as I traveled up the mountain 6 people deep in a 4 person station wagon traveling 4 hours from the nearest city. My site is a wonderful mountain town situated quaintly in a valley next to a roaring river. The main activity here is farming and child rearing, and is about as rustic as you can get. My room is a fairly good size, a bed, a desk, dirt floors and rock walls. My new host family consists of my madre Yolanda, my padre Ramilo, and my hermanas Gaby and Pati and my hermano Ramilo Jr. There are about 300 people in my town, and is one of the “newest” towns in Yauyos since it was formed in the 1900’s! I’ll be primarily working with Peru’s National Park Guard equivalent, called SERNAP Park Guards. So far the food has been agreeable (it could use a little less salt and grease), the people have been open to the idea of a gringo strolling their streets randomly coming up to them and explaining why the hell a gringo is this far from a city, and it seems that if you talk to enough people you’ll eventually find something interesting to do. I think the hardest part so far is not having a structured calendar. Though I am part of the US Government, with all its bureaucratic tendencies, all structure flew out the window the hour in my site. I still haven’t met the Mayor because he’s been on vacation, I’ve talked to my community partner once (in passing as he whizzed off on a motorcycle), and I ended up teaching a class on English my second day here without any notice. But that is why the Peace Corps needs driven, independent, and most importantly flexible people. These first few months are probably going to be a big test of my fortitude and patience. The first part of the Peace Corps experience is also the hardest, and that is simply being integrated into your community; all of my future projects will depend on how well I can pass this first test…No pressure.
As for practical advice, all I can say is give me a few weeks and I’ll get back to you! Honestly, right now I don’t think any training, packing, or mental preparation could probably help me (or the reader of this blog) truly prepare for the first few moments in site…I can say bring a rain coat, its rained every afternoon so far.