…Like Bob Marley Loves St. Ann :: Site Assignments

My new backyard completed with a Jamaican apple tree

“Where is that,” were the first words out of my mouth when my program manager told me that I had been placed in St. Ann for the next two years. It was a little embarrassing to have to ask that question in front of my Country Director and the person that had been training me for the past two months, but there we were. We had been told over and over again not to get our hearts set on any specific place on the island so that we wouldn’t be disappointed. I took that very seriously. Maybe a little too seriously, but it's definitely hard to be disappointed if you don’t have any expectations.

I emerged from the placement room and was greeted by 17 smiling faces asking me where I would be going. They had a similar reaction when I told them, so we searched the map together to find my little community in St. Ann: dead center of the island. Hmmm…. It was hard to tell anything from just looking at a map and I didn’t have access to internet so I had to wait for over a week before finally making the journey to my new home on May 18^th.

On our way to adoption!

Adoption Day, as we lovingly call it, was a day that we had all been looking forward to for months. We were finally going to meet our new supervisors and get “adopted” by our permanent families. It was an exciting, emotional, nerve-wracking day. After meeting our supervisors, we all went our separate ways. For me, that meant a three and a half hour ride home with my new boss. It’s as awkward as it sounds (but fortunately my supervisor is super cool).

Two years worth of luggage for 35 people. Yikes.

I nervously stepped out of the car when we arrived at my new home. I was terrified. What if my new host mom doesn’t like me? What if I don’t like her? My brain was running a mile a minute until I heard Mrs. Laty coming out of her house to greet me. I don’t know what it was, but I was instantly calmed by the sound of her voice and I could tell that she was going to be a perfect match for me. We both ran up to the gate and hugged each other over it. Wi kyaan bother fi open di gate. If love at first site is a thing, this was definitely it.

She brought me into the house to show me my new digs. Y’all, I honestly feel a little guilty about how good I have it here. My bedroom is beautiful, I have my own bathroom, and I have hot running water. This is not AT ALL what I had in mind when I applied for the Peace Corps and said that I would go anywhere. I imagined a mud hut with no electricity or water but this is the path that Peace Corps chose for me. I shall not complain.