Excuse me,
is that a hand-rolled cigarette you’re holding?
America
is chock-full of hipsters, yeah? Portland, Brooklyn, New Orleans,
Chicago, St. Louis, San Francisco. Oh, friend… Wait till you see Africa. You've
only got the remnants..
I think we
probably more resemble what people would call hippies than anything else.
Except that many of us are young professionals. In Jesus sandals, retro
Ray-Bans, and beaten up Panama hats.. [I include myself in their ranks –
therefore nullifying my ability to be a hipster – because they hate it when you
call them that – of course, that qualifies me yet again for the title… but
moving on..]
I've met
teachers, researchers, conservationists, hotel managers, travel guides, and
writers. Doctors, nurses, NP project managers, graphic designers, and chefs.
Some of them
volunteer. Some of them work for NGOs and non-profits. Supervise school administration.
Manage hotels in secluded, blissful places. Some are just taking a break from
their career. They come from all corners of the globe.
[A legacy of
imperialism.
The desire and
ability to see the wonders of the planet. So far, often, from the ‘civilized’
places back home where we've stuck up casinos, hotels, mini malls, and parking
garages adjacent to all the sites to see there.. ]**
We
constantly try to seek out the fundamental experiences of living abroad.
The ones you
get when you allow yourself to be cut off from home.
We
hitch-hike, barter, beg, and borrow to make it from one place to another.
We travel
insane distances overland to get to these places of wonder..
As a Peace
Corps volunteer working 50 hours a week, I have had only a nibble of what
Africa has to offer.. PC Volunteers are constantly under the umbrella of bureaucracy that is
the US Government. If we leave our village for anything longer than a weekend, paperwork must be produced, signed
and approved. Then again.. Every three and a half months, I can abscond from my village for a week or two or so during holiday.
The desire to keep tabs on
volunteers is a good one. A necessary thing.
But, damn if it doesn't feel like
I’m in high school trying to make sure I don’t miss my curfew. Being in the
Peace Corps you lose a chunk of your autonomy.
The
experience is worth it in the long run, but ooo-eee it’s a challenge walk that
line.
I've got one
year to go. One.
I’m excited
to let a little loose.
Being this
well behaved isn't good for my psyche.
 |
| Animal just wants to be free, man.. | Jungle Junction, Bovu Island, Zambia |