On being bored

So per usual, I have fallen tragically behind on blogging. It's a nice, cold (60), rainy day here in Mamba, Rwanda. The perfect time for some (more) self-reflection.

Free time in Peace Corps is abundant. I wasn't expecting it. I imagined a life full of non-stop action, meaningful projects, and adventure. Now don't get me wrong,  plenty of action, projects, and adventure happen. However, even on my busiest days I still find myself with plenty of hours without any particular task. At first, it was amazing. I was free of a predetermined schedule and if I wanted to lay in bed most of the day, that was perfectly ok! 

After a while it got boring. REALLY boring. In America when you have free time it is easily filled. Not always in the most productive ways. In America, a lot of the things that fill our down time are errands, TV, restaurants, shopping, etc. It keeps you going but isn't always the most meaningful. 

Here in Mamba my bi-weekly shopping trips average 10 min door to door. The market is a 2 min walk away and it always has the same produce, I buy what I like (about 6 different fruits/vegetables) there aren't dozens of aisles for me to explore or new, exciting snacks to try. 

Besides that, there isn't much room for entertainment here. I go on walks, visit friends, watch movies, or read. Normally that's enough but I occasionally get overwhelmed with the need to do SOMETHING. I can't exactly tell you what that something is, but being unable to do a multitude of things living in a rural african village has given me great perspective. 

There are so many things to do in America it can be overwhelming and it's also very easy to get stuck in routine. I know I was. I don't know what I will do when my service ends in 5 (!!!!) months. Sometimes that freaks the Type A part of me. But at the same time it's great to not have commitments. I went from 16 years of school to 2 years of service. It's about time to have some wiggle room. To explore, to try new things, to learn new skills/hobbies. 

I still have the travel bug. I still want to see more of the world. But I also want to take advantage of opportunities to see my own country and most importantly to do meaningful things with my free time. Because the options are limitless, if you allow yourself to see them.

 Before you start thinking all I do is lay in bed all day, I did have a baby in my village named after me. So I must be doing something right!