COS fears

With now less than two months to go in my Peace Corps service I'm entering a very interesting time and its worth blogging about.

According to the Peace Corps cycle of vulnerability and adjustment (pictured below) I am vulnerable.

 

This chart has been quite accurate during all of my service. I was a little bit skeptical to believe that there would actually be close of service fears. I thought I would feel nothing but excitement when it was time to head home. But here I am about seven weeks from going home and I do have a few fears on my mind. 

What exactly am I afraid of? Well getting a job is one thing. I keep hearing nothing but bad things about the U.S. job market and how its still a horrible climate to come back to, that's not encouraging. I've applied for a few jobs already. There isn't really a shortage of jobs in journalism, I have found. But while I was off getting world experience I wasn't getting journalism experience. So I'm a little bit behind in job experience and I will have to find someone willing to take a chance on me without enough of it.

I'm also nervous about fitting back into American culture. I'm expecting a little reverse culture shock. Just as I had to adjust to life in Morocco, I will have to readjust to life back home.

Also fitting back in with my friends. The truth is I've changed. The changes may not reflect on the outside of me and one may not see them as they are buried inside. I want to fit back in as the new me. The old Alex, just wiser, more experienced, more assertive, unstoppable.