The way things were planned, once I boarded the plane from California, I didn't have much time to reflect on leaving home or on being here. Before I started my vacation, I had scheduled a project for the Youth Volunteer Corps on the Saturday of my return at the Children's Home. "Birthday Madness" is what I called it, and the plan was to celebrate the birthdays of all the children who lived at the home on that one day. The youth council kids had made personal birthday cards for each resident and I had bought presents for each while in Southern California; gifts that correlated with their interests based on information I had received from the woman who manages the home.
I returned to St. Kitts late Friday afternoon and on Saturday morning the Youth Volunteers Corps kids and I met at the Children's Home to decorate their great room with birthday banners, balloons, tablecloths and other birthday stuff I brought back from California.
Co-workers and other Peace Corps Volunteers joined the celebration as we paired residents with volunteers to bake and decorate cupcakes and spend time getting to know one another. Later we played cricket, drenched each other in water balloons, watched spontaneous dance contests, ate pizza and opened presents. It was a wonderful day for everyone who participated and a very special Peace Corps moment.
Projects that bring community and kids together for a common cause changes lives. Saturday was the best of what I had envisioned when I created the Youth Volunteers Corps. I hope the program continues after I leave.
And so it goes, my first week back in St. Kitts, celebrating the joy of connecting, across the globe.
