EC79

Elaine is coming to meet me in my village. We decided to go together. I’m helping Egbert set up a learning event for Saint Lucia’s Thirtieth Anniversary of their Independence from Great Britain. It’s hard to believe that only six months ago people were coming to welcome us to the island. Today, we are going to welcome EC79, the newest Peace Corps group on the island. They are called EC79 because they are the 79^th group of volunteers to come to the Eastern Caribbean. Eight of the twenty-two new volunteers will stay on this island.

Elaine calls and she is here. We make a quick stop at my house to catch up and hydrate, then we are off and headed to the highway to catch a bus to Hewanorra Airport in Vieux Fort, a twenty minute drive. Of course, Flat Erika is with me. Hopefully, I can make this a teaching opportunity for my next entry on Flat Erika’s blog. As we wait for the bus, one of the Peace Corps Staffers sees us and stops to pick us up.

There are several of us at the airport, several volunteers from EC78 which is my group, as well as some volunteers from EC77 who will be closing service later this year. I ask them to pose for pictures with Flat Erika.

We hear the announcement that the plane has landed. We gather near the exit knowing they will go through an expedited Peace Corps process. We hold up our Peace Corps banner.

And here they are; looking exhausted. We follow them out to the Peace Corps bus that they will take to their retreat up north. Peace Corps staff is loading the pile of luggage and bags onto a truck that will follow the bus. EC79 volunteers climb onto the bus, many looking tired and weary. It brings back the feeling I had that seems so long ago when in fact it’s only been six months.