The Eve or Soon a Voyeur To My Own World

(For those who cannot read-Tim B., Chris M., Dave G.,--the bullet point version is below)

There is really no simple way to explain the emotions I am going through right now. I am sitting in a Starbucks (of all places!) writing my final words from American soil. It sounds weird, and really has not set in yet, that I will not be back to the States for two years. Two years; it sounds so long and scary, and in a twisted way, that excites me.

During one of my “final conversations” with a good friend of mine (Mana the Mysterious), she tagged this excitement for leaving as allowing me to finally be a voyeur on to my own life. We talked about how I’m really not leaving any of my friends and family, I’m merely allowing myself to take a step behind the story of Jason Lemberg and watch it unfold. It sounds a bit weird, but I am really excited to remove myself from American life for a while and then at random spurts, check up on my life. I am really looking forward to hoping online to see how AU soccer is doing, find an international paper to find out all of the sudden the Cubs turned things around and won the World Series, to get a letter from home to find out Stoltz is engaged and Rob Ryan has a kid on the way, to get a package from Tim and find out the Center has broke ground on its new building! All thoughts of fantasy, or reality, but all of these are stories and news that I really will miss, but need to step outside of for a while.

People join Peace Corps for many, many reasons. My reasoning for joining was really quite selfish. I was so turned to Peace Corps knowing it would allow me to experience the ups and downs of living in a foreign land, to learn a new language, and to really explore the caverns of my shifty mind. I really wonder how much the kids I will be teaching know how much they will also be teaching me. I love the fact that I get to be a teacher, to help someone else become something better; especially since that is when I tend to also become something better.

This is easily the most anxious I have ever been, for anything, throughout my entire life. I have met so many great people already at Staging here in Philly, and I expect to meet many, many more great people as times moves on. Every great person I meet through Peace Corps gets me more and more excited to take this next step.

My life is about to get turned upside down, and that is very exciting.



A Duet, by Will Smith and Jason Lemberg

Now this is the story all about how
My life got flipped,turned upside down
And I’d like to take a minute just sit
right there
And let me tell you how
I became the Prince of my Fear.