Category Archives: Life

Gratitude for the last 25 months

Posted on July 22, 2018 by elliewick

This is the last weekend on my homestead and it is surreal. I can’t imagine my life after here. I can’t imagine not having all of my belongings nearly within arm’s reach. I can’t imagine getting up in the morning … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, eSwatini, Life, Peace Corps, Swaziland | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Gratitude, even when crying

Posted on July 8, 2018 by elliewick

Explaining my life here is hard. I have three weeks left in my community, I am crazy busy, and packing is stressful. In short, I am a mess. I revisited the blog post that best sums up my Peace Corps … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, eSwatini, Life, Peace Corps, Swaziland | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Two years in the Peace Corps in numbers

Posted on June 16, 2018 by elliewick

Today is my second anniversary of arriving in Swaziland. Now I live in a country called eSwatini. Like the name of this country, many other things have changed. Or been broken, disappeared, or accumulated. When I first started thinking about … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, eSwatini, Life, Peace Corps, Swaziland | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gratitude: All the feels from GLOW camp

Posted on May 5, 2018 by elliewick

Another week and another visitor came to kaHloniphile (my house). My friend Sam spent Sunday night here to have an easy trek the following day to GLOW camp. This was my week at camp to do M+E. I wasn’t totally … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Life, Peace Corps, Swaziland | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How I spent March’s living allowance

Posted on April 23, 2018 by elliewick

I ran out of money in March, too. It’s a trend in the PCV life, especially when I am 100 percent a cheese boy (well, girl, in this case). I didn’t even buy cheese with March’s money, but I did … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Life, Peace Corps, Swaziland | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Gratitude: Payday and phone calls

Posted on April 21, 2018 by elliewick

    I am most grateful for being paid this past week, which enabled me to leave my house and buy groceries. I also had a wonderful FaceTime conversation with a friend from home that conveniently finished that month’s data … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Life, Peace Corps, Swaziland | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

“You’re a Swazi now” and my role as an ambassador, otherwise known as life as a PCV

Posted on April 19, 2018 by elliewick

I am regularly surprised when I surprise siSwati and isiZulu speakers with what I think are my poor language skills. Speaking a few words of the local language has always been important to me. I have spent many hours learning … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Life, Peace Corps, Swaziland | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Gratitude: Work assignments, showers, packages, and quiet mornings

Posted on April 14, 2018 by elliewick

This week was better, as I managed to stay much busier. I went to Mbabane twice, once for an HIV Committee meeting and once for a meeting with PSI. Fellow HIV Committee member and G14 extender Blake spent Sunday night … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Life, Peace Corps, Swaziland | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Saturday gratitude: Extension and other wonderful things

Posted on April 7, 2018 by elliewick

I have been in a funk lately over the ever-continuing disappointment in my site and staff not following up on my requests for help. I have spent so much time reading in my hut recently that even one of my … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Life, Peace Corps, Swaziland | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tick bite fever: Another strange illness to add to my Peace Corps service

Posted on March 5, 2018 by elliewick

I have not been very sick during my service, but when it happens, it has not been a normal cold or stomach bug.  I’ve had food poisoning a few times and a horrible bout of salmonella. I’ve had a chest … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Life, Peace Corps, Swaziland | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments