Over the summer I was at a hotel with friends in Gisenyi and met an ex-pat working on the Kigali Convention Center. We were discussing being engineers, and I must have made an impression because he called me shortly after about a job position. After a lengthy interview and negotiation process, I decided to take a job with his British engineering/architectural firm. As of October 4, I am no longer a Peace Corps volunteer.
Don’t fear! I still live in Rwanda, and will continue to keep the blog going on a bi-weekly basis. I thought the job would be a good in-between point. I would still be in Rwanda, which would mean that I could still visit and help my village, while at the same time getting a different vantage point of Rwanda. I will be able to see how ex-pats and Kigalians live while still having the view of a Peace Corps volunteer.
The decision to leave the Peace Corps was difficult. I have really enjoyed my time in the Peace Corps, but was growing tired of having so much free time. During my Peace Corps tenure, I read 40 books and have watched more television in the past year than in the past ten years combined. I still wanted to be in Rwanda, and I wanted to travel, grow, and develop. I also wanted to be active and more centrally located. This job seemed to be the answer to those desires.
With this new job, there are almost no rules to what I can do in my off time. I still am required to conduct myself well and be non-political, but otherwise I am free. This will give me the ability to discover a lot more about Rwanda and go see places I would have not otherwise done. You might notice a few small changes to the blog, and those reflect changes now that I am a civil engineer and not a Peace Corps volunteer. However, my inquisitiveness and attitude have not changed. I still want to help Rwandans, and teach you about Rwanda and east Africa.
The next blog will be in two weeks. Stay tuned…
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