The Terrible Six-vens

     When children hit the age of 2, parents usually go through a behavioral phase with their child(ren) known as the "Terrible 2's". During the terrible 2’s children have random outbursts, behavioral issues and a variety of other “issues”. Well, in Peace Corps, we can relate this approximately to months six and seven of your service. During months six and seven things get interesting in terms of the volunteers mental and emotional state. If you are in a school this is when you prepare for a winter break of travel or you just get a chance to relax and breath after the first portion of the school year comes to a close. Firstly, you congratulate yourself for making it through culture changes, counterparts, children who drive you crazy (yet you still "love" them, but not quite understanding why hahaha), homestay's and being able to understand a reasonable amount of conversations in some foreign language that's been driving you crazy for the past 6 months. Second, you are excited for whatever travel plans you've made and a chance to “experience something new”. You get out of country, or get to see another volunteer’s site, stay in the capital for more than 12-24 hours or whatever that “new” is. Third, you’re just glad you don’t HAVE to get up at 6 or 7 am, but may if you choose to. Now, once this break has passed and you’re preparing for that first day back at school you are actually somewhat excited. You are ready to hit the ground running, having had some rejuvenation and time “away”. Now that first day is good, day 2 not too bad, but by time that first Saturday back arrives, there comes a change in attitude. Things that you knew bothered you a bit now annoy you beyond belief. You start to feel stifled and like you are in a cage, and then you go somewhere and the stares and pointing and comments start back and several thoughts start to run through your mind. Thoughts may range from “I just can’t deal/adult today (or ever)” to “Why am I doing this” and then comes my favorite “I DON’T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS!” Hello, you have just hit your terrible six-vens (six/seven months). In training your PDMO will tell you how once you hit months  six to seven you start leveling out and the emotional roller-coaster that you were on all during PST and the first three months at site will now subside. What they DON’T tell you is that as that may be true and your random “flare-ups” may subside the feeling of “OH CRAP this is really my life now, SAVE ME!” sets in. You can’t quite shake your annoyed/irritable/sad/stuck/misunderstood/anti-social/missing my old life feelings. But I promise there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Personally, my six-vens lasted about 2 weeks, and lots of journaling, a night out with other volunteers and finding things to busy yourself with really helps. Rather it is planning the next vacation, helping other teachers, creating a plan of action, visiting friends etc. Everything helps.

So don’t fray, your six-vens may be a hard time, but you’re half way through your school year almost, and you’ve been pushing through like a true PCV! You got this, and if that doesn’t work, there is always another volunteer who is going through it who you can cry to :-p

To friends and family at home, support your PCV for they are really missing you, their old life and all the holiday festivities etc. Get those “we are thinking of you” care packages packed and shipped to help your PCV out, and just a friendly ENCOURAGING Skype session goes a LONG way (Don’t mention to us “You can always come home” – that’s NOT what we need)!

So here is to making it through your Terrible Six-vens and looking forward to that 1 year hump! :)