Eat, Pray, Love

(This is another blog of personal reflection. Sorry no exciting, gory, or wild tales told this time.)

The past few weeks I have been finding myself in a very interesting position. I can honestly say that I have had a sense of peace and contentment that I have never known before. It is hard to describe -- I have this feeling inside that this moment is special and one to be relished and not changed. On the other hand, I have been confronting my dissatisfaction with my internship. I love my co-workers, I support the organization and and this project, however, I do not find myself contributing in the ways I would like. The language barrier is a continual challenge in my being involved professionally and I have to try not to criticize and question why this was not determined prior to my arrival. And then I remember all the pieces that had to fit together in order for me to come here and am reminded that I might not know the answers to my questions immediately, but perhaps after time has passed.

When talking to my sister a few weeks ago she mentioned that maybe this time here in Madagascar is my 'Eat, Pray, Love' experience, for those of you familiar with the recent movie staring Julia Roberts based on the true story of Elizabeth Gilbert who went on a personal journey for one year to Italy (Eat), India (Pray), and Bali (Love). I was quick to assure her that I won't be 'eat-ing' in Madagascar. My experience has been quite the opposite from Elizabeth Gilbert's -- Malagasy food promotes fasting or balimia opposed to Italy's invitation for gluttony. This was strongly confirmed after spending the night writhing on the bathroom floor earlier this week. In addition, I am not so sure I will find 'love' in Madagascar; short, tooth-less Malagasy men aren't really my type and I haven't come across any Brazilian heart-throbs that Elizabeth was fortunate enough to encounter in Bali. Regardless, my sister's idea has stuck with me even though I did not come to Madagascar on a personal quest to find myself, recover from some tragic loss in life, or in search of life-long answers. I did come here, however, first to complete my master's degree which is all apart of the bigger purpose -- to continue living out a life I have felt called to and to participate in a world the majority lives.

My 'eating,' 'praying,' and 'loving,' might look a bit different than Elizabeth Gilbert's did but that does not change what I might ultimately learn in the process and take away in the end. My eating will look more like a six month cleanse rather than indulging in pasta and pastries; my praying will be spent on the rooftop under a canopy of stars rather than in an Indian ashram; and I will love the "least of these" and have already recognize that they are not 'least' but rather very great, humble, beautiful people instead of falling in love with a less-than-eligible bachelor. I do not think you need to go to Italy, India, Bali, or even Madagascar to have an 'Eat, Pray, Love' experience, whatever that means to you. But since I am here, separated from my comfort zone, denied American pleasures (which I am still figuring out if they are real pleasures), and surrounded by the noisy-silence, I mine-as-well fully take advantage of this time and place and all that it has to offer in all areas of my life, not just academically/professionally. So even though I face frustrations and sometimes wonder why on earth am I here, I am reminded by special people in my life to accept the experience for what it is and if I do that, I will know the peace that I have now and will come away enriched.