Hello Everyone,

This will be the last blog post I will write as a student and recent graduate of a program at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG). The past 2 years as a student blogger has given me a wonderful opportunity to share about my student and personal life. I hope I was able to at least encourage or touch someone through my blogs.

By far, this has been the most difficult blog I have had to write. There are so many thoughts running through my head and so many emotions I want to convey, but I couldn’t seem to put them into the right words.

Simply put:

Thank you, USG, for making me feel like I belong there.

Thank you, USG staff, for letting me blog.

Thank you, readers, for giving me the chance to share.

My academic journey has been long, but it was worth it because I’m now happily working for my dream job! It’s all thanks to the encouragement and support I received from the staff, faculty, and my peers at USG.

For the next month, I will continue to be trained here in Cambodia as a Peace Corps Trainee. I will be swearing in as an official Peace Corps Volunteer in mid September. After that, I will be serving as a volunteer in the area of Community Health Education for the following 2 years.

I can’t believe it’s been over 5 weeks already since I left the US and arrived here in Cambodia. Each day feels so long but each week goes by quickly.

It has been a month full of learning, exploring, and adapting. Our training is intense and our days are so structured, long, and full, yet we still have an ample amount of time to enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner, and 8 hours of sleep. It’s rather nice to have our days planned out. No extra headache and stress. Since we bike everywhere every day, we also get our daily dose of exercise. I’ve already lost over 20lbs since I got here.

I also feel so blessed to have a wonderful host family, awesome new friends, and a super supportive team of Peace Corps staff. Really, they make the whole “intense pre-service training” so much better and easier.

I have definitely enjoyed my time here so far, and I’m looking forward to whatever adventures the future holds for me.

This is where I say my goodbye. I wish everyone at USG the best of everything!

With Much Gratitude,

Christine

P.S. Here is a link to my personal blog about my adventures as a Peace Corps Volunteer: www.christinethinnpeacecorps.weebly.com.

P.S.S. Here are some photos from my adventures in Peace Corps Cambodia so far.

My view on the way to do a home-visit with an expectant mother in the village

We Peace Corps Trainees measured Blood Pressure of Health Center patients with the help of our Khmer language teacher

My host family took me on a trip to Kampot Province for a hike to the pagoda and to the sea to have some fun and some delicious seafood!

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Disclaimer: The content of this website is mine alone and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government, the Peace Corps, or the Cambodian Government.
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