Bren

                                                                                                                                                                                    (Photo Edited by Caitlyn Chelsen) There is an unspoken stigma tied to women who are open about their sexuality and the amount of partners they’ve had in their lives. They’re usually categorized as sluts, “easy” , or unable to find love. ...

Photo: Taken by Brenda Nieves   I look into the space and find myself jumping into memories. It feels like a dance I’ve danced before... ...a song I’ve heard before...  ...a love I’ve felt before.  Such a crazy time to be alive. 10 months ago we were thanking god that we were here and now we dread the start of a new day. A day that is almost prison like with a routine that chips away at what was once our happiness.  I can’t say, “where life has taken us” because the truth is this IS NOT LIFE. This isn’t a decision made by our own free will. This is the road left with no choice. Where this illness has taken us is dark. I’m cold and have forgotten what your warmth feels like. What you taste like. What you smell like. What you sound like. Things don’t seem right.  Soon enough everything will feel like a dream, as if what happened was just my imagination running wild, where this sickness decided to just grab me by my heart rip it to shreds and say, “time to be exile...

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 Indonesian Government. So I've been living in Indonesia for over 100 days....to be honest with you all, it feels like I just got here. I mean yes I learned the language and know a bit about the culture, but things still feel new to me. I was recently told by a PCV veteran that the feeling will go away (I can't wait) I’ve been living in my permanent site (Tasikmalaya, Karangjaya) for about a month now (I think)...I haven’t been counting. All I know is that I got here just a few days before Christmas. I was not looking forward to the holidays, but they were better than expected. This is in front of what would be called their town hall. It's absolutely beautiful. For Christmas, I went to Tasikmalaya City with a volunteer named Mahogoni. We had a Christmas Eve dinner and hung out in this huge mall. Since this country is predomi...

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 Indonesian Government. I wanted to update you all on my life here in Indonesia. It's been a month since I've left America and I have learned about their culture, food, and how to speak their language. It has not been easy. I've dealt with illnesses (YES ALREADY) and of course I miss my loved ones. But let's get to some snippets of my favorite memories so far. This is a cute banner made of my cohort during one of my training sessions. The first few days here I stayed in Surabaya which is a major city that is densely populated. Out the window of my bus, I could see SO MANY people riding motorcycles; they use that here more than they use cars. I even saw three people on one motorcycle with a tiny little baby between them! I was impressed because that takes skill. I can't even ride a bike correctly (I'll get into that...

How to Listen There are many things that are currently happening in America, Trump becoming president, laws changing, and people fighting for their rights. In this moment of turmoil, the best thing we can do is understand each other, instead of physically hurting each other. I’m not saying to take someone else's belief and make them your own, but just listen to what others have to say so that you can better understand their actions.This can create a less hostile environment so that there is room for civil conversations. I think this is pretty fucking important because it seems like we're living in a very important time in American History (fingers crossed). (I don't own this photo. Click here ) Topics That are Causing Conflict I’m currently living in Virginia and the two topics that have been causing some conflicts here are the Black Lives Matter Movement (BLM) and the Confederate flag. I have heard about BLM from fellow peers saying things such as “they’re a...