Thursday, September 6, 2012

Nearing the End


It has been over a month since I have written.  The end of Ramadan came and went, and I vacationed in Turkey with Florence.  Oh yeah, and I’m now engaged.  Since returning to Kurdistan things have gone well.  With the end so clearly in my sights, how could it not? 
            My role at Career Development Center has expanded a great deal.  When the Director left I took over in an Interim role.  In the United States I would not have been offered such an opportunity, and at a major university it is probably for good reason.  I relish any opportunity to expand my skill set, and my CV, and it now appears that career development is a path I am considering as I apply to jobs.  I want to be able to connect to students, something that is leading me to mostly apply at universities, but career development offers an external portion that allows me to stay connected to the “real” world.  It has certainly been frustrating at times as I feel that I am doing much of the work alone, but my main focus is laying the foundation for the CDC’s success; anything that happens after is on them. 
            One opportunity that the CDC presented which I found to be quite enjoyable was a trip to Sulaimani.  It is about 5 hours away from Duhok but feels much different culturally.  The city has much more bottle shops, bars, and it seems far less conservative than Duhok.  The American University there has some pretty amazing brand new buildings.  The rest of campus is dry and mostly unsightly dirt, but the buildings are top notch.  I also found out that a teacher there makes $6,000/month.  That, combined with working with numerous other Americans, naturally led me to think, “What am I doing in Duhok?” 
            Overall, I am glad that I spent my time here.  Some American friends of mine, a married couple with two young children, recently asked me what I gained from my experience.  At first, it was tough to answer.  It is clearer now.  I know what it is like to be alone and entirely self sufficient.  Living away from home before has certainly provided me with plenty of experience in the American context; however, there is something distinctly different about living 6,000 miles away from everything you know and love.  With much free time, and an inability to connect with most of the population, you are forced to spend time with just you and your thoughts.  The computer provided a much needed release, and living with Samuel and Paige certainly helped give some taste of the West; however, being in Duhok has given a greater opportunity to increase my capacity for: handling diversity, facing challenges you have no control over, and remaining calm no matter what happens. 
            There are many more things that I wish I could have, or should have, accomplished here.  The NGO consulting firm never got off the ground despite my grandiose expectations.  This was a lesson in humility and that just because you are doing the right thing doesn’t mean that it will automatically work.    I never learned Kurdish, or even attempted to, and I probably should have taken greater advantage of this opportunity of language immersion.  I don’t think this will hurt me too much down the road, though.  I did manage to see a fairly great deal of the Kurdistan Region, and long after I leave it will certainly have a special place in my thoughts, despite the setbacks I have faced while here. 
            Another important nugget of wisdom from this experience has been the opportunity to view America from the outside.  We are still looked at as a beacon for many of the people here, and rightfully so, but this experience has certainly changed my view on US foreign policy.  It seems that the most impactful forms of diplomacy aren’t those instituted by the State Department or any official government program; it comes just by having real Americans to talk to, exchange ideas, work together, and see what people are really like.  While I still feel that foreign aid is a necessary tool, I am quite alright with focusing more on providing tangible goods and services to those in need (mosquito nets, hurricane assistance, etc.) rather than capacity building.  I don’t want to turn this into a wonkish discussion of foreign policy nuances as I am admittedly speaking from personal experience and not in-depth research. 
            Overall, the experience has been fruitful.  I have been offered to stay here at the university as full-time Executive Director of the Career Development Center, but I don’t see myself staying in Duhok and Florence has zero desire to even enter the country, regardless of how lucrative we could make the salaries (they provided the carrot that if I stayed they would hire Florence too.)  What is next for me?  Only time will tell.  I set the goal of applying to one job per day since returning to vacation.  That would total 41 before I leave; thus far I have applied to 16, right on schedule.  Locations applied to are literally all over the country.  Where the first interview and offer will come from I don’t yet know. 
As of now, applying for jobs is an exciting process.  There is something alluring about not knowing what is next on the horizon.  However, I am certain that if I don’t have something locked up by January that excitement will turn to desperation as I am unable to collect unemployment in the US due to not having collected a paycheck in the US for a full year.  Until now, I just have to stay positive, steadily keep on plugging away, and I am sure that something will come up.  It is funny because I have applied to entry level positions which I am clearly overqualified for, and this job I am applying to now is nearly a senior level position at a community college.  Just roll the dice and see what comes up…..

A few pics from vacation for the non-Facebook savvy people aka Dad.
















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