“The Journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.”It’s hard to think back to what that first step would have been as I find myself sitting on a LOT (Polish Airline) flight from Warsaw to Larnaca, Cyprus. I am standing at the doorstep of a new chapter in my journey of life. Was the first step walking into the airport yesterday in Denver, saying goodbye to my parents once again? Or maybe it could be traced much further back to the day I first stepped on a basketball court years ago.
Well, wherever that first step was taken it is currently leading me to Nicosia, Cyprus where I will be spending the next 2 years as a Fellow with PeacePlayers International. An International Non-Government Organization (NGO) whose mission is to educate, unite and inspire youth from divided communities. In Cyprus these communities are the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriot communities.
I don’t have many expectations as I prepare to arrive shortly in Cyprus but what I do have is an open mind, a passion for the mission of the organization, and a desire to leave a noticeably positive difference in the lives of these kids as well as the organization of Peace Players.
This is an exert from my journal entry while I was in transit from America to Cyprus. I am beginning this blog as a response to the many inquisitions of friends and family as to my work and personal life at this current stage in my journey of life. After finishing my service of 27 months as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cameroon(see my past blog Ashleysadventuresinafrica), the desire and dedication to serving and lead in the setting of development work still captures my heart. Specifically, the idea of using sports (my passion) as a tool for community development and social change resonates so deeply within me. Two of my favorite secondary projects as a PCV were my experiences working with my young girls’ sports club and my mamas’ sports club I created in my village of Manjo, Cameroon. Identifying as an athlete my entire life, I was familiar with the incredible life lessons that sports have taught me. Beyond these life lessons sports allowed me a vehicle to connect with my community, forming deep and meaningful relationships with individuals that I would have otherwise had little in common with. So I take these experiences that have greatly shaped my life and my time as a Peace Corps Volunteer to a new region of the world and begin as an International Fellow with PeacePlayers International. Check out our website at www.peaceplayersintl.org. We keep a weekly blog on our website highlighting our local programming activities. Follow us at: http://blog.peaceplayersintl.org/ If you want more personal updates you are welcome to follow my personal blog here: http://journeysandgems.blogspot.com/
Thanks for all of your love, support and encouragement as I follow my heart and my passions in this new line of work!
