Angela Aguilar, 129 TCCS

I rode my bike today. I do most days. I live 5km from my school so I tend to ride 10km a day. I love the excuse to HAVE to exercise. How else will I get to school? There’s a little bit of a hill on the way there and a rough spot on the way home, but I’m getting used to it. It’s no big deal for me anymore.

Today, however, I rode my bike to the beach. It’s a 20km ride, one-way. I decided a couple days ago that I would not spend my Sunday lying around in bed. I would get up and bike to the beach! I spent the day before being lazy in bed absolutely dreading the fact that I made a promise to myself to do this crazy bike ride. I told myself I wouldn’t make it; that 20km in one day I could probably do but 40km total? No way. I can’t do it. Mind you, I’ve done it before when I lived closer and it was only 15km. But this time it just seemed so daunting. I told myself the rain would catch up to me or I would get tired. I doubted myself up until the very second I got on my bike and started to go. Maybe even a little bit on the way. But despite all of my doubts, I pushed through. I got rained on a little, I went up some tough hills, and I sweated a lot. But I did it. I made it to the beach! I made it happen.

The moment I sat down and watched the waves, it all became worth it. Every struggle I had faced made sense to me, all for this moment of serenity and peace in my heart. Suddenly all my self-doubt and insecurities rushed away and I was flooded with nothing but good feelings. I felt like this is what I was supposed to do today, bike to the beach. In that moment I realized the beautiful metaphor that my journey to the beach had become.
There are moments during this journey as a Peace Corps Volunteer that I dread every single thing about it. There are days that I don’t want to leave my bed. There are times where teaching is so hard and so draining I’d rather just not do it. But I get up, I push myself and I go anyways. And you know what? It’s always worth it. It might not be as instantly gratifying as rolling up to see a beautiful beach, but it’s definitely still worth it.
So I will mark this day down as one for the books. A nice reminder for when you’re having a tough time; that even though your day is full of struggles and challenges, you will push through and you know what? You will be so happy you did.

Su! Su! my friend, because if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.