Update

Man it’s been a long time since I made a post.

Few weeks ago I got an email from a concerned future Peace Corps Volunteer. She said my blog kinda scared her! I am sorry if I put my family, friends and future Peace Corps Volunteers on edge.

I am afraid of being chewed out by Peace Corps staff if I wrote about the negative side of Peace Corps. It’s a very long list of quorums I have. But in brief- The sense of adventure is over. However, that’s how Peace Corps SHOULD be. At the end of service volunteers shouldn’t be excited about traveling around their host country and taking in the sites. Instead, I am proud to say that the main thing I will miss about Jamaica is my community. Think about it, last day of college did you think about going to your favorite bar one last time or did you think about getting a drink one last time with your friends?

February my father Richard Finnegan passed away in a tragic motorcycle accident. I was able to make it to his bed side with my two bothers. Still hurts to think about. He was planning to visit me this week for my birthday… He was seriously, the funniest person I knew. He recently became passionate about his Catholic faith and just spent individual time with Shane, Cullen and I.

When I got the news of the accident I was having a bad day in Jamaica so I almost didn’t come back. I’m so glad I did. My community has been more supportive than anyone else except my immediate family. Every single person in my community knows the pain of losing a relative or close friend so they could empathize.

I hated how my community told me he would be fine because they would all pray for him. But I appreciate how now that I am back they ask questions about him and don’t expect me to get over it or move on. Like everything in Jamaica you can do things on your own time... It’s like my community is a support group. Everyone seems to be dealing with the same thing.

I am applied to A&M’s Bush School of Economic Development and UT’s LBJ Shool of Global Policy. I am almost certain I will take a year off and study Arabic, Statistics, and International Business at Austin Community College because most graduate programs require proficiency in a foreign language that is not Jamaican Creole. Take this into consideration if you are a future Peace Corps Volunteer.

The house I was building for the Pryce family – a family with a hereditary eye condition that lost one of their sons finally has a new house thanks to Food for the Poor. Now I have a second house being built for a 9 year old whose parents were murdered in separate incidents.

It’s been so long since I have post I have a million stories.

In brief-
Played football in Mobay with community
Play football (soccer) all the time with my community
Played washers with the kids at school that my dad donated : )
I have the nickname White Chocolate, I started it and it caught on life fire!
Still no Jamaican love… but it’s not over
Rebuild my bicycle with highshcool students to teach them now to build one.
Don’t talk to Peace Corps volunteers very often because of the drama
Am good friends with two Peace Corps Response Volunteers in Montego Bay( they spend a year, not two)
Stud’s tonic business is doing well
My first host brother has a daughter
I don’t like dancehall music anymore (Jamaican pop music), too repetitive
Um, im sure there is a lot more. Oh well.

Big up everyone in America!


One of the first days I played soccer with the guys.
Thanks to Kurts father Dan I have plenty of balls to play with. I worked out a deal with the guys when one ball is torn to shreds (this normally takes 3 months of very frequent play on the rocks) then I trade the old ball out for a new ball. The first ball that could no longer hold air and was missing its outer layer was signed by all the guys and given to Dan as a thank you. Thanks Dan!


Picture of my dad and I in January


The new house next to the old one. I love it.