India 13-14 reunion in Davis April 2015

Back row (L to R): Dave Jones, Chuck Gerhardt, Tom O’Connor, Lee Fears, Stan Derelian, Ann Derelian, Jack Slattery (Bangalore staff), Fred LaSor, Kelly Smith

Middle row:  Winnie Boge Herbert, Sandy Bush, Larry Vrieling, Tom Arens (Trainer, Hyderabad staff), Donna Anderson (Trainer), Janet Gerardy.

Front row:  Tom Carter, Sher Plunkett (Area Studies Coordinator)

Larry Vrieling did an incredible job of organizing the accommodation, the logistics, the program and activities.  Sandy Bush and Winnie Herbert also put a great deal of time and effort into the arrangements.

 The reunion agenda was very flexibile.  It included three dinners at Indian/Nepali restaurants in Davis. Two of those dinners were at a place owned by a family from Andhra Pradesh.  The food in both restaurants was  excellent but the conversation was even better.

 On Saturday morning each of us took a few minutes to talk about our lives after our Peace Corps service. The stories were moving, inspiring, funny and all of the above.   In almost every case, the volunteer experience was not only important to our view of life, but has continued in a variety of ways in our lives.

The room where we met included tables where relics from our archives were displayed:  old mug books, our training syllabus and a great many photographs taken during our volunteer service.  Also displayed were photographs and remembrances of those who are no longer with us.   All of these were supplemented by slides from training and our volunteer years.  

 On Saturday afternoon, Larry Vrieling had arranged for a young, but very talented Sitar player.  

During the meals and free time, all of us had a chance to reconnect and catch up, to sample a bit of Davis – no longer the Davis of Aggie Villa days – to enjoy the beautiful arboretum. 

 The highlight on Sunday was a picnic in Winter, California at a place that had both wine and beer tasting along with food.  But Larry had brought enough snacks that we all ate well.

 It is almost impossible to recapture the essence of the reunion which was the joy of getting together with others who, in many cases, we’d not met in the fifty years since we left India.  There was and is a very special connection between us that has to be felt not described.

One of the things we agreed on was to prepare an updated mug book with current photographs and the story of our lives since Peace Corps.  At some point when this is organized a bit, we will get back and ask others to contribute.

 In the end, only one thing was missing.  That was all the volunteers and families who could not make it.  I think I speak for all of us who were there when I express the hope that we will be able to hold a second reunion in the not too distant future, one in which all of us can participate.

With every best wish.

Tom Carter