Why Peace Corps? Why Now?

I think many of my friends would tell you that I can be overly logical and indecisive to a curious level, especially, when it comes to making major life decisions. The decision to Join the Peace Corps was, definitely, not taken lightly nor did it manifest whimsically in a moment of insight. I grew up always wanting to travel the world and always feeling like the world was very small, in a suburb outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee. However, I kept putting that dream off and couldn’t seem to find a way to make it happen because I was too busy trying to be a good student, employee, wife…etc. I was definitely becoming that case of a person who continuously puts off their dreams but no matter how hard I stopped trying to listen the universe keeps speaking to me.

(The door at the front of the local Orthodox Church in Dubăsarii Vechi.)

I had always considered joining the Peace Corps, I even studied Anthropology in my undergraduate career in hopes that I would go and live among the natives one day, no matter how romanticized that notion may be. In my early 30’s I made some major shifts in my personal and professional lives. I got divorced in 2014. Subsequently, I changed careers after many years of working in the social work field. Also, I have a Master’s in Public Administration but couldn’t find a way to really break out of social work or healthcare administration. I had spent most of my 20’s as a social worker and was experiencing burn out. I needed to find a practical way to do all of the things that I have been putting off during my early adulthood and to use my Public Administration degree. So, my room mate at the time, and I sat in front of a computer together with a glass of wine and started researching everything we could find about the Peace Corps. I will say, the decision at the time was easy for me because I was finally ready physically, emotionally and mentally. Also, from a strictly logical prospective, joining the Peace Corps had many advantages. However, sometimes these advantages varied based on the country of service. For example, Moldovan is an easy jump from here to most of Europe!

What I discovered is that ultimately, if you have the heart to serve and the adaptability to move to another country, in which you will be living and working in very different conditions, it is a great choice for you to learn new skills and to gain advantages after you service. This can include non-competitive eligibility for certain government jobs, deferment and potential forgiveness of student loans. Additionally, the experience looks amazing on a college application or resume and you will get the chance to immerse yourself in another culture and learn a new language.

These are all great reasons to join Peace Corps, but I think what I thought I was going to get from this experience was not what I expected. In addition to all of these things, I have grown a backbone that I didn’t even realize I needed. I have gained confidence in my ability to really work outside of my comfort zone, lead a team, manage multiple projects, be a self starter and live in a foreign place without my usual support system of friends and family. I had to find a way to create those things here, in another culture and context!

Peace Corps has changed me already and I wouldn’t give any of it back. I am glad that I chose this journey despite the growing pains at times. To end, I will attempt to paraphrase another volunteer who said,

“This might be the hardest thing you will ever love.”