Why did you join Peace Corps?
The Peace Corps is something I’ve pined for for about 10 years. Living rurally for two years in another country and doing community work with underserved people gives me the opportunity to live abroad in a way that is difficult to experience otherwise, and this appeals to me (as do the challenges of service, of which there are many). Of course, altruism of the work appeals to me - I’m looking forward to making impacts in my community, utilizing my education and work experience to execute successful projects, and engaging in cultural exchange; very generic and probably the same as every other volunteer, but no less true for me.
How did you choose/get chosen for Nepal?
I applied directly for the food security position in Nepal! It works like a job posting on the Peace Corps portal online, where position openings are listed by country of service. I initially applied without a specific position in mind and had Peace Corps staff place me; I saw the posting for Nepal afterward, though, changed my mind, and decided to apply directly to the Nepal position instead, because the earlier timing worked out better for me, and because it sounded awesome. I don’t regret the decision, but I am sorely disappointed that I’ll be missing some major family events as a result. My younger sister is graduating high school, and my mother is celebrating her 60th birthday!
What will you be doing there?
I’ll hold a food security position, which has two primary objectives listed below. In reality, though, whatever need there is that I can assist with, I will try to, even if it doesn’t fall under my primary objectives. These are:
- Improve production of food through means such as: education on crop management, beekeeping, mushroom cultivation, and personal finances.
- Improve dietary nutrition and health of community members with an emphasis on pregnancy/youth through means such as educational workshops and cooking demonstrations.
My first few months of service will be largely focused on integrating into the community, getting to know people, and trying my best to speak like a well-intentioned adult in broken Nepali instead of a 3-year old in significantly more broken Nepali.
Where will you be placed?
Before arriving at my permanent site, I’ll be going through training (Pre-Service Training, or PST), with my cohort of ~20 people. Training will take place in a regional “suburb” of Kathmandu called Kavre, about 60 km (37 mi) from the city center, for a duration of about 2.5 months. I will be sworn-in as a volunteer and then will go to my permanent site to live with my long-term host family. This will tentatively be in the Parbat region, about 250 km (155 mi) west of Kathmandu. My placement site could change between now and then, but regardless, I will probably be within a few hours of Pokhara - a beautiful area and major stopping point for tourists and trekkers.
Do you know anyone else going there?
No! There’s one other Washington resident who is in my cohort, though, so that’s somewhat interesting.
How are you feeling? Are you excited?
There’s a lot of relief, now, since I've reached the point of no take-backs - I am writing this on the plane taking me to staging, which for our group is in Philadelphia for two days. Today is June 8th, 10:28am. I have been running around packing and buying (and thinking about, and returning, and repacking) my things for the past two and a half weeks, which is all the time I had after coming back from a long trip in Europe - shout out to those folks, love you!
But yes, I’m finally feeling excited for real, now that the most stressful part is behind me (psyche). I did neglect to play my accordion before I left... I miss it already.
Are you nervous?
The only thing I’m worried about is my gut health, since I have a somewhat sensitive gut condition (which is also why I packed a bunch of dietary supplements, which I have never done before this year). Otherwise, no! I know PST will be challenging, and that there will be a lot of difficult times that test my reserve and patience; but I’m confident about my ability to weather them all and am more curious to see which challenges those will be.
What are you looking forward to the most?
There’s a lot to look forward to. First off, learning Nepali! I will be able to understand a good amount of Hindi as a result, which I think will be useful. I imagine it'll be different from the other languages I've studied, which is going to be fun.
Secondly, making friends with all the friendly - and probably more likely, initially hesitant/leery - animals at my site. I was inspired by a past Nepal volunteer, Jim Damico, to pack a dog brush and comb. Those of you who know me well enough will read that and laugh. However… you will also know how deadly serious I am. Shout out to Jim - you're a real one!
I think most of all, I’m looking forward to something I call “slow time” which is the slower pace of life in less Westernized societies. Low-grade activities like just sitting around, drinking tea and talking with neighbors, and simple chores (such as getting groceries, water, or washing laundry by hand, which take a very long time) take up a lot of the day. It's totally normal and just the way life is. Things are simpler. In contrast, life in the US is full of stress, distraction, and “on-the-go” mentality. I'll be happy to leave that behind - at least until I get profoundly and inextricably bored (shaka emoji)
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