Transitions All Around
Reflections of Macedonia and PST After
Six Weeks in Country
by Jim Carlin
T
he journey to Macedonia for my wife, Dianne and me began
in March of 2008. Now, after 18 months, we are within
a month of completing our goal of being sworn in as Peace
Corps Volunteers. In one sense it seems much longer than the
seven weeks it has been since we touched down at the Skopje
International Airport. Almost immediately we were placed into
groups and directed in our daily activities. On the day after
our arrival we received the traditional Peace Corps welcome
and then posed for our “mug shots.” By early afternoon we
were attempting to say, “??????,” and “???? ???.” On that first
Monday evening it seemed that many of us were anxious to get
a taste of what Macedonia was like by going on a scavenger
hunt in our host town of Kumanovo. Many of us also stayed
awake into the early hours of Tuesday morning, not having
adjusted to the time change after leaving the East Coast of
the United States. All of us were busy meeting and making
new friends and wondering what the Peace Corps would have
in store for us. Having spent more than 25 years working for
the largest US Government Organization in the World, I was
impressed with the degree of planning and the X[??\?[? ?X??H ?K\?\??X?H ?Z[?[?? ?\??Z[???? X?Y ?] ?Y[YY ?YB?]?\???\ ?\??[Y ?] [???YY[?\??H[?[? \?X\?B??? H \???][?[??? ??HX??] ??Y?[??\?H ?\?H ?[??H? \???H?Y??\? [? ?[?[?H\?\?H ?YY][??H???Z[???[[??\?[? \?H ?\?[ ??H ?[??H? B?[?????8?'?]\???[?? ?\ [? ?[??????] ?[^B??YK\?^H?[Z[ H?HZ?O??H ?[? ? ?H H X[[??XY?B? ???[O??\?H ??[HZ?H ??HY?\???\][?? B? ?Z[?[?????? ] ?H]?H \? H[?]?^H ?[? X[?H??\?H ]Y\?[??]?H?Y[?[???\?Y ?[?? ?Z[?Y\? ?[?? YB?^\?[?]?H ?] Y[?? HZ[ H ??Y [H[?\?H?Y?[??[??]?HH?Y[?? H[??XY?K ??YH? H?\??\?[??? B?[?K?\???^\?[?x?&[H ??? H?Z[?[?????Y[??H ]H?[??X\?? ? ?XZ? H[??XY?K?H??? ]x?&[H]X? ???\? [???\??[? X??[?? \ H ??[? ?[? ?]Z[?[?? H ???X?[\?K???] ?[?H [??X??]]X?H????????\\?Y ?H[??Y??H?Y[???X??] ?]x?&]?HX\??Y[?H?Y[ ?]?[Y?Y??]?H[[?H\?^H[??XY?H XX?\???H[ ?^\? ] ?\??? Y[? ??\??[?\? ?[ H[??] ?[?[?? ??\??[?[ ?\????H?\??\?[? [?KH?[?]X\?H ??H \???[? ?H[??] ? [?K?H ?Z[H\?[ ?^\??Y]Y ?]H ?Z[H[?H[ [??[?\?]?\?]?\?K??[Z[ H[???Y[? ? Z?H ?[?] H?\????Y [\?[?X]\?X[\?K??H]?[?? \?^ \?Y[??K ??YB?? \?X^H ?XY?\??\???] ] Y\?[? ?[ Y\?[????[???\??? ?[??H? \???K?H [??]\??Z\? ? ?^H ] \?\??Y[?[?[?[??H ?^ ?YZ??[? ?]\? ?H ?X[^?H]??? ?B?]?H[?[??YH] K??H??? [???X??]XX??\??X??]?\?XX?Y?X[??[Z[ H[???Y[? ?[? \?\ ?]?[?B??]? [???X??]?\??[ ?\? ] ?HY??&]????Y??K?[??\??H??\H?^\? ?x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x?&Y ?XYY ??? ??YB??X\??x?&Y^ X?Y ?YH^\?? Y][N?? [??K ?]H ?X[?[? ?\??[??[? ?\??[????\?X]X?]X?Z[?]XYK ?\?????? ??\?H?Y??[??[? ?]? ?? [?N?HXX?H?? ??Y?][???B?[ ?? ?H[?]? \? ?\? ?\ ??Y ??HH?\ ??B?? ?? ???\? ?? YX\??\?KH [YH ? ?Y?X?[? [??\??X? H???x?&[H?? H? H ?? [?Y\? ??????? ??XX?H?? ?Y?H ?][?Y??\?X? [?X\?K[? ??^H?Y??\???X\?X??] H???\?[??H ?\? ]] ??[ ?\??H ?^X?\??]K??]\? [? ???K \?H[?Y]Y\??? [?][ K^H \??[Z\?B??\???]\??]??HY?Z[?[? H???\?[??H ??YY \? ?]?H???[??\??Y[????] [??H[?H? ??YH? \?H ?? ?\??X?H[X?Y?Z]Y\?H ?\??[?? ?\?H?[ ??Y][Y\? ???[ ??][???X][???\?? [?? ?X?\ \?[? H ?[??H???B???? ??? ??Y X]H ???? [? ??\?Y\???[ ?? ??B?\?H ?\?H ?Y\???? \?H ?\?H ?X???? H??\?YB??[YH?]\? ?? [?Y\?? ??[H[? HZ?H?H^H[? [???[???]?Y ?[?H]?Y? ??B?[??[\?[? H ?Y? H [?? H???\?[??B??[Y[?Y[?[? \?H ?[??H ]?\? [YH ?\?[[?? \ [??] ?[? ?H ?] \??Y ? ?]H ?x?&Y ?YH?\??[ ?\?\?[??^H?]?H?????????\?[??H ?\?X^X?H ? \? ???\?X?[ H \??[??[???? ?? \?\??X?B?Y?K[? H \? ?[?[?Y?[???[?] ?\??Z]\? ? [?\???H?\? ?[???[ B????]Y[??\?Y?Z[???\?? [??] ?\?X??B?[H]H?H?[[?\?[??H ?Y?\?[??H ?[? ]XYB?\? ?Y?X???? ]ZX?? B?H [YH\? \??Y ?B????\?[??H ?X??YYY[??[]?X][???? \?\??X?B?[?Y] K ?\X?[??] ?]B??[??[?[?\?\?? ??[? ?YH\?]X?\? ???X?B?[? H ?[XZ[?[?? ?YZ????