features: spring 2013
sformationBy Sarah
ded three recruitment meetings. As the erving in the Peace Corps, I knew this hing. I was fortunate. All the preparah, like it was meant to be: application, ssay, etc. It was a long process and at fail. When I finally received my longy believe it. For the first time in a very ed to me.
ad never traveled out of the country. I e only thing I knew about Macedonia reat. I’ ve always been fascinated by overy is a passion of mine, and Maceuld love Macedonia from the first day t a plum! The landscape, the architecthe promise of a new adventure. But I ith the Cyrillic letters on the buildings, traffic that buzzed by almost grazing come to appreciate, and the doughy se caused me to miss home, in fact, I itiated this by submerging me in the along with workshops to introduce the my permanent site that I was actually n my own. No Peace Corps volunteers tural Facilitator to depend on, just the
Stone,
MAK16
new community and me. How was I going to integrate?
The best advice I ever received was from a Peace Corps Volunteer. She told me,“ Say yes to everything!” That’ s what I now tell anyone and everyone who joins Peace Corps. Accept all invitations whether a formal or informal occasion. Meet new people, go places and bring your curiosity. Drink up the experience. Try all things new. Smile, laugh, be open and accepting and you will be rewarded with a rich experience to match none. You will find yourself a better person with new thoughts, concepts and a new insight into yourself that will raise you to a new consciousness. You might even find you can love again or love more. No matter how old you are, you will mature.
Like other Volunteers I haven’ t visited America since arriving in Macedonia a year and a half ago. I don’ t know if I will be ready to face the culture shock when I do return. So, I think I will stay a little longer. I feel like I just got my feet wet. I know there is more here to experience and I don’ t want to miss anything. I am so grateful to my country for choosing me to be a Peace Corps Volunteer. From the beginning, Peace Corps Goal # 2 has been the most important of the three for me:“ To help promote a better understanding of the American people on the part of the people served.” When I return to the U. S., Goal # 3 will stay with me for the rest of my life:“ To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.” ge
By Austin Fast, MAK 15
ers who complete their service go rocess they tell us about in PST, in own timing. Even though we might king after the initial disappointment nges are obvious to PC staff when terval of several months. By mide almost doesn’ t recognize PCVs.
confidence and are full of success, unfortunately it’ s all black without ice crisis, but usually it’ s just a few es.”
e, Evelina says all the volunteers in the culture, including the over-50
because Peace Corps is a lifes.“ They’ re able to grow up in the culture and some become experts in it. Some are so adapted it’ s hard to tell which culture they come from!”
Remember Peace Corps’ first goal? The mission of providing trained Americans is all about transformation of Macedonia’ s people through the transfer of skills. These transformations may not be as sweeping as Skopje 2014’ s colossal revamp of the city center, but nevertheless changes ripple out on the personal level among colleagues and friends of Peace Corps Volunteers.
Just as volunteers cannot claim to leave Peace Corps the same as they came in, Evelina says counterparts and colleagues are inevitably affected through their work with volunteers.
“ It might not be on a high level, but it’ s there – they’ re like drops of water going into the ocean,” Evelina says.“ Teachers say things like,‘ We’ ve exchanged ideas. Now I know how important it is to do a calendar or how much children enjoy games in class. Before I thought I should just teach grammar.’”
For me, the most worthwhile transformations have been those of personal growth among colleagues and students. It might not be as grandiose as renovating a firehouse or building up a youth leadership program from scratch as other volunteers have done, but it gives me that warm fuzzy feeling inside to imagine I might have had some tiny impact. Seeing my former counterpart organize events on his own or talking with former students who have earned a college scholarship seems reason enough to have spent three years in Macedonia.
Spring 2013 – 41