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