Where I come from Peace Corps isn't really known. Peace Corps is a 27 month commitment to work and live in another country. The first three months of your service is dedicated to training you for your job, providing language training, and introducing you to the culture of your new home. After three months, you are sworn in, saying the same thing Congressmen and women say, and move to your new home.
The time in your community is dedicated to the project you were chosen to do. For the Hubs and I that was Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). You are also permitted to do secondary activities that have nothing to do with your primary job. For us, that was tutoring sessions, community classes, and exercises classes. While you live and work in your community, you also go to trainings provided by Peace Corps.
As a Peace Corps Volunteer, your medical, food, living allowance (to pay rent and utilities) are taken care of by Peace Corps. You get two vacation days a month for every month you serve. So for two years of service you get 48 days of vacation. (We utilized those days-check on trips to Panama, Nicaragua, and Colombia/Peru and home 3 times). At the end of your service you get a reimbursement allowance to help transition back into life in the States.
My Peace Corps experience has exceeded everything that I thought it would be. It has been challenging, eye opening, life changing, tearful, joyful, and fun.
I know that when I return I will be asked questions about my experience. At our Close of Service conference, we were encouraged to write down what we wanted to tell people about our experience on a flash card. I will have to work on that before we return in April.
In honor of Peace Corps week, please watch this video that two fellow Youth Development Volunteers made to show you a glimpse of Costa Rica. Our home.
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