This week, from February 25-March 3, we celebrate Peace Corps Week, commemorating President Kennedy’s establishment of the Peace Corps on March 1, 1961. It’s been six months now since I left Peru and completed my Peace Corps service, but part of me is very much still there. Today I reflect upon some those places (and
Leaving Peru without Zorrito One of the hardest things about leaving Peru when I finished my Peace Corps service aside from leaving my friends and community was leaving behind my dog, Zorrito. Zorrito was a stray I found wandering around along the road in my community. Some of my students told me that they saw
At the beginning of my service, the Peace Corps staff and former volunteers would always tell us that two years of service would fly by. I never believed them until now. At the end of September, my training class and I attended our Close of Service Conference to commemorate the successful completion of two years
Last school year I co-facilitated Pasos Adelante, a sex education course, with five sections of tutoria (think ethics class) in the colegio (high school). I actually began with just one section, but as word got out, more teachers asked for my help and before I knew it I was regularly helping out with five sections.
It had been over a week since there was no water in my community. Nobody was really sure why, but It was said that due to the heavy rains some of the piping had been damaged and so the water wasn’t able to get through. There is a water tank over my house so normally,
Packing for your Peace Corps service can be stressful. You may go slightly crazy trying to decide what to bring and what to leave behind, especially not knowing where you will be placed, and if your site will be boiling hot, freezing cold, or somewhere in between. I’ve been putting together a list thought my