Peace Corps

La Noche Cultural | The First Part

June 22, 2018June 22, 2018 First Person ForeignCultural Difference

I got to Paquip at 4:45pm on a Thursday in April. Seño Juana, the school principal, was running past me out of the gym. When I saw her that morning at another school where I[…]

Touring vs. Foreigning | Encountering Tourists while in Peace Corps

June 3, 2018 First Person ForeignGuatemala

I’m a long-term foreigner with an expiration date. The following terms don’t quite apply: transplant, resident or visitor. Each of those has a defining set of circumstances that doesn’t fit that of a Peace Corps[…]

A Very Unusual February (in Peace Corps)

March 3, 2018March 3, 2018 First Person ForeignBeauty

It turns out that 31 is not too old to experience something new and unexpected for the first time. If you’re starting to feel moldy from routine, Peace Corps is for you. But I’m referring[…]

First Time Back | A Peace Corps’ Brain on Fire

August 12, 2017August 27, 2017 First Person ForeignBlank Slate

On July 1, my cousin got married. After 9 months outside the US of A, I was returning for 5 days. In late March I bit the bullet and bought the ticket from Guatemala to[…]

Me Cuesta | 75 Palabras in Guatemala

April 5, 2017April 10, 2017 First Person Foreign75 Words in Guatemala

November 24, 2016: We stood in a circle on the grass as our boss passed out classic manila folders. We were celebrating Thanksgiving Day in the cocoon of the well-manicured office. Like it was a medical[…]

Week Seven: Thank Heaven You’re Done.

November 22, 2016November 22, 2016 First Person ForeignBeauty

Week Seven was a pile of dung. Not really. It was like a roller coaster and I came close to high-fiving Heaven’s gates and dragging my shoes through piles of poo every on a 4-hour rotation.[…]

La Chiflada | 75 Palabras in Guatemala

October 28, 2016October 28, 2016 First Person Foreign75 Words in Guatemala

Amanda is my first CBT friend. CBT is culture-based training, it just means the 9 weeks we live in a community and learn Guatemala. They have acronyms for everything because government. I am very lucky because[…]

Dinámicas | 75 Palabras in Guatemala

October 23, 2016 First Person Foreign75 Words in Guatemala

What is a dinámica? I can’t define it, but I know it when I see it. -Henry Ford. A dinámica is an activity that get’s people moving. It can be a warm-up, wrap-up, icebreaker.. It’s[…]

The Man from Eagle River, Conversations in Alaska | 2 of 50

September 25, 2016September 25, 2016 First Person ForeignAlaska

On my flight returning from Ketchikan to Alaska on September 19, I am asked: “So where’s home?” A very kind gentleman asked from seat 22C. We had a seat between us, which he commented was[…]

2nd Intro Peace Corps Phone Call | Conversations in Alaska, 12 of 50

September 18, 2016 First Person ForeignAlaska

“What is one thing you wish you’d done before you left the States?” “Honestly, this might sound a little odd but I wish I’d taken a bath. That’s a luxury I miss.” “I couldn’t get[…]