My act is not one that is altruistic. I am a selfish person. I am going to leave a city where I have built relationships, a life, and where I have a good job and a house. I am going to leave, not so that I can go and help, but so that I can help myself. It seem to me that the best way to live a fulfilling life is to help others by helping yourself. It is when you can help others and yourself that you can maintain such a commitment. I am going to live an adventure. I am going to teach. Everyone who knows me knows that I love to teach, they may not always want to be taught, but I'm going to try and teach them something anyway. I will also be a student, something I also love, because, let's face it, when you learn new things, you have more knowledge to teach!
So yes, I'll be a volunteer. Yes, I'll be helping others. But I'm doing this because it's something that I too can enjoy. I have heard that Peace Corps Volunteers get much more from their experiences then they put in - this too is why I have chosen to volunteer.
I have recently gotten medically cleared and have started communicating with the administration in Albania. This started to happen about 3 months out. I had to start my medical and dental within 6 months of departure, and previous to that I had simply waited. I was one of the last volunteers to be assigned. I have heard you can now apply to where you want to go, which is a nice change. I was allowed to express a preference, and being a Spanish speaker, I would have loved to go to Latin America. However, I also wanted the adventure. I wanted to throw caution to the wind and land wherever the wind blows me. That wind blew me to Albania.
I have asked people that I know who are or have been Peace Corps Volunteers to give me advice. Here is the advice that I have recieved thus far (thanks to each one of you who has provided advice!):
